Evening star., 1935-09-29
The Marines
By Frederic j. Haskin.

not seem especially impressive to the
average American, out to an Englishman,
1t is at least interesting. There Is no
reason TO mention the fact at all save
for the circumstance that the American
people have rather high opinion of
their own Marine Corps
Great Britain and the United States
are the only two countries in the world
which have Marine Corps. In Great
Britain they call them-aS they would
the Royal Marines. But here is an in
teresting thing. Although the first
British Marine Corps was organized in
1894, it had miscellaneous vicissitudes
and practically went out of business in
later years. But, in 174Q, when the United
States still consisted of the thirteen
original Colonies, there were recruited in
this country three regiments OF Marines
Royal Marines, naturally-for his
majesty's service. They were raised to
assist the fleet in its various operations
against the King of Spain and against
the French with whom the British never
have been especially friendly, especially
at sea.
To illustrate the military rather than
naval character of these troops, it
might well be noted that the three
regiments recruited were commanded by
colonies, if you please, appointed by the
crown The captains Of companies were
named by the several colonies. There
seems to be no record as to which Of
the thirteen Colonies named the several
captains. Perhaps each one named a
captain. There we're, assuredly. enough
to go around.
1t is sort of amazing to other nations
hof ho brit ol chnl11I
do so curious thing as to have an army
force aboard ship The original Order in
Council which established the British
Marines, when it was heard about on the
continent, provoked no little comment.
1t was dated 1894 and provided in some
what archaic English for Twelve hun
dred land souldgers to be forewith rayzed
to be in readiness to be distributed in
his majesty's f1eete prepared for sea
service"
The AdmiraIs Regiment,
AS a further mark of the amphibian
nature of these men. they were called
officially. the admirals regiment" That
sounds rather out of tune, like referring
to colonel of a battleship, but never
theleSs the Order in Council is of record.
The American people who we're reading
newspapers during the World War will
remember that the press agency Of the
United States Marine Corps exploited,
largely through the eloquence of Capt.
John H. Craige, the tremendous merits
of that body of men. 1t had been on
the lips of half the country that, when
anything in the nature of threat 10
the Monroe Doctrine occurred between
the tropics, that the Marines had landed
and had the situation well in hand.
There we're some persons so confident
of the proves of this outfit that when
they read that the Marines had landed
in France, they assumed the World War
would be over in time for the morning
papers.
That was not quite true, but 1t was
not far of in theory. They did fairly
WELL as fighting goes from civilians
point of view. at Belleau Wood, at Cha
teau Thierry and in the Argonne. In
deed, at Scissors. during those very hot
days. they gave pretty good account
of themselves and were in, as the hunter
says. at the death.
This idea OF Marines seems to be a
pretty we'll tried idea. The idea OF the
British government. when the first Royal
Marines were organized, was this. For
able seamen, the British Navy was in
the habit of picking up from He'll, Hull
and Halifax any one who had so COM
pletely lost his spirit of independence
as to submit to being shanghaied. Al
most invariably that meant that there
was some persuasion from certain state
of comatoseneSs which, we are informed,
sailors are not wholly strangers to.
These chaps we're fairly hardy wights
and. once aboard. not infrequently caused
trouble To be sure, there were then IN
the British Navy men like Lieut.. Bllgh
of the Bounty. but not even such martl-
nets could always curb the rugged lndl-
vidualism of the enlisted men-"enllsted
being a term employed under the mauve
shadow of euphemism and with apollo
gies to both the men themselves and the
press gangs who, presumably, knew what
they were about!
Stood Between Officers and Crew.
Anyway, they were not always excel
lent models of department. They wore
their hair in queues down their backs
and the sort of uniforms that one sees
in performance of Sir Arthur Sullivan's
and Sir William Gilbert's Pirates of
Penzance" AS these were prescribed
uniforms and as the men were ordered
to wear them as a part of the British
Navy discipline and the idea that Eng
land expects every man to do her duty
and that is not typographical error
it is slight wonder that there were fire.
quent mutinies.
So expecting mutinies. out OF long ex-
perience, the British admiralty decided
that there should be another outfit
aboard ship. The able Seamen were
shipped for brief period, often as brief
as the men could make it, The Marines
were more responsible lot and shipped
deliberately and. if you please, their
enlistment was for life.
Therefore, they stood in curious re-
lationship as between the officers, the
Lieut.. Blighs, and the crew OF Seamen
jackies. In the event of a mutlny. here
were these sea soldiers standing between
the crew and the officers and having the
situation we'll in hand.
And. by the way, it is interesting to
note that the Royal Marines are not
called, as the sailors are. jackies. They,
for some reason which is as obscure as
any reason for anything the Engllsh-
speaking people do, are called Jollies or.
alternately, Joes. Perhaps the Jackles
look down on their associates and refuse
to share their nick title with them or. per-
haps. the Joes disdain the traditional
appellation.
There might be a suggestion for the
United States Marine Corps that it get
together with the Royal Marines and
form a sort of exclusive society of the
sea for it is indubitable that they are
fbo o,,Iv oroaniZatiOnS of their kind