The Wilmington morning star., 1947-08-03
State Honorunies Attract
Attention Of Big Shots

navy, Kentucky colonies. Texas
rangers, Arkansas travellers and
North Carolina Tar Heels.
In the navy of land-locked Ne
braska, every member is an admi-
raj. There are about 5000 Ne
braska admirals, from President
Truman to the army's Eisenhower
and Macarthur, Britain's Ambas-
sador Lord Inverchapel, Bing
Crosby and Bob Hope.
The dry = land navy's founder
was Theodore Metcalfe, lieu
tenant governor of the state in
1881. The organization vas born of
a ribbing the Republican MetcaEe
received from friends because the
governor. a Democrat, gave him
SO few duties to perform when
Metcalfe was acting governor. He
dreamed up the Nebraska navy"
and appointed himself "chief ad-
miral."
Having a quasi : official status,
Nebraska navy commissions usu-
ally are awarded to celebrities
who make public appearances in
the state. Attorney General Wal
ter R. johnson says there are no
set qualifications for membership
and there are, apparently, no par
ticular duties involved. The COM
mission Itself declaims:
{" L have nominated and do
ppaoint him an admiral in the
great navy of the state Of Ne
braska. He is therefore called to
diligently discharge the duties OF
admiral by doing and performing
all manner of things thereto be-
longing. And I do strictly charge
and require all officers, seamen,
tadpoles and goldfish under his
command to be obedient to his
orders as admiral.
Then there are, of course, the
Kentucky colonies, a mighty band
which has seen some ups and
downs, depending upon the fancy
of the states governors. Conserva-
lively estimated, there are about
1000 colonels-plus an assortment
o. Kentucky admirals, generals,
commodores and captains.
Before 1882, only about 1000 re-
ceived the state commission-unl-
forms disappeared at the turn OF
the century. Gov. Ruby Laffoon in
three years put "coloneling" On a
mass production basis, commits
sioning about 5000. He used it to
tell the world about Kentucky and
doesn't seem to have refused a
single application: almost any
body who registered at Louisville's
largest hotels picked up q COM
mission.
Included In the list Of colonies
are Shirley Temple and about
every other film star who ever
attended a Kentucky derby. Gen.
Jonathan Wainwright-and a rail
road passenger agent who once OBJ
tanned a railroad reservation Tor
Gov. Simeon Willis when he was
i'll. Native sons and daughters like
10 be coloneled, but most of the
pressure comes from out-of-states.
While Nebraska's navy and Ken
tucky's colonel commissions have
some sort of official standing,
commissions as Honorary Texas
rangers" are a little more nebul-
GUS. Apparently the first appoint
ment was made in 1885 by Gov.
James V. Alfred.
The only hell-for = leather riding
necessary for appointment as hon
orary ranger may be done in
train, plane or automobile.
Designation as an Arkansas
traveller" is a little more formal,
having been authorized by the
states 1941 legislature for "dis-
tinguished visitors, citizens and
former citizens who have distin-
guished themselves in various
fields of endeavor."
North Cardinals honorary Tar
Heel organization is just plain
wish eulfillment. 1t was started by
a state press agent, Bill Sharpe,
a year or so ago when a pho
tographer for a national magazine,
on assignment in the state, made
a chance remark that he wished
he were a Tar Heel"
Not on1y elephants have mem