OCR Text |
Show NO GROG, NO WINE. The. story told by Mrs. Josephus Daniels, Dan-iels, wife of the secretary of the navy, concerning the reason why the officers were deprived of their wine, bears the stamp of truth, and it is quite probable that many another luckless youth first became addicted to strong drink after graduating from Annapolis and going into active service. The same is undoubtedly un-doubtedly true of fnany West Point youths. Therefore, the excuse of the naval na-val secretary for banishing wine from the officers mess is valid in every respect. In the early days of the American navy and up until a comparatively recent date the sailors had a daily allowance of liquor, with unlimited quantities for the officers if they could carry it like gentlemen. There was a loud outcry W'hen the common sailors were no longer long-er "piped aft for grog,"' and there was much bitter commeut when Secrer tary Daniels issued his now historic order. or-der. Yet we do not suppose the United States government will ever again is- -i.e ra;ioe.3 0f grog to tie' s.ilior or allow al-low tiie officers to vse wine at mess. Prohibition sentiment litis some: hing O lo with t:;-1 matter, but the principal re.iijri is that moder-n warships cannot he navi-jarcd by .irutiken men, or even those who are -'keyed up" to a ccrtai'.. extent. In the old days of frigates, brigs ;md sloops of war the meeiinniMU or' the veseis was not so iutrb-ntc that no one but a scientific expert could direct di-rect its operation tied none but the most highly trained sailors do the actual ac-tual work. Consequently all hands were given more Iatjtude. Grog was jup-posed jup-posed to keep the men contented aboard -hip and 'no "officer and gentleman'' would think of sitting down at the messroom table without wine in front of him. If he slid under the table as the result of overindulgence, he was put to bed and nothing said about the matter, provided the said officer recovered re-covered in time to make a bluff at performing per-forming his duty. It was also customary, we believe, for the captain of one of the old-time war vessels to issue grog to his men upon the eve 0f battle. Gunpowder was added to the liquor, in order to make the sailors more ferocious when they went over the side with pike and cutlass, to board the enemy. Nowadays the work is done at long range and the sailors are not called upon to board the enemy or to repel boarders. A keen eye, cool brain and steady hand are the requisites in a modern naval battle, bat-tle, and neither wiue nor grog are useful. use-ful. Some of the old sea novels, where the hero is carted to his quarters in a wheelbarrow or carried thither on the shoulders of a body servant, are very enjoyable reading, although -without doubt greatly exaggerated. But such heroes do not exist in the American navy today. |