* 1iins a By ELMO SCOTT WATSON CTOBER 27 is celebrated as Navy day in the United States for two reasons: It was on October 27, 1775, that the marine committee Py oo of the Continental con- gress, sitting in Philadel- phia, reported a resolu- tion outlining a program of ships to be purchased and converted into men- of-war for use in the struggle for lib- erty with Great Britain, thus taking the first steps toward providing the nation-which-was-soon-to-be with an offensive and defensive force on the high seas. It was on October 27, 1858, that Theodore Roosevelt was born and he, as much, if not more, than any other man was responsible for the modernization of our navy and its eventual growth into the greatest in the world. As assistant secretary of the navy, Roosevelt set himself diligently to the task of repairing our navy, improving its marksmanship and in every way fitting it for the sea war which he saw was Inevitable with Spain be- cause of that country's oppression of Cuba. On Saturday, February 1808, he happened to be acting secre- tary of the navy and as such sent a cablegram which was destined to make history. It was addressed to Admiral George Dewey and read as follows: “DEWEY—Hongkong.—Order the squadron, except the Monocacy, to Hongkong. Keep full of coal. In the event of declaration of war, Spain, your duty will be to see that the Spanish squadron does not leave the Asiatic coast and then offensive opera- tions in the Philippine Islands. Keep Olympia until further orders.— ROOSEVELT.” President McKinley did not want war with Spain and Secretary Long of the Navy department was even more opposed to a break with that country. Roosevelt's cablegram was considered so rash by his superiors that it is said he was never again allowed the chance to be acting secretary of the navy. However, his orders to Dewey were not recalled and the accuracy of his foresight was proved two months later when war was declared, and Dewey, fully prepared, slipped out of Hongkong and smashed the Spanish fleet at Manila bay. On that May morning the United States be- came a nation of world-wide impor- tance and began its career a8 one of the great naval powers of the earth. Its prestige as such further increased when Theodore Roosevelt became President and in that position stead- fastly advaaced a sound naval policy for the United States and made pos- sible the building of the Panama ca- nal, a vitally important link in the chain of our “first line of defense.” Roosevelt's part In the development of our navy is but little known to most Americans, as compared to oth- er more spectacular events In his strenuous career, So Navy day Is a day for recalling his services in that respect and for honoring him for them just as it is a day for recalling the deeds of other “men who made our navy'-John Paul Jones, Oliver Hazard Perry, David Farragut and George Dewey. It Is also a day for recalling the-names of others who are comparatively unknown, but whose deeds are an inseparable part of our naval tradition, "High up In such a list is the name of John Barry, the “Father of the American Navy.” Barry was an Irish. man who had come to this country in his youth and who, at the outbreak of the Revolution, was a wealthy ship- master of Philadelphia. Late In Octo- ber, 1775, when the Continental con. gress authorized the purchase of two ships and their conversion into men. of-war, Barry sailed his merchant. man, Black Prince, into the harbor on that day and sold her to congress. a “ly This vessel was renamed the Alfred Edward Preble and later became the flagship of the American fleet, Later when more ships were added to the patriot navy, Barry was com- missioned a captain and placed in command of the brig Lexington. His first achievement in battle was the capture of the British tender, Edward, on April 17, 1776. In reality this was a small prize, for the Lexington was a much larger ship than the Edward, but the victory lives in history because the Edward was the first captured by a commissioned officer of the American navy. The first American to hold the title of commodore was Esek Hopkins, com- mander-in-chief of the first American fleet which was assembled and manned in December, 1775. Hopkins’ individual record as a fighter was not a particularly bril- liant one and he was finally dismissed from the service. There was no ques. tion of his courage, however, and even if he did not add anything to the record of American naval heroism, his name is worthy of remembrance be- cause he was our first high naval of- ficer, His shortcomings were more than made up for by some of his sub ordinates, for among them were such men as Capt. Abraham Whipple (com- mander of the Americans at the “salt. water Lexington,” the capture and the burning of the British schooner Gaspe off the coast of Rhode Isiand on the night of June 17, 1772), Capt. Nicholas Biddle and a young lieuten- ant named John Paul Jones The War of 1812 bred a famous group of American sea fighters, The names of most of them are familiar to their countrymen—MacDonough, Hull, Decatur, Lawrence, Perry, Stew- art, Bainbridge and Somers. But not the least illustrious of this group was David Porter. As a boy Porter had been twice impressed in the British navy, and both times made good his escape; he never outgrew the bitterness toward England engendered by these experi- ences. He had shipped as a midship- man on the Constellation and distin. guished himself in the fight with the French Insurgente; he was a lieuten- ant on the ill-fated Philadelphia when it grounded off Tripoll, and suffered over a year's imprisonment there. On his return to the United States he was assigned the task of clearing the lower Mississippi of pirates and was #0 signally successful that he incurred the hostility of New Orleans mer chants and even of Governor Clal- borne of Louisiana, Given command of the frigate Essex in 1812, Porter captured the first Brit- ish war vessel, harried British com- merce from the Caribbean to Cape” Horn and from Cape Horn to the Galapagos, took innumerable prizes, and wade the Stars and Stripes re spected the whole length of the Pa- cific, Incidentally, he carried on scien. tific observations and took formal ship ever J / David Porter John Barry possession of the United States Marquesas for the -g claim never followed up by his country. The end of this glamorous, swashbuckling career came when the Essex was bottled up in the neutral harbor of Valparaiso by two British ships and pounded to pieces at long range. Porter's resistance was a gallant but desperate and after his ship had been reduced to a wreck and his deck to a shambles, he struck colors, ane, Porter returned to the United States and was at once appointed to the first board of naval commissioners with the task of reorganizing the American navy. Here he served with distinction until he the task of clearing of pirates Once again he and again he ran into troubled waters. His zeal outrunning his authority, he was haled before a court-martial and sus- pended from service for an affront to Spanish dignity In Porto Rico. In a huff Porter resigned, and served three years as hief of the Mexican navy. President Jackson, who understood Porter somewhat better than his predecessor, rescued him from this thankiess position, and the old war Mog ended his days unevent- fully as charge d'affaires at Constanti- nople, hobnobbing with the sultan and composing guide-books of the city. assigned Caribbean succeeded, Was the commander-in« Edward Preble was something of the same type of Irascible, fire-eater as Porter; unpopular with officers who served uner him, because of his strict- ness and his bad temper, but a galiant and brave officer nevertheless, As a boy he had fled from Falmouth (now Portland), Maine, when it was burned by the British eariy in the Revolution. As a youth he ran away and shipped on a privateer, was appointed mid- shipman in the Massachusetts state marine, participated In three sea fights of the Revolution and was held a prisoner for a while on the infa. mous British prison ship, Jersey. But he never had a chance to pay off old scores against the British since he died five years before the outbreak of the War of 1812, a conflict which would have given him a chance to add his name tp the list of illustrious American sea fighters, However, Preble did distinguish him- self in a war which constitutes one of the brightest spots in our naval history, For it was he who cone quered the Barbary pirates in 1803.04. He first forced the sultan of Morocco to renew the treaty of 1786 and then moved against Tripoli. After six spir- ited attacks, during which three Tri. politan ships were sunk and three cap- tured, a treaty of peace was signed in 1805 by which the tributes that Euro- pean nations had pald for centuries and the slavery of Christian captives were abolished. In 1808 Jefferson of. fered Preble the position of secretary of the navy, but his feeble health pre. vented his accepting. 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