Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1925-10-15
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and proud of, it's $50 years of service Why, in it's
'hgh traditions and honorable accomplishments"
there themes for a thousand Navy Day ora
lions worthy the best efforts of the great and
eoquent-such themes as these:
The active hostilities of 1775 that began the
Revolution found the Colonies without navy
But we a seafaring people-ishermen
traders, shpbuilders, fighters. Smarter sailors
never went down to the sea in ships. Colonial
cruisers were soon on the ocean. And from every
harbor went out privateers, until all told we had
5000 men on the sea. 1t was largely through them
that the Colonial armies were kept supplied with
the munitions Of war They captured 800 enemy
vessels Their 1900 prisoners included 500
soldiers of crack British regiments They even
carried the to British home waters; John
Paul Jones in his cruises through the Irish sea
and the North sea humbled the pride Of the "NIis-
tress of the Seas in plain sight of England Ire
land and Scotland. They daring and so
successful that English merchants dared not ship
in English bottoms and the Thames was full of
French ships loading English freight. We lost
"a war vessels Of 40 guns. The British lost 1O2
war vessels Of 1922 guns. Why, with all due
respect to Gen. George Washington and our French
allies, the War of Independence was largely won
the sea!
The Revolution our independence from
Great Britain, but 1t required the War of 1912 to
wrest from the Mistress of the Seas" our ''inaen-
able rights" on the high seas. 1t was the common
practice Of British warShips TO impress men from
American crews as English deserters" BY 1872
over 5000 cases of impressed American seamen
registered at Washington. Why this? Be
cause Americans were the smartest sailors af1oat
and Britons could justly sing, Britannia Rules the
Waves" The United States navy consisted Of II
ships Of $1,000 tonnage carrying 5025 men and
442 guns. Great Britain had 1048 ships of 800 900
tonnage carrying 1852 men and 27,S0O guns
Nevertheless and Notwithstanding America won
the War Of 1812-and won it on the SEAS Our
contemplate little navy" captured more than
warships outsailed, outmaneuvered and outfought
those Of the British. In - engagements the
British suffered Is defeats
The 44-gun frigate Constitution-"Old Iron
sides'-wOn imperishable fame by her exploits
Perhaps she herself the war by putting fresh
courage into American hearts when all was gloom
ashore. Anyway, she earned her place as an
American institution. Today 128 years old, she is
to be restored for the third time-and by Amer
lean school children!
All this, Of course, Is ancient history-in these
days of Hands Across the Sea-" BLOOD is thicker
than water" said Capt. Josiah TattnaIl when he
violated our neutrality to go to the rescue of
Sir James Hope from the Chinese. Sir Edward
Seymour stood by Dewey in Manila bay when the
American admiral said to the German admiral.
World War the American and British fleets were
as one. Today our warships are returning from
a friendly visit to the British Antipodes
Other war gories galore mark the long service
of the American Navy. In the naval war with