Evening Star Newspaper, December 16, 1928, Page 103

~ Striking Roles Assign CAPT. WILSON BROWN, Now commanding U. S. S. Magflowe Mayflower Will Ob T, e © Marris & Bwing, serve Thirty~First Anniversary as Ship of Navy When President-Elect Hoover Enters White House—Duties in War and Peace BY CORINNE FRAZIER. Y a strange coincidence, when Herbert Hoover, officially known as the thirty-first President of the United States (but actually the thirtieth man to hold that office), is celebrating his entry into the ‘White' House in rch, the U. S. S. Mayflower, the official ht, to which he also falls heir, celebrate the -first annives of her com- as & ship of United States Navy. Built for a pleasure yacht by J. N. G. Thompson of Clydebank, Scotland, in 1896, the Mayflower was purchased from the en Goelet estate by our Government in March, 1898, and on March 19 of that year she was ordered equipped for war and sent to avenge the sinking of the Maine. P As in the case with many a child of fortune trained solely for ths luxu- ries of life, fate had. turned the wheel and cast the pleasure yacht Mayflower suddenly for another role. Later, an- other turn of the wheel gave back her heritage, and once more she assumec®| the aspect of a pleasure craft, though changed in character, as would be a human being who has been given a role of responsibility. as the President's yacht, | the Mayflower's duties (of which carrying the Chief Executive on pleas- ure cruises is but incidental, contrary to the general impression) have been manifold and colorful during her long career. She is an honorable veteran of wars; has assisted in the protection of our naval interests in forelgn waters; has served as flagship, and hes been called upon to act as an envoy of good will, conveying important person- ages on diplmatic and social cruises. She has the distinction of having served as flagship for George Dewey, the only officer to recelye the title of “the Admiral of the Ni in the history of our country. Both Farragut | and Porter were full admirals in 1 Navy with permanent rank, but Dew alone was “the Admiral of the Navy,” by_special act of Congress. To consider the Mayflower in the light of a personal luxury attached to the President’s houschold is as mani- | festly absurd as to consider his aides, his official mansion or his cabinet it- | self in that light. She is at his di posal, to be sure, and often is us o give him some sorely needed relaxa- tion or an opportunity to puszl: out some knotty problems of State away | from the interruptions of his execative | offices, but she is, first of all, a unit of the United States Navy. S TRACXNG the history of the May- | | Notable. guns as the national ensign was hoisted over the city hall. Following this the Mayflower was assigned to special service in Porto Rico (April 13, 1900) and on the 23d of June she sailed from San Juan with Comdr. Duncan Kennedy in command. On her return she bronght the Gov- ernor of Porto Rico to Boston. Then followed a year of inactivity, after which she was assigned for the first time to duty as the President's yacht, the assignment being made on June 28, 1902. Lieut. Comdr. Albert Gleaves (later commander-inrchief of the Asiatic Fleet during the World War,*with the rank of admiral) was the first commander of the yacht in her new capacity. Mrs. Theodore Roosevelt was the first member of a President’s household to | board her after her assignment. The Mayflower carried Mrs. Roosevelt from | Oyster Bay, Long Island, where the President’s family was Summering, to | New York, July 18, 1902. During the Summer of 1902, as dur- ing many other Summers since her unique assignment, the Mayflower par- ticipated in maneuvers, on this particu- lar occasion joining the North Atlantic ficet off the New England coast to engage in a search problem, partici- pating later in Army and Navy maneu- vers at Menemsha Bight. The Secretary of the Navy was the next member of Washington officialdom to cruiss on the Mayflower. He visited | the squadrons at Hampton Roads No- vember 13, 1902, President Roosevelt embarked for his first official trip the following August, going to Oyster Bay for the naval review. In November of the same year the yacht was attached once more to & fleet, when the revolution in the State of Panama necessitated the sending of a naval force to the Isthmus. Rear Admiral Coghlan hoisted his flag on e (the U. 8. 8. Mayflower and she pro- ceeded to Colon to serve as his flag- ip. She continued this duty with the Caribbean squadron until January 14, 1994, when she was detached and sent to the Norfolk Navy Yard for repairs. A red letter day in the log of the Mayflower is February 20, 1904, for on that day George Dewey, the admiral of the Navy, his rank created by an act 1, of Congress to die with him, holsted his flag on her and embarked for Guantan- amo Bay, where he made a visit of general inspection to the fieet, The ayflower then joined the Iilinois off No Man’s Land in June and the vessels {ongaged in target practice. * K ok K CTING as the President’s yacht, flower (and from what we can once more, on July 25, 1905, the lesrn that was her original name), we | Mayflower was assigned to another dis- find that her first duty with our Na tinguished duty, being ordered, under was In the capacity of dispatch boat|the command of Comdr. Cameron McR. during the Havana blockade. She was Winslow, to meet the special envoys of under Comdr. Morris R. 8. MacKenzie | Russia and Japan at Portsmouth, N. H., and was equipped with four 8-pounders. | for the purpose of arranging terms of Her first cruise began on April 12, peace between the two countries, It 1898, when she sdiled from New York to | was on board the Mayflower at Oyster Newport, thence to Key West, Fla, |Bay that the formal introduction of the whence she proceeded to the blockade | two envoys was made by President off Havana, where she remained on|Roosevelt. The envoys were carri.d Quty as a dispatch boat until.the con- |later to Portsmouth by the Mayflower, clusion of the Spanish-American War. | the Dolphin and the Galveston, where On May 8 she took part in the cap-!the first two ships named remained for ture of the Spanish vessel Sanitago|their use. This occasion resulted in Apostol, bound for Havana, and sent h°r [ the signing of peace between the two to Key West. On January 2, 1899, icnumrles and the termination of a when at Cienfuegos, West Indies, the |great war, Mayflower took part in the ceremonies | Fowing this, the Mayflower served ! THE SUNDAY STAR, WASH REAR ADMIRAL ALRERT GLEAVES, The first officer to command the U. 8. S. Mayflower after its assignment as the Presi- dent’s yacht. * © Harris & Bwine, visited the ports of Annapolis and New York City. On one of the longest cruises of her career, the ship sailed in March, 1905 (Comdr. Andrew T. Long, command- ing), for Fernandina, Fla., where Mrs. Roosevelt and party embarked for pas- sagé to Havana and return; It was more than two months from her sail- ing date before she again reached her hon:’e port in the Washington Navy Yard. Durifig the Summer of 1907 she cruised in the waters of Santo Domingo for the protection of American inter- ests. Later she participated in the ceremonies attendant upon the removal of the remains of John Paul Jones to their final resting place, joining the North Atlantic Fleet for this service, which was participated in also by & French squadron of three vessels. During the Taft administration her most_colorful duties included carrying the President of Chile and party to visit the President: conveying President Taft to the Sonder Cup races in No- vember, 1010; carrying the Mexican Ambassador to Washington’s tomb at Mount Vernon; taking the Chinese Prince Tsal Tao and party on one oc-! casion and officers of visiting German vessels on another for sightseeing cruises; conveying the Secretary of the | Navy to the West Indies in January, 1910, and taking part in the Hudson- Fulton celebration in New York in 1908, She also carried the remains of the late Brazilian Ambassador Nabuco, from Washington to Hampton Roads | where his body was transferred to the U. 8. 8. North Carolina for passage to Brazil, is present or expected, unless one is his invited guest. The custom of allowing visitors to inspect the Mayflower, established long ago before improved rafl service, auto- mobiles and air lines made fouring so_vastly popular, has become a diffi- cult’ problem to handle today. It is estimated between 25 and 75 visitors board the ship daily despite the re- strictions as to cards for visitors. In one month 15,000 inspected her and the yearly total ranges around 20,000. On Navy day she is thrown open to the general public, as are all craft at the Navy yards. After 31 years’ of service, the May- flower is still in excellent material condition and has never suffered a serious accident. She has_ fine sea qualities for her ‘tonnaga, Because of her graceful tines she is recognized as a masterpiece of the ship building art. In 1923 she was transfornled from a coal burner to an oll burner. This modernization adds greatly. to her present merit. e ‘The yacht is one of two official vessels assigned similar duties surviving from an original trio. The 8ylph, the other T seems to be a fact that migrating birds follow a definite air line. Wide- ly separated flocks or groups seem always to find this intangible pathway. An interesting observation ade re- cently of swallows flying southward in small bodies proved that they followed |one another at short distences. Some- times the last bird was far out of |sight, and a few minutes would pass before another was seen. The next, however, always followed those that had {been seen before, as though .guided by Ithe trail of wings i the air, | Now, these birds were flying about 20 feet above the earth, but a path PRESIDE} AND MRS. COOLIDGE aboard the Mayflower. Pholo by Harry Mille R 1 President’s ga]ky‘in the U. S. S. Mayflower. one in servick now, is anchored in ah adjacent slip. at the Navy yard for the use of the Secretary of Navy. The old Dolphin formerly completed the | group used as special craft for high officials. The latter was sold in 1922, ‘There is an amusing story told con- cerning sightseers and the Dolphin when she’ served as the Secretary’s vacht. iate Admiral George M. Stoney, then lieutenant commander, in command. On a certain field day (or “clean-up day” in landlubber parlance) prior to intspection, & stray visitor found his way aboard. The officer of the deck explained to him that the ship was not open to visitors that day and sug- hgested delicately his withdrawal. But he stood ‘his ground, remark- ing that he was “a taxpayer, and as such, part owner of this boat and cer- tainly privileged to look her over.” The O. D. appealed to the executive officer. He pleaded in vain with the worthy citizen who failed utterly to grasp the significance of deck-washing day. l);lp!. Stoney was called upon as a last resort. He strolled out on deck, Course of Migrating Birds their course, sound waves carry sur- prising distances, either up fiom the earth or down to it, and the call of a bird in the air, under favorable con- ditlons, may be heard much farther than' most people imagine. So one may hear the notes of passing birds which are traveling at too great a height to be seen by the unaided eye. ‘The whistle of a certain snipe snd plover may inform us that they are passing along the birds’ air line when it is possible for us to see them. we answer the call. we may after a time see a black speck in the tky, which finally circles close overhead. Some bird .has responded to the call It was_during the time of the | P It | ornaments, INGTON, D. C., DECEMBER 16, 1928—PART T. 5 — Artistic view of the U. S. S. Mayflower. greeted the stranger quietly and then, kneeling, cut a sliver from the deck rail. Holding this out, he safd: “You are one of 90,000,000 owners of this ship, I believe sir. Now, here's your share. Good morning!” The tourist departed forthwith. *oxe ERHAPS the most noteworthy trip taken by the Mayflower with the Chief Executive aboard during the Cool- idge administration was that of June 25, 1927, when the President and Mrs. Coolidge reviewed the U. S. Fleet at Lynhaven Roads, as the battleship put to sea through the Virginia Capes. Various changes have been made to her interior during the several admin- istrations of her *service. No photo-| graphs of her interior as it is today are | avallable as photographers have been | forbidden to “shoot” these by order of the President since the war. The old interiors give a general idea of her ap- pearance today, however, as the changes have been of a minor nature. involving mostly, a new rug here and there—dif- ferent draperies, and in some of the state rooms, nef® furnishings. A recent inspection proved of intense interest both from a_historic and artis- tic viewpoint. The U. 8. S. Mayflower is a vessel of 2,690 tons displacement built, as mentioned, on lines of excep- tional grace. Her 273 feet from bow to stern present an expanse of immaculate white sides, gleaming rail and gold trimmings. Her smokestacks and ven- tilators are painted spar color (a shade between buff and light tan); the latter painted a rich red inside. From the port side of the upper deck, the President's barge is suspended, a | canvas-covered hulk. On the starboard ! side in a corresponding position is the | captain’s gig, also covered. Life boats | are swung both forward and aft. The ! guns, gleaming in the sun-like brass are on the forward deck { and fantati. She flies always the Union i Jack at her bow and the American col- ors at her stern. When the President | is aboard his flag is hoisted at the main .| compartment with book.lined walls and | blue moire coverlets on the beds match- ®« % * % lwns tt;l:)uudfl Tnd ke{)}i.just dls’ precisely by birds flying a ousand feet over- URING the World War the official | nead, Some perring gulls, migrating yacht was attached as a patrol boat | at this height, were observed. They to the 5th Naval District. She, otiwere flying towayd the southwest in course, was not open to visitors during | flocks of from 15 to 20 birds. At times and returned to show a companion the | truck. This is a Navy blue bunting em- way back to the air line. | broidered in colors with the, Great Seal An experiment in which the flute-|of the Republic, the centril figure of like calls of a yellow-leg snipe were | which is the spread eagle. - Four stars, heard and anstered proved very in-| one at each corner of the official crest, teresting. 'The bird, which was migrat- | complete the emblem. 2 this period. Her home ports were the Washington and Norfolk navy yards. She continued to serve as the Presi- dent’s yacht throughout the war, but the occasions for pleasure cruises were not frequent during those days of stress. Since the war she has been reopened to visiting tourists who bring credentials from the White House, cabinet members or members of Congress daily from 1 until 4 o'clock in the afternoon. Fri- day 1s the exception to the rule; no one is allowed on board on that day except on official business as the yacht is being in connection withs taking possession | in connection with the reception of of Cienfuegos by the Army under Maj. | Prince Louls of Battenpurg and the Dusenberg, and fired a salute of 21 British 2nd Cruiser Squadron. prepared for Saturday morning in- spection. No one,” of course, {8 per- several flocks would be seen at once, then several minutes would puss with- {out any more appearinz. In a short time another flock would come out of | the northeast and follow as directly after those, which were now several I miles ahead, as though they, had left guide posts in the air. An astronomer who vas studying the sun with A telescope siw a bird pass slowly through his fleld every few cec- onds, flying in a southeriy direction, With the naked eve, however, no bird could be seen. Often the ear, better than the naked eye, will enable one to locate the day fiyers far up in the which n?letcm to board her when the President sky. With nolhing '§p turn ihem irom ing, no doubt called to a co ion in the sky, but a scientist below, imitat- ing the call, answered. Quickly the bird responded. The man vhistled agein and soon could see a black dot circling above him. Larger and larger it grew; louder and louder und more frequent became the cry, and within a minute, much to the surprise of all observers, the bird was flying anxiously overhead. Unable to find a bird that had called him, however, he soon mounted high in the air and continued his journey, . This 1eadiness on the part of the birds to answer the call of a lost companion no doubt helps the little alr travelers to follow a pathway. o I ‘The President’s flag is hoisted on the IMlyflower when he steps aboard. Upon his arrival he is received with the pre- scribed presidential honors—offiters at the gangway, crew manning the rail, eight side boys, attention and four i’“““’ on the bugle, the National An- | them by °the band and a salute of 21 | guns. On the upper deck of the ship is found the - President's smoking cabin. | This is sometimes used as a reception room for distinguished visitors, De- View of President’s dining ro ed to President’s Yacht in World Events om of the Mayflower as it appeared in 1900. Minor changes have been made. COMMANDER M . U. S. Who commanded the U. S. Spanish-American War, dining room. It stretches the entire width of the ship through the center (approximately 36 feet). It is paneled in solid mahogany, which, during the Wilson administration, I believe, was painted ivory white, as has been the woodwork throughout the major part of the vessel. This is done because it was found that the dark paneling made the rooms appear gloomy and smail. * ok ok ok | | | room is furnished in mahogany and hung with rich *silk draperies of the soft Harding biue. Adjoining this room, aft, is a smaller reception or mu- sic room where informal teas and re- | céptions may_be held. Abaft of this room is the President’s study, a small furnished in a heavy mahogany office | suite and a dictaphone. The presence of this room in the yacht ‘glves some suggestion of the na- ture of the President’s so-called pleas- ure jaunts. The hangings at the door- way leading from it are of a change- able blue-green taffeta, appropriately suggestive of sea wates. Silk cuthions in & deep window seat (minus the win- dow, of course) carry the same color note. In addition to two bedrooms reserved for the President and his wife, there are five other guest rooms, several of variety, with upper and lower berth bunks. The connecting rooms set aside for the President and his wife, on the maia | deck, are furnished in ivory suites, the | ing the paneling of brocaded taffeta on the walls in shade. (They are of tha same Harding blue which predominates in the decorations of the entire ship.) The paneling in these rooms, as in all of the guest rooms, is also of mahoganv painted white. the presidential family are aft on the main deck. During the Wilson admin- istration, an elevator was installed. running from the door of the Presi- dent's room on the fantail to the upper deck. This has since been removed. Forward on the main deck, beyond the dining and reception rooms, is the President’s galley, equipped with china presses, two oil-burning regulation Navy ranges, a table and other kitchen equipment, all immaculately shining—a ilght to delight the soul of any house- eeper. e Mayflower recently lost through retirement a superlatively fine chef who had served faithfully and long in thig capacity. It was his distinction to spend the last years of active service as the President’s personal chef aboar1 the yacht. He was a Chinese named | Lee Ling Quuw and more than one Ex- ecutive could Yestify to the perfection | of his cullinary art. He has a record of 20 years’ service in the Navy. There are two other galleys on th: =hip, in addition to that for the Pres!- dent—the officers’ galley and the galley for the crew's mess. The latter is| equipped with two glant copper boilers | for copking iarge quantities of soup and | other “chow.” These are in addition to the regulation cook stoves. For the benefit of those’ who have been led to think that the Mayflower is equipped extravagantly, we would ra- | mark that the chinaware is the ordi- nary regulation Navy crockery of th: variety used in the usual officers’ mess. | The President’s china, however, has | been decorated with a narrow |old‘ band and the official crest, but other- wise is lation in type. It certainly carries with it little suggestion of lux- | ury or extrav: ce. On the contrary, substantial usefulness is its chief char- x X% x acteristic. An‘ on the lower deck, we find the rest of the guest chambers. Two rooms, directly beneath those of the| President and Mrs. Coolidge, are espe- clally attractive in their furnishings. In one of these, known as guest room No. 2 (being on the port side), are the before her President’s yacht. HE state or presidential dining room | these being of the regulation stateroom | The rooms assigned to | < ORRIS R. S. MACKENZIE, S. Mayflower during the assignment as | Mrs. Woodrow Wilson on their trip to the Paris Peace Conference. They were used also by the King and Queen of the Belgians on their visit to the United States shortly after the war. Subse- quently they were presented fo the Government_(or purchased) a- “iaced on the Mayflower. A gold p!¢ 1 the footboard of each tells its his' | Cuest room No. 1, on the s.arboard side, is furnithed with twin brass beds with blue moirs coverlets. Both rooms are paneled in ivory white and Harding | blue brocade. The baths attached to these are unusual in that they contain tubs of solid slabs of marble. . oThe other guest rooms have the berth type of bed with mahogany frames. | Each of the guest rooms, of course, has & dresser, low boy or chest of drawers and other boudoir conveniences, all ranged to make the most of ‘the limited space. The largest of the rooms is not more than 12 by 12 feet. One of them is & single room. The other two of the latter group mentioned are fitted for two guests aplece. It is in one of these that the President's Secret Service aides sleep during his cruises. The forward part of the ship is de- | voted to officers’ and crews' gquarters. Officers’ quarters arc found on th~ main deck. They consist of single rooms with bunks and a ward room. which is the officers’ combinatidn din- ing room and lounge. | Capt. Wilson Brown of the class of ‘02 is now in command of the May- flower. The full complement of officers |is nine, inc'uding the captain. Those | serving at present with Capt. Brown are Lieut. Comdr. L. H. Thebaud, exacu~ tive officer; Lieut. Comdr. Joel T. Boone, doctor (also White House physiclan); | Lieut. T. E. Hipp, paymaster; Lieut. B. L. Bell. marine officer; Lieut. W. A. Griswold, Lieut. L. J. Johns, Lieut. J. F. Rees and Lieut. T. §. Bunch, officers of the watch. In addition to his command, of the yacht, the captain of the Mayflower serves also as naval aide to the Presi- | dent. Several of the officers of the ship are assigned as aides at the Whita | House, where they assist at formal | ceremonies. Officers who have commanded the | Mayfiower from the date of her first commission up to the present time in- | clude many whose names have become {famous in naval history. They are in order of their command: _Comdr. Mo | ris MacKenzie, Comdr. Duncan Kej nedy, Lieut. Comdr. Albert Cleaves, Comdr. Camzron McR. Winslow, Lisut. Comdr. Andrew T. Long, Comdr. Carl Vogelgesang, Comdr. Thomas Snowden, | Comdr. George W. Logan, Comdr. Pow- | ers Symington, Comdr. Newton A. Mc- | Cully, Comdr. William A. MacDougal, Lieut. Comdr. Robert L. Berry, Lieut. Comdr. C. T. Osburr. Lieut. Comdr. 8. F. Bryant, Comdr. R. S. Holmes, Capt. A. Andrews and Capt. Wilson Brown. Tl;e Secret Bl;;ter. 'VERY foreign office in Europe acts . on the theory that an army of spies is constantly on the alert to steal ts Secrets, and infinite precautions are tak:n to baffle their efforts. Very short- ly after the first use of blotting paper it was discovered that it was quite pos- sible to cause a blotting pad to give up secrets by simply holding it in front of & mirror. Long after all the commercial world had forgotten the existence of such a thing, the British foreign office used & sand shaker to dry its fmpor- tant written documents, of which l.z:rc are still many despite the use of the typewriting machine. Then specially manufactured black blotting paper was used, but this was not found to be ab- solutely spyproof and a return to the sandshaker was ‘ contemplated when some one suggested the simple - ent of a small absorbent roller. ese rollers have since been used for drying divlomatic documents. Wh-~ such a twin beds In ivory white finish which scending to the main deck one finds a spacious room as, ample in proportions as the 'dmlnlrwm of a modern town house. used as the President's have an unusual historic significance. They were the beds of the presidential suite in the U, §. 8. rgs Washing- ton, used in 1918-10 roller has been run up ar “n and fcross & document onoe %, the clevegest spy in tha world .. .. liberty to iry his hand at deciphering the ime President and pressions.