Evening star., 1928-12-09
By REX COLLIER

pigeons into a trap.shooting machine
and fashioning quoits out of rope and
tape.
- Swab Decks Daily.
Deck swabbing. of course, is regular
duty In the Navy, but never have the
decks of hattleship needed swabbing
SO much as on this cruise. After Gay
of activity by carefree members of the
party the decks look like the floor uf a
newsroom or athletic club
Cigarette and cigar butts and ashes
are scattered far and vide Partly
burned butts are percl.:d on hatch
covers, turrets, winches and other CAD.
gets Soiled and wrinkled discarded
board courts are marked out on the
deck. Chalk lines indicate the boun-
daries of deck tennis courts. Crushed
pieces Of chalk are here and there.
The clean-up squad always is on the
job, however. With brooms and
brushes and wash rags they sweep
| the derbis into the scuppers. With
paint brush and bucket they, make
regular rounds of inspection, touch
| Ing up with gray paint the scars and
/ scratches left by propped feet and
tilted chairs. The sailors appear to
take great delight In this paint-sfnear-
seeing an unwary correspondent plant
himself against freshly touched UP
stanchion- or gun platform. Several
| suits have been ruined already.
AS has been indicated, life aboard q
battleShip at sea Is a lackadaisical one
| for guests Of the United States Navy.
Three appetizing meals q day In the
, ofncers' mess to music from the ships
band, radio or phonograph, and served
by good-natured Filipinos, striving to
please. A daily paper, the Hurricane,
with morning and. afternoon editions.
containing up-to-the-minute news by
! radio from all parts of the world and
various ship" items OF interest To the
party. A weekly publication, the Cata-
putt, published by the crew, with spe-
cial cuts and articles In connection
with the goodwill cruise. Facilities
for playing half q dozen deck games.
Special drills for the entertainment OF
the guests. Inspection tours into the
vitals of the dreadnaught. A library
Of standard works and late novels.
Movies every night.
The ships officers take turns acting
as hosts at the press tables during mess.
Throwing of customary reserve, they
Join in the stunts and hilarity that
never Is lacking when bunch OF news
papermen are thrown together for any
length Of time.
| Radio Hoax.
One of the cleverest stunts was the
broadcasting OF q special radio program,
dedicated to the Maryland and her
guests. Announcement was made in ad-
vance that the program would be re-
ceived direct from station WRC IN
Washington by means OF Q special
short wave experiment. All the corre-
spondents appeared in the dining room
promptly at the hour designated, to-
gether with Allan Hoover. other men,
bers Of the official staff and number
Of officers.
The dials of the radio set were adj
justed and finally the voice Of an an
nouncer could be heard. He was stat
ing that this Is a special program
broadcast for the benefit Of President
elect Hoover's good will ship" and that
the first musical number would be the
President-elect's favorite hymn. The
strains of 1.-THE Sidewalks OF New York, u
played by an orchestra, followed.
rs that really coming from WASH
ington?" calculated Allan.
The announcer prevented an answer
He said he had some messages from
some wives OF correspondents aboard
the Maryland. AL perked their ears