Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-11
MAYF[OWER TO GO
IN ACTIVE SERVICE
Former Presidential Yacht
to Be Flagship of "Trou-
BILE Squadron"
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

IS O S" Mayfower may become the
sobriquet of the late presidential yacht
which Herbert Hoover discarded, i'm
nnediately after taking Office, in favor of
medicine ball and the Rapidan. The
Mayflower is about to become the flag
ship of Uncle Sans trouble squadron"
In the waters of the Caribbean area.
Officially the old-time floating White
House will be the flagship of the United
States Nays Special Service Squad
Ton," known as the banana feet" be-
cause its job is to hurry on emergency
duty to ports of Central American or
Southern Atlantic countries in which
there are American-owned banana
plantations, as well as other interests.
Consisting of older type cruisers of
SQUADRON is always first on the scene
when American lives or property re-
quire the protection of the Navy in any
regions in the neighborhood of the
Panama Canal, on either the Atlantic
or Pacific side. The Mayfiower will
supplant the cruiser Rochester as flag
ship of the Special Service Squadron on
or about February is. The vessel is
now being reconditioned at the
Philadelphia Navy Yard and will fly
the flag of Rear Admiral Arthur st.
Clair Smith.
Efforts for Sale Failed.
The Navy is restoring the Mayflower
to active service after an unsuccessful
attempt to sell her to private parties.
The bids received were so low that the
department decided to use the ship,
which rates as an auxiliary cruiser,
when some suitable occasion arose.
Recently it was discovered that the
HaNhaCfaT. vi q Cf
having been Admiral SIMPSONS cele-
brated flagship New York in the Span
ish-American War, was decrepit, and
the Mayf1ower was selected to take its
place as the Special Service Squadron's
hagship.
After Mr.. Hoover announced, APP
parently as an economy move, that he
would not keep the Maydower in COM
mission as a presidential yacht, the
one-time palatial private yacht of the
late Ogden Goelet was sent to the Navy
Yard at Philadelphia to be decom-
n1issioned and laid up until it could be
disposed Of Mr.. Hoover, as President,
has never been aboard the May1ower,
though he frequently was a guest pas
senger in Harding and Coolidge days
Interior fittings, including q battery of
small guns, were removed and the crew
dispersed for service on other ships of
the Navy. Some of the Filipino boys,
who were stewards on the Mayflower
when it was the White House yacht,
were given temporary duty at the camp
on the Rapidan. One of the souvenirs
Of the vessels presidential days, a
handsome braSs-bound clock, now
adorns the private Office of Ike" Hoo
yer, the veteran chief usher Of the
White House
MayfIOwer Now Ship Shape.
The future flagship of the banana
feet" is as ship-shape as its 40-odd years
Of life permit. It was converted into
an oil-burner several years ago, was
equipped with new boilers and hull and
still presents smart appearance afloat.
The Mayfiower was q part Of the
United States Cuban blockade feet
during the War with Spain. Its next
duty was to serve as the official ship
Of the Governor of Porto Rico. Presi-
dent Roosevelt was the first Chief Ex-
ecutive TO use the Mayflower as q White
House yacht. All OF his successors, I'D
to President Hoover's time, entoyed
cruises aboard It, Mr.. and Mrs.
Coolidge used it constantly for week
end entertaining
(Cobyrisht, 1879