Evening star., 1937-10-24
NAVY DAY RECALLS
ORIGIN OF FLEET
John Adams Credited With
. Drafting RuIes-Pro-
family Barred.
BY H. r.. BAUKHAGE.


On wednesday the Nation cele-
bfates Navy day. and Washington
viii be afutter with flags, naval
planes will whirr over the Potomac,
there will be crowds swarming over
the Navy Yard, music and speeches.
Few will think Of that little group
Of men, the members Of the Maritime
Committee, appointed by the Con-
tinental Congress TO lay down the
foundation of our Navy. Among them
was John Adams. It was he who
drew up the rules" which can be
read to this day in the archives.
Quaint reading they make, amusing
to this age, and not without their
,pathos.
This group of men, the first Com
nittee on Naval Affairs. prepared the
legislation for purchasing the first
ships. It was in October. 1775, that
they offered the resolution, which
was passed by the Congress, contain
ing the rules code so satisfactory
that it was re-adopted under the
Constitution later on.
Covered Many Matters.
Compared with the volumes OF
"rules and regulations" of the pres
ent Navy, they seem slim contripu-
ton, scarce eight pages in the ar
chiyes. But they covered many mat
~~ters which perhaps modern legisla-
tors would have passed over.
The first four vessels whose per-
sonnel the rules affected were sig
nitcantly named. Those names tell
much of the feeling of the times.
One was the Columbus, named after
Americas discoverer, natural choice.
Another. the Alfred. Alfred, founder
OF the English Navy. Think of what
that meant. These men. patriotic to
the core. with England threatening
what they believed their rights, felt
English enough themselves to honor
the historic ruler of the island en-
pire's Dawn.
; Another of these first ships was the
Andrew Doria. Probably few readers
will recognize that name. But 1t must
have been prominent enough then,
for surely there were plenty of others
to choose from. Doria was a great
Genoese admiral. The fourth ship was
the Cabot. The famous English ex-
plorer was honored because he was
the first to explore the shores OF
America.
A brave fleet that, ships OF some
400 tons. Later four more vessels
~were added.
Rules More Fascinating.
But the rules themselves are more
fascinating than the names OF the
ships.
Morals were the first thing con-
sidered.
The commanders of all ships, wrote
the founding fathers, must be strict
" required to show themselves good
example of honor and virtue to their
officers and men"
That was the beginning Of the first
paragraph.
The second sternly laid down the
regulations for divine service. But
they were not entirely bigoted. There
must be q Sunday sermon unless bad
weather or other exigencies pre-
vented.
Paragraph three forbade swearing.
Profanity was punished. Men who
were profane must wear wooden
collar. Officers we're by no means i'm
mune from punishment. While their
persons we're not to be subjected to
indignity, If they used improper Ian
ruage they were to be fined shilling
for each offense. Warrant officers
paid less per oath, either because they
had less pay or more provocation for
swearing. Which reason was behind
the sliding scale was not incorporated
In the rule.
Other forms Of punishment were
limited. No officer was permitted to
subject any man to more than IL
lashes on the bare back with cat OF
nine tails"
. Distribution Of "Prizes."
These more personal matters dis
posed of, the rules went on to careful
stipulatfons governing the distribu-
tlOQ Oh 4ICoC 0iA iiot ASASA
to trophies awarded for deck golf or
other sports.
1t had to do with splitting up the
spoils when an enemy ship was cap
tured.
Then followed technical regulations,
rates of pay and bills Of fare. Very
little was left to the imagination, and,
II the young navy lived up to the
rules. the life of sailor in those days,
Sit would seem, was not an entirely un-
happy one, even if there was no
ships hospital, but only "a place pro-
vided for the sick" where the afflicted
sailors bedding would be transported.
In this connection, it is interesting
10 note that not until the Spanish war
was q hospital ship made definite
peace-time unit of the fleet.
Small IS that first fleet was, it
rave q good account of itself in the
Revolution, as our Navy did in 1912
and has ever since.
(Copyrisht, 1887. by the North American
Newspaper Alliance, Inc)