e United States
has a navy is for the purpose of carrying the marines to the points
where they are needed. They are aware of the fact that marines may be
landed and such landing not be considered an act of war. Therefore
they look upon their service as much more important than that of the
soldier.

The marine has been everywhere man has gone by land or sea or air, as
one of their poets wrote:

"From the hills of Montezuma
To the gates of old Peking
He has heard the shrapnel bursting,
He has heard the Mauser's ping.
He has known Alaskan waters
And the coral roads of Guam,
He has bowed to templed idols
And to sultans made salaam."

"I am more than a sailor, for although I belong to the navy I fight on
the land. I am more than a soldier, for I do all that the soldier does
and at the same time I belong to the navy and go to sea." Thus the
marine proves to himself that he is "it," as the soldiers and sailors
would say.

"The marines get aviation, searchlight, wireless telegraph, heliograph,
and other drill. They plant mines, put up telegraph and telephone
lines in the field, tear down or build up bridges, sling from a ship
and set up or land guns as big as 5-inch for their advance base work.

"It is a belief with marines that the corps can do anything. Right in
New York City is a marine printing plant with a battery of linotypes
and a row of presses. They set their own type, write their own stuff
(even to the poetry), draw their own sketches, do their own
photography, their own color work--everything. Every man in that plant
is a marine, enlisted or commissioned. Every one has seen service
somewhere outside his country."

Such a feeling of superiority, however, would soon be laughed down if
it were not based upon something more than talk. The marines know this
and try in every way to show that they excel the other branches. They
are extremely careful of their dress, and their personal appearance,
and of their conduct whether on duty or off. They try to sustain the
reputation of their branch in every little way as well as in every
great one.

As an illustration of this, they are not satisfied with a commonplace
mascot. Soldiers and sailors, and marines too, must have a mascot. A
cat, a dog, a goat, a parrot, a monkey, a pig, a lion cub, or a bear
are among the commonest and most popular of mascots. Therefore the
marines would usually disdain any one of these. If any of them shoul