Coast Guard's 154th Birthday Finds It Fighting Axis
On Seven Seas, in Addition to Peacetime Duties
— ■ _ ,
Service Originated
As Arm of Treasury
To Check Smuggling
Soon after he took over di
rection of the treasury in
George Washington’s cabinet,
Alexander Hamilton discov
ered that the government was
losing a lot of sorely needed
revenue because of the brisk
smuggling that was going on
along the coast. Accordingly,
he told the President that
something would have to be
done. Washington brought the
matter to the attention of
congress, and that body, act
ing with remarkable celerity,
provided funds for the estab
lishment of the Revenue Cut
ter Service. So it was that on
August 4, 1790, the U. S. coast
guard was born. The service
is celebrating its 154th anni
versary this year. It has the
longest record of nil the na
tion’s sea forces, having tak
en part in every war since the
Revolution.
From post * Revolutionary day*
when it operated a handful of tiny
48-foot cutters concentrating on the
collection of import duties for the
infant republic, the coast guard has
expanded in scope of its activities
and in size until today it has more
than 200,000 officers and enlisted
men, and is fighting the Axis all
over the world.
Actually, the Tariff Act of 1790
merely authorized the building of
six revenue cutters to insure the
collection of customs. But our
founding fathers realized that this
little fleet might prove valuable as a
defense unit. So it was decided to
organize the men and ships on a
military basis. President Washing
ton commissioned Hopley Heaton of
New Hampshire "to command a cut
ter in the service of the United
States.”
One hundred and fifty-four years
later coast guard vessels are operat
ing as part of the navy, sweeping
the seas of enemy subs, and coast
guard landing craft are spear-head
ing invasions, putting marines
ashore in the South Pacific and the
army in France. The coast guard
has fulfilled the fondest hopes of its
founders.
But the military usefulness of the
coast guard, which has reached a
peak in this war, was apparent soon
after its organization. In 1797,
American ships bound for England
were seized and boarded by priva
teering French vessels, operating
with tacit blessing of the Revolution
ary government of France.
Fought French Privateers.
When in 1799, the U. S. navy was
finally organized and new ships were
sent out to aid the cutters in their
battle against the French. But it is
interesting to note that of the 22
ships captured, 18 were taken by
the coast guard, which also assisted
in the capture of two more.
The undeclared war against
France saw the establishment of the
precedent of transferring the coast
guard from the treasury department
to the navy in time of war. Ever
since this date, the alert, trim, fight
ing coast guard cutters and men
have joined the navy by presiden
tial proclamation on the outbreak of
hostilities.
When peace with France was re
stored in 1801, the cutters were re
turned to the treasury department
and in an economy measure by the
hard-pressed government several
EXPERTLY handling their land
ing craft, coast guardsmen bring a
barge loaded with soldiers to shore
through the treacherous surf of the
South Pacific. This boat was
swamped, but the crew managed to
land the troops entrusted to their
care.
were decommissioned. But when,
during the coming years, fears of
a war with England caused anxious
naval authorities to survey our
naval strength, additional cutters
were authorized and built, all of
which served with distinction in the
War of 1812.
The Civil war wrought havoc with
the revenue cutter service, although
all its vessels fought on the side of
the Union. Trained crews and of
ficers, torn between divided loyal
ties, left the service to join their
respective sides. To fill the places
of these men, having decades of
service and experience, relaxed
standards made possible the admis
sion of some unfit, morally and men
tally, and soon after the war a com
plete reorganization of the service
was necessary. And this reorgani
zation was thorough.
New ships were constructed and
in 1876 an academy was established
to train officers. Although at first
the academy was merely a barken
tine, “The Dobbin,” anchored off
New Bedford and later the "Chase”
at Baltimore, no move did more to
establish the “esprit de corps” of
the coast guard, retain and pass on
its traditions and raise the service
to the high standards of unity that
it has achieved today. The present
coast guard academy at New Lon
don, Conn., compares favorably
with Annapolis and West Point.
Police Duty in Alaska.
Meanwhile the service was en
trusted with new duties, while its
old functions were enlarged with the
growth of the nation. The acquisi
tion of Alaska was an important
event for the coast guard, for to it
was given the obligation of enforc
ing law and order in the territory.
When the Japs invaded the Aleu
tian Islands, the decades of experi
ence of the coast guard in the wild
unpredictable waters of the Arctic
is bearing fruit.
In 1915 the coast guard was merged
with the life saving service and for
the first time the name “COAST
GUARD” was officially recognized.
The merger of these two units was
a logical development, for the cutter
and life saving units were both
branches of the treasury department
and had operated closely for many
years. The lighthouse division was
not made an official member of the
coast guard "family” until 1939.
World War I found the coast
guard, as usual, ready for anything.
A terse presidential message “Plan
One . . . Acknowledge,” trans
ferred the coast guard ships and
personnel into the navy for the dura
tion. Coast guard officers were
assigned to duty at naval stations
and on naval ships throughout the
world with many being given com
mand posts. The cutters as usual
CREWMEN on a coast guard cutter assigned to rescue work in
the English channel keep anxious watch as they scan the choppy waters
for soldiers who were tossed into the sea when their invasion barge was
sunk. This flotilla of cutters saved hundreds of men during the D-Day
period.
were placed In convoy and escort
service.
The period following the Armistice
saw the construction of the modern
coast guard fleet. New Diesel and
steam cutters were designed and
built. Smaller, fast, patrol boats
were developed. New equipment
was installed on shore stations. Air
power was made a vital part of the
coast guard with the construction of
bases on the Atlantic and Pacific.
A fleet of planes of the newest de
sign were assigned to the service
and so coast guard aviation, long a
cherished dream, was a reality.
When the country thinks of coast
guard law enforcement, it usually
associates it with Prohibition. Al
though the coast guard was given
the unpopular job of enforcing that
unfortunate act it managed to make
the best of it. In fact through Pro
hibition the coast guard developed
a valuable intelligence unit which
today serves the cause of national
defense as part of the naval intelli
gence. But prohibition was only one
of the law-enforcing jobs of the
versatile coast guard. The Nar
cotics, Oil Pollution, Whaling and
Alien Smuggling are just a few of
the marine laws enforced by the na
tion’s maritime police force.
But greatest of all the hundred
fifty-four years of the coast guard
history has been this great global
war that will rid the world of tyr
RELAXING with a bit of non
sense, a coast guardsman on Saipan
dolls u£ in Japanese garments.
He is garbed in a silk kimono and
brocaded obi. He shades himself
with a fancy parasol while he takes
aim at a parakeet with a Jap ma
chine gun.
rany and oppression. Three of the
guard's cutters made naval history
by signal success against the sub
marine. First it was the Campbell,
which in 12 hours of gruelling ac
tion depth-bombed five enemy
U-boats and shelled, rammed and
sank a sixth in a running battle
while guarding a convoy. Then
followed the Icarus, 165 feet of fight
ing fury, which sank a U-boat off
the Carolina coast and took 33 pris
oners. The Spencer, sister ship of
the Campbell, reached her peak of
glory by sinking a sub stalking a
convoy.
Beach Patrol.
Tl)e famed beach patrol reached
its heights with the capture, convic
tion and elimination of the sub-land
ed, would-be saboteurs who were
trapped by an alert coast guardsman
on Long Island’s desolate shores. On
guard against other landings coast
guard dogs and horse patrols now
are ready to give any intruder a
warm reception. The port security
force, a similar unit, protects piers
and harbors.
This war has seen the full develop
ment of coast guard aviation. Where
once coast guard fliers flew in bad
weather on many an errand of mer
cy, they now skim over the vast
expanses of the ocean acting as air
umbrellas for victory convoys, on
constant alert for lurking subs. To
the fleet of flying boats of peacetime
have been added the deadly “King
fishers,” sleek, trim planes flown by
the same experienced men who fly
in any weather, under any condi
tions.
Une more new branch of the serv
ice is the SPARS, the women's re
serve of the coast guard, aimed at
replacing coast guardsmen on shore
stations throughout the country.
SPAR officers train at the academy
at New London and enlisted person
nel at the new training school at
Palm Beach. Fla. Over 7,000
SPARS are now on duty but by the
end of the year 9,000 will be wear
ing the coast guard blue.
So, whether in peace or war, the
coast guard’s greatest pride is to
live faithful to its motto, “Semper
Paratus,” “Always Ready.” And
coast guardsmen are always ready—
to save lives, patrol beaches, cap
ture smugglers, watch for icebergs,
or fight their country’s enemies.
On Every Beachhead, It’s the Coast Guard That Puts ’Em Ashore
Coast guardsmen landed the ma
rines at Tulagi. They were under
Are at Guadalcanal. They were in
there again at Tarawa. They
manned landing barges storming the
beaches of Cape Gloucester and
Bougainville, Kwajalein and Eniwe
tok in the Marshalls, Hollandia and
Wakde and Biak in the invasion of
Dutch New Guinea.
More recently, when navy task
forces moved against Saipan in the
Marianas, coast guardsmen operat
ed assault transports and tank land
ing ships, and coxswains and gun
crews were at their posts in the
LCVPs that swarmed to the Saipan
beaches.
On the other side of the world,
coast guardsmen landed 'em in
North Africa, on Sicily and at bloody
Salerno. On D-Day when the Lib
eration Armada swept across the
English channel to breach Hitler’s
vaunted Festung Europa in Nor
mandy, coast guardsmen were un
der the terrific Nazi fire that made
a literal hell of the beach. Const
guard crews operated transports,
LSTs. LCIs and landing barges in
those heavily mined waters. A flotil
la of coast guard 83-footers—dubbed
“match boxes”—boldly and tire
lessly poked amidst wreckage and
mines to save the lives of more than
800 American and Allied soldiers and
sailors in the first 24 hours of inva
sion under heavy shell-fire from Ger
man shore implacements.
Adequate Water for
Stock Is Essential
Improvement Seen
As Production Aid
Full utilization ot grazing areas,
with an attendant production ot
more and better meat and dairy
products requires adequate water
for livestock on range and pasture, i
No matter how palatable and plenti
ful the forage, if sufficient water at
regular intervals is not available,
livestock will not reach a good
marketable condition.
Development of enough wells and
springs and ponds to supply the
necessary water is not the only re
quirement. WFA points out. Proper
distribution of the water in relation
to available forage is essential to
efficient grazing as full utilization
cannot be realized if an adequate
supply is not accessible to livestock
on any part of the pasture or range
acreage.
Stock-water developments are im
portant on farm pastures in humid
areas as well as on the ranges in
semi-arid and arid states, according
to government authorities. While
the greatest need is in the latter
areas, inadequate facilities prevent
the fullest use of good pasture on
many farms because the owner is
not aware that a lack is possible in
the more humid section where he is
raising stock. Also, he may not
realize how influential stock-water
supplies can be in improving the
quality and quantity of range and
pasture feed.
In many states, farmers may re
ceive assistance in carrying out
stock-water developments under
the conservation program adminis
tered by the agricultural adjust
ment agency.
Conservation of soil and water are
aided indirectly by development of
necessary pasture and range water
ing facilities. With proper develop
ment and distribution of water sup
plies, grazing can be restricted on
overgrazed, eroded or depleted
rangeland and the stock rotated
over other areas in keeping with
their grazing capacity. Adequate
water supplies on farm pastures,
while encouraging more uniform
grazing, will also aid pasture im
provement practices, and decrease
damage from erosion.
Water facilities are, roughly, of
two kinds—natural and constructed.
Springs, streams and lakes are in
the first group. The second requires
drilling, excavation or other con
struction work to make water avail
able, and includes wells, artificial
reservoirs and ponds, ditches, and
troughs and storage tanks attached
to springs and reservoirs.
Fertilizer Increase
Half Million Tons
American farmers this year will
use well over 11,000,000 tons of com
mercial fertilizer—a new all-time
high. That’s half a million tons
more than were used in 1943 and
3,000,000 tons more than in 1940.
Adjustments in analysis of com
plete fertilizers to be sold in differ
ent states have been made to insure
the best possible use of the avail
able materials supplying nitrogen,
phosphoric acid, and potash The
nitrogen content of many of the
available grades has been increased
somewhat, indicated supplies of this
important plant food being about 35
per cent greater than last year.
While some fertilizer ingredients
are available in somewhat larger
amounts this year than last, all of
them, including such important
nitrogen-carrying materials as am
monium sulfate, sodium nitrate, am
monium nitrate, and fertilizer com
pounds, are still on allocation by the
War Production board.
I
Large Worm Loss
Experts say the average wormy
pig, if it lives, requires one-fifth
more feed to reach the same weight
as an uninfested one. Since about j
half of the pigs in the United States
are said to be infested, elimination
of internal parasites would save
great quantities of feed. It would
save many hogs, veterinarians esti
mating that worms kill one pig in
ten. By wide experiments and use,
phenothiazine has proved to be the
only drug that will control nodular
worms. It also controls roundworms
or Ascarids as effectively as other
commonly used anthelmintics.
Phenothiazine is usually given with
dry feed mixtures to hogs confined
in a pen, although individual doses
of pellets, tabs or as a drench with
a syringe are also used. The drug
should be given according to printed
directions or under the supervision
of a veterinarian.
Retail Purchases Up
_T l L E FAC T
0 S RET All SALES REACH NEW HIGH
I929|
1933 (
1937 (
1941 (
1943 (
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By BYRON McCLURE
McClure Newspaper Syndicate.
WNII Features.
*‘/"'ARE to dance?" Captain
Davtd Holbrook had been
drawn by some irresistible force
across the ballroom to the'uniformed
girl sitting alone at the corner table.
Cool gray eyes appraised him
and time stood still for a moment
as they gazed into each other's eyes;
then the girl nodded. Gradually they
drifted to the edge of the floor and
through a door opening on a small
balcony. Neither spoke. Speech was
unnecessary. It was enough to be
together, complete in each other.
Finally David broke the silence,
“Just . . . like . . . that!”
She smiled tremulously. “Yes. just
. . . like . . . that. I had never be
lieved it could happen so suddenly."
“Neither had I. Gives you a sort
of all-gone feeling Inside, doesn't
It?”
She nodded. "Just like pulling out
of a dive."
David grinned. “Exactly! But
what do you know about pulling
out of dives, young lady?”
She pointed to a pair of shining
silver wings pinned to her jacket.
“I’m in the Air Corps,” she said
simply, unable to conceal the pride
in her voice. David laughed gaily.
"What’s so funny about that?” she
demanded.
Funny? Why, I was just laughing
happily at finding that we're in the
•ame outfit."
“You know that’s not true,” she
retorted, anger in her voice, "it’a
just that you men are all alike!
You’re not willing to admit that
women can do things you can , . .
just as well and sometimes better!
If men aren’t the stupidest, the most
conceited ... !” she paused, search
ing for words. Finding none, she
gave him a stinging slap.
Almost roughly he grabbed her
arms. "Listen, you little idiot! I get
so sick of seeing you women carry
ing chips on your shoulders, daring
anyone to suggest that you aren’t
really doing men’s jobs. Why does a
uniform have to go to a woman’s
head? You could punch that type
writer in some office just as well
without it." She started to answer
him but, Instead, struggled from his
grasp and disappeared in the
crowded ballroom.
David fell asleep that night
dreaming that he was falling
through space. But an angel
swooped down on silver wings to
catch him before he crashed. When
he arrived at the airport in the
morning the dispatcher approached
him. "Your plane has already been
warmed up for your ferrying mis
sion, Captain. Lieutenant Winters is
ready to take off whenever you say
so. Sir.”
"Thank you. I’m all set. Let’s go."
David was anxious to get into the
air, where he was at home, where
he could think. His mind was still
filled with thoughts of that girl.
So preoccupied was he that he
ran straight into the storm before
he realized it. A blinding streak of
lightning zigzagged across the sky
just in front of the nose of his ship!
With senses newly alert, he glanced
hurriedly at the instrument panel.
The compass indicator was spinning
crazily. That bolt had knocked out
its delicate mechanism. David knew
it was useless to turn back. He
would be just as hopelessly lost as
he was now. Drat that girl! If he'd
had his mind on his business instead
of on her, he'd have paid more at
tention to the weather report.
He pulled back on the stick and
pushed the throttle forward, at
tempting to rise. Almost imme
diately ice began to form on the
wings and propeller; his rate of
climb decreased rapidly. He shud
dered as he envisaged the jagged
peaks below. Then he remembered
the other plane. He craned his neck
and peered back, not daring to
hope. There it was, doggedly fol
lowing. Just a few hundred feet be
hind! Ha^t'ly he flipped the trans
mitter swJ.ch. “Flight leader to
flight! Fhgnt leader to flight! Can
you hear r.ie? Come in, flight! *’
A familiar feminine voice came
clearly. ‘‘Flight to flight leaderl I
can hear you. Go ahead. Sir!”
David thought he was dreaming
again. “Wh-who are you?”
Again that cool voice. “I’m Lieu
tenant Winters, Sir. The girl punch
ing a typewriter in some office. Or
don’t you remember?”
“Why didn't you tell me you were
a Ferry Pilot?” he demanded.
“You didn’t give me a chance.
You probably wouldn’t have be
lieved It, anyway. Women aren’t
supposed to be capable of doing such
things, are they?”
After a moment of silence David
said meekly, “Will you take com
mand of the flight, Lieutenant? My
compass is knocked out. I’m com
pletely lost.”
“Yes, Sir.” Crisply she ordered,
"let me pass.” David marveled at
the ease with which she out
maneuvered the storm. In a matter
of minutes they emerged Into the
glorious sunshine.
David slowly eased up alongside.
As they flew wing tip to wing tip
he could almost reach out and touch
her. "Lieutenant Winters?” he
asked.
"Yes, Sir?”
“I . . . well, I . . . there's some
thing I’d like to say to you tonight.
Lieutenant. Do you think you’d cars
to listen?"
There was no mistaking the
emphasis she placed on her answer
ing, "Yes, Sir I”
ON THE
HOME FRON
RUTH WYETj^SPEAR^
IRON COT)
OLDo
CENTER
TABLE
TO CUT DOWN
TABLE
PAD REVERSIBLE-TOP AND
BOTTOM FLOWER CHINTZ*
SIDES OF PAD
REEM
3iar^
PLEATSri,
CHINTZ OR \Vl(J
MUSLIN OV'ER SPRINGSJ
^jFITTEO
& I WITH
GATHERS
SEAM
A RE you using one room for
^living and bedroom these
days? Or perhaps you have had
to put an extra cot in some corner
of your house or apartment. In
either case it is worth while to
give a little extra care to the day
time appearance of the bed. A flat
box on casters holds all the bed
ding for the simple cot shown
here and slides underneath out of
sight.
This arrangement makes it pos
sible to cover the cot and pad
with neatly fitted slip covers
which give it all the dignity of a
real sofa. The contrasting side
section of plain material around
the pad with end and center back
cushions to match it is a nice
touch. The improvised table from
odds and ends also helps to make
the couch do day as well as'night
duty.
• • •
NOTE—This illustration is from BOOK
C of the series of homemaking booklets of
fered with these articles. Every page of
this 32-page book gives clear step-by-step
directions for things to make your home
more attractive with odds and ends ot
things on hand and Inexpensive materials
now available. To get a copy of Book f
send 15 cents with name and address to:
MRS. ROTH WYETH SPBARS
Bedford HUli New York
Drawer It
Enclose 15 cents for Book No. t.
Name ..
Address ..
Hemming a new frock will be
easier if you cut a piece of card
board to the exact width you
want the hem and use it as a
marker. Start the hem, insert the
card and slip it along as you work.
* • •
To fasten the thread at the end
of your work, take one or more
backstitches, then bring the needle
through to the wrong side. Make
a knot by holding the thread down
on the wrong side with the thumb
and pass the needle under it.
* * •
Beware of dusty shoulders. Cut
paper protectors to slip over
clothes hangers and onto your
dresses before hanging them
away.
* • •
A large wooden salad fork
comes in handy in washing jars
and pitchers. With the dish cloth
on the end of it, the job is soon
finished.
• * •
Take a large paper bag with
you when cleaning or tidying up
the living room. Into it empty con
tents of ash trays and wastebas
kets.
The blunt end of a pencil may
be used to turn a fabric belt right
side out. And orangewood stick is
excellent for working the corners
out sharply.
• • •
A coat of white shellac applied
to the cover of your cook book
keeps it looking like new.
HELPS
HEAL \
SCRAPES, \
CHAFE }
MOROLINE
PETROLEUM JELLY |f|£
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King'* Herald* Male Uoartel
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Rmpapn Logi Show Other Stallone
Foster D. Snell, Inc., well-known consult
ing chemists, have just completed a test
with a group of men and women suffering
from Athlete's Foot These people were
told to use So retone. At the end of only a
ten-day test period, their feet were exam
ined in two ways: 1. Scrapings were taken
from the feet and examined by the bacteri
ologist. 2. Each subject was examined by a
physician. We quote from the report:
“After the use of Soretone according to
the directions on the label for a period
of only ten days, 80.6% of the cases
showed clinical improvement of an infoe-,
tion which is roost stubborn to control.4
Improvements were shown in the symp
toms of Athlete’s Foot—the itching, horn
ing, redness, etc. The report says:
“Id our opinion Soretone is of very def
inite benefit in the treatment of this
disease, which is commonly knows ns
‘Athlete’s Foot’."
So if Athlete's Foot troubles you, don’t tem
porize with this nasty, devilish, stubborn
infection. Get soretone! McKesson *
Robbins, Inc., Bridgeport. Connecticut.
