Edwin Taylor Pollock
Encyclopedia
Edwin Taylor Pollock was a career officer
in the United States Navy
, serving in both the Spanish-American War
and World War I
. He was subsequently promoted to the rank of captain
. Like many naval officers, his name was often abbreviated using initials: Pollock.
As a young ensign
, Pollock served aboard the during the Spanish-American War. After the war, he rose through the ranks, served on several ships, and did important research into wireless communication. In 1917, less than a week before the United States entered World War I, he won a race against a fellow officer to officially receive the U.S. Virgin Islands
from Denmark, and served as the territory's first acting governor. During the war, he was promoted to captain and a vessel under his command transported 60,000 American soldiers to France, for which he was awarded a Navy Cross
. Afterward, he was made the eighth Naval Governor of American Samoa
and then the superintendent of the United States Naval Observatory
, before retiring in 1927.
, Pollock attended the United States Naval Academy
and, as a midshipman, was assigned to the and the . He graduated with a rank of ensign
in 1893.
After graduation, Pollock returned to Ohio and married Beatrice E. Law Hale on December 5. Two weeks later, he was assigned to the cruiser during its initial shake-down. He was subsequently assigned to the gunboat
for an expedition to China
. He remained in China for two and a half years as part of the Asiatic Squadron
, then transferring to the before returning home in 1897. On his return home, the Spanish-American War was heating up and he was reassigned to the New York, to see service in Cuba
and Puerto Rico
, eventually taking part in the Battle of Santiago de Cuba
.
In January 1900, he was promoted to lieutenant
and assigned to the . Over the following year he served on the and the . On board the Buffalo, he returned to the Asiatic Squadron near China and was finally transferred to the , the squadron's flagship
. He remained on board the Brooklyn, until its return home in May 1902. After a brief leave, Pollock was assigned to the USS Chesapeake
(as the watch
and division officer), a position he held for more than one year. He was subsequently transferred to the , serving for another year, and then to Cavite Naval Base. At Cavite, he was promoted to lieutenant commander
in February 1906.
His first duty as a lieutenant commander was on the , as the navigator
. In 1910, Pollock was reassigned to the , where he was promoted to commander
in March 1911.
On his promotion, Pollock commanded the and the , before being transferred to the United States Naval Observatory
. During his command of the Kearsarge, Pollock briefly commanded the for a world-record setting wireless experiment. For this feat, the Salem was outfitted with 16 different wireless telegraph technologies and sailed to Gibraltar
, with Pollock commanding. On arrival, they tested these technologies and set a world-record for longest wireless telegraph distance, 2400 miles (3,862.4 km), using a "Poulsen Apparatus", based on principles by Valdemar Poulsen
. Experiments were also conducted to determine wireless characteristics during inclement weather and during both the day and night. In 1916, he was put in command of the , the ship on which he previously was the navigator.
into World War I
, the US military was concerned that Germany
was planning to purchase or seize the Danish West Indies
for use as a submarine
or zeppelin
base. At the time, Charlotte Amalie
on Saint Thomas
was considered the best port in the Caribbean
outside of Cuba
, and Coral Bay
on Saint John
was considered the safest harbor in the area. Although the United States was not yet at war with Germany, the US signed a treaty to purchase the territory from Denmark for 25 million dollars on March 28, 1917. President Woodrow Wilson
nominated James Harrison Oliver
to be the first military governor. The United States announced plans to build a naval base in the territory to aid in the protection of the Panama Canal
.
Oliver was unable to travel immediately to the Islands and the honor of being the first Acting Governor of the United States Virgin Islands
was decided in an unusual way. Both Pollock, commanding the , and B. B. Blerer's were dispatched to the Islands in a race. The commander of the ship that arrived first would officiate at the transfer ceremony and be Acting Governor. Pollock arrived first and the transfer ceremony took place on March 31, 1917, on Saint Thomas. Blerer officiated at a smaller ceremony on Saint Croix
. Present for the handover was the crew of the KDM Valkyrjen
and the former island legislature. The United States declared war on Germany on April 6, less than a week after securing the islands. Oliver was confirmed by Congress
on April 20 and relieved Pollock as Governor.
in 18 round trips. In 1918, the George Washington was tasked to deliver President Woodrow Wilson
to the Paris Peace Conference
, though Pollock would not make the trip. He was reassigned on September 29, 1918.
While on board the George Washington, Pollock and Chaplain
Paul F. Bloomhardt edited a daily newspaper
. After the war, stories from the paper were assembled and published in 1919 by J. J. Little & Ives co. as Hatchet of the United States Ship "George Washington". A short review of the work by Outlook
magazine called the book "readable" and "admirably illustrated". It "abounds in clever bits of fun, queer and notable incidents, and sound and patriotic editorials."
After the war, he was eventually reassigned to the battleship , to serve in the Pacific fleet. On November 10, 1920, Pollock was awarded a Navy Cross
for his services during the war.
On November 30, 1921, Pollock was transferred from command of the Oklahoma to become the Military Governor of American Samoa
. Events both personal and political led to a previous Governor Terhune's suicide on November 3, 1920, and the appointment of Governor Waldo A. Evans
to conduct a court of inquiry into the situation and to restore order. Pollock succeeded Evans, who had successfully restored the government and productivity of the islands after a period of unrest. At this time, American Samoa was administered by a team of twelve officers and a Governor, with a total population of approximately 8,000 people. The islands were primarily important due to the excellent harbor at Pago Pago.
Beginning in 1920, a Mau movement
, from the Samoan word for "opposition", was forming in American Samoa in protest of several Naval government policies which natives (and some non-natives) found heavy-handed. The movement itself may have been inspired by a different and older Mau movement in nearby Western Samoa, against the German and then New Zealand colonial powers. Some of the initial grievances of the movement included the quality of roads in the territory, a marriage law which largely forbade natives from marrying non-natives, and a justice system which discriminated against locals in part because laws were not often available in Samoan. In addition, the United States Navy also prohibited an assembly of Samoan chiefs, who the movement considered the real government of the territory. Surprisingly, the movement grew to include several prominent officers of Governor Warren Jay Terhune's staff, including his executive officer
. It culminated in a proclamation by Samuel S. Ripley, an American Samoan
from an afakasi or mixed-blood Samoan family, with large communal property in the islands, that he was the leader of a legitimate successor government to pre-1899 Samoa. Evans also met with the high chiefs and secured their assent to continued Naval government. Ripley, who had traveled to Washington to meet with Secretary of the Navy Edwin C. Denby
, was not permitted by Evans to enter the port at American Samoa and returned to exile
in California, where he became the mayor of Richmond.
After being appointed as Governor, Pollock's continued the colonization work started by his predecessor. Prior to traveling to the territory, he met with Ripley in San Francisco, California. Although Ripley maintained that American "occupation" of Samoa was usurpation, he agreed to allow Pollock to govern unfettered and to provide him with copies of his letters. Almost immediately after arriving on the island, Pollock and Secretary of Native Affairs S. D. Hall met with representatives of the Mau, becoming the first governor to do so. Shortly afterwards, some members of the Mau disbanded, though the movement would continue in some form for another thirteen years.
Pollock's remaining time as governor was less eventful. While exploring Tonga
in May 1923, he discovered a turtle which had been branded by Captain Cook on his expedition there in 1773. The turtle was thus known to have lived more than 150 years. He was ordered home on July 26, 1923.
Immediately on leaving Samoa, Pollock was appointed superintendent of the United States Naval Observatory
in Washington, D.C.
, replacing outgoing Rear Admiral
William D. MacDougal.
On August 22, 1924, Mars
came within 34630000 miles (55,731,444.2 km) of Earth. The US Naval Observatory made no formal observations of the planet, but Pollock and the son of astronomer Asaph Hall
ceremonially re-enacted Hall's 1877 discoveries of the moons Phobos
and Deimos
with his original 17 inches (431.8 mm) telescope
. They also made observations to calculate the masses of the two moons.
On January 24, 1925, Pollock commanded the dirigible on a flight from Lakehurst, New Jersey
, to photograph a solar eclipse
from an altitude of 8000 feet (2,438.4 m). This was the first time an eclipse had been photographed from the air.
, remaining also in Washington, DC. In 1932, he was made a director of the Jamestown Historical Society. He also became interested in genealogy and published several works on his family's history through the 1930s. He died on June 6, 1943, after a long illness and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery
on June 7, 1943.
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, serving in both the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
and World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. He was subsequently promoted to the rank of captain
Captain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
. Like many naval officers, his name was often abbreviated using initials: Pollock.
As a young ensign
Ensign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
, Pollock served aboard the during the Spanish-American War. After the war, he rose through the ranks, served on several ships, and did important research into wireless communication. In 1917, less than a week before the United States entered World War I, he won a race against a fellow officer to officially receive the U.S. Virgin Islands
United States Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands of the United States are a group of islands in the Caribbean that are an insular area of the United States. The islands are geographically part of the Virgin Islands archipelago and are located in the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles.The U.S...
from Denmark, and served as the territory's first acting governor. During the war, he was promoted to captain and a vessel under his command transported 60,000 American soldiers to France, for which he was awarded a Navy Cross
Navy Cross
The Navy Cross is the highest decoration that may be bestowed by the Department of the Navy and the second highest decoration given for valor. It is normally only awarded to members of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard, but can be awarded to all...
. Afterward, he was made the eighth Naval Governor of American Samoa
American Samoa
American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the sovereign state of Samoa...
and then the superintendent of the United States Naval Observatory
United States Naval Observatory
The United States Naval Observatory is one of the oldest scientific agencies in the United States, with a primary mission to produce Positioning, Navigation, and Timing for the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Department of Defense...
, before retiring in 1927.
Early career
Originally from Mount Gilead, OhioMount Gilead, Ohio
Mount Gilead is a village in Morrow County, Ohio, United States.Mount Gilead's population was 3,290 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Morrow County and the center of population of Ohio. The village was established in 1832, eight years after white settlers arrived in the region...
, Pollock attended the United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
and, as a midshipman, was assigned to the and the . He graduated with a rank of ensign
Ensign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
in 1893.
After graduation, Pollock returned to Ohio and married Beatrice E. Law Hale on December 5. Two weeks later, he was assigned to the cruiser during its initial shake-down. He was subsequently assigned to the gunboat
Gunboat
A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies.-History:...
for an expedition to China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. He remained in China for two and a half years as part of the Asiatic Squadron
Asiatic Squadron
The Asiatic Squadron was a squadron of United States Navy warships stationed in East Asia during the latter half of the 19th century, it was created in 1868 when the East India Squadron was disbanded...
, then transferring to the before returning home in 1897. On his return home, the Spanish-American War was heating up and he was reassigned to the New York, to see service in Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
and Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, eventually taking part in the Battle of Santiago de Cuba
Battle of Santiago de Cuba
The Battle of Santiago de Cuba, fought between Spain and the United States on 3 July 1898, was the largest naval engagement of the Spanish-American War and resulted in the destruction of the Spanish Navy's Caribbean Squadron.-Spanish Fleet:...
.
In January 1900, he was promoted to lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
and assigned to the . Over the following year he served on the and the . On board the Buffalo, he returned to the Asiatic Squadron near China and was finally transferred to the , the squadron's flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
. He remained on board the Brooklyn, until its return home in May 1902. After a brief leave, Pollock was assigned to the USS Chesapeake
USS Severn (1898)
The third USS Chesapeake and second USS Severn was a three-masted, sheathed, wooden-hulled bark with auxiliary steam power in commission in the United States Navy during most of the period between 1900 and 1916.-Construction and commissioning:...
(as the watch
Watchstanding
Watchstanding, or watchkeeping, in nautical terms concerns the division of qualified personnel to operate a ship continuously around the clock. On a typical sea going vessel, be it naval or merchant, personnel keep watch on the bridge and over the running machinery...
and division officer), a position he held for more than one year. He was subsequently transferred to the , serving for another year, and then to Cavite Naval Base. At Cavite, he was promoted to lieutenant commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
in February 1906.
His first duty as a lieutenant commander was on the , as the navigator
Navigator
A navigator is the person on board a ship or aircraft responsible for its navigation. The navigator's primary responsibility is to be aware of ship or aircraft position at all times. Responsibilities include planning the journey, advising the Captain or aircraft Commander of estimated timing to...
. In 1910, Pollock was reassigned to the , where he was promoted to commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
in March 1911.
On his promotion, Pollock commanded the and the , before being transferred to the United States Naval Observatory
United States Naval Observatory
The United States Naval Observatory is one of the oldest scientific agencies in the United States, with a primary mission to produce Positioning, Navigation, and Timing for the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Department of Defense...
. During his command of the Kearsarge, Pollock briefly commanded the for a world-record setting wireless experiment. For this feat, the Salem was outfitted with 16 different wireless telegraph technologies and sailed to Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
, with Pollock commanding. On arrival, they tested these technologies and set a world-record for longest wireless telegraph distance, 2400 miles (3,862.4 km), using a "Poulsen Apparatus", based on principles by Valdemar Poulsen
Valdemar Poulsen
Valdemar Poulsen was a Danish engineer who developed a magnetic wire recorder in 1899.-Biography:He was born on 23 November 1869 in Copenhagen...
. Experiments were also conducted to determine wireless characteristics during inclement weather and during both the day and night. In 1916, he was put in command of the , the ship on which he previously was the navigator.
U.S. Virgin Islands
In the final days before the entrance of the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
into World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the US military was concerned that Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
was planning to purchase or seize the Danish West Indies
Danish West Indies
The Danish West Indies or "Danish Antilles", were a colony of Denmark-Norway and later Denmark in the Caribbean. They were sold to the United States in 1916 in the Treaty of the Danish West Indies and became the United States Virgin Islands in 1917...
for use as a submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
or zeppelin
Zeppelin
A Zeppelin is a type of rigid airship pioneered by the German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin in the early 20th century. It was based on designs he had outlined in 1874 and detailed in 1893. His plans were reviewed by committee in 1894 and patented in the United States on 14 March 1899...
base. At the time, Charlotte Amalie
Charlotte Amalie, United States Virgin Islands
-Education:St. Thomas-St. John School District serves the community. and Charlotte Amalie High School serve the area.-Gallery:-See also:* Anna's Retreat* Cruz Bay* Saint Thomas* Water Island-External links:* *...
on Saint Thomas
Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
Saint Thomas is an island in the Caribbean Sea and with the islands of Saint John, Saint Croix, and Water Island a county and constituent district of the United States Virgin Islands , an unincorporated territory of the United States. Located on the island is the territorial capital and port of...
was considered the best port in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
outside of Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, and Coral Bay
Coral Bay, United States Virgin Islands
Coral Bay is a town on the island of St. John in the United States Virgin Islands. It is located on the southeastern side of the island. Though it was once the main commercial and population center on the island due to its sheltered harbor, it has fallen from prominence with the introduction of a...
on Saint John
Saint John, U.S. Virgin Islands
Saint John is an island in the Caribbean Sea and a constituent district of the United States Virgin Islands , an unincorporated territory of the United States. St...
was considered the safest harbor in the area. Although the United States was not yet at war with Germany, the US signed a treaty to purchase the territory from Denmark for 25 million dollars on March 28, 1917. President Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
nominated James Harrison Oliver
James Harrison Oliver
James Harrison Oliver was a Rear Admiral and member of the Naval Board of Strategy during World War I. He was also the first military Governor of the United States Virgin Islands from 1917 to 1919. He was often referred to as J. H. Oliver.-Biography:Oliver was born in Houston County, Georgia...
to be the first military governor. The United States announced plans to build a naval base in the territory to aid in the protection of the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
.
Oliver was unable to travel immediately to the Islands and the honor of being the first Acting Governor of the United States Virgin Islands
United States Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands of the United States are a group of islands in the Caribbean that are an insular area of the United States. The islands are geographically part of the Virgin Islands archipelago and are located in the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles.The U.S...
was decided in an unusual way. Both Pollock, commanding the , and B. B. Blerer's were dispatched to the Islands in a race. The commander of the ship that arrived first would officiate at the transfer ceremony and be Acting Governor. Pollock arrived first and the transfer ceremony took place on March 31, 1917, on Saint Thomas. Blerer officiated at a smaller ceremony on Saint Croix
Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
Saint Croix is an island in the Caribbean Sea, and a county and constituent district of the United States Virgin Islands , an unincorporated territory of the United States. Formerly the Danish West Indies, they were sold to the United States by Denmark in the Treaty of the Danish West Indies of...
. Present for the handover was the crew of the KDM Valkyrjen
HNoMS Valkyrjen
HNoMS Valkyrjen was a division's ship for the torpedo division of the Royal Norwegian Navy. She was built at F. Schichau shipyard in Elbing, Germany in 1896. The funds for the ship had been raised by the women of Norway and the ship was named Valkyrien in honour of them. She was also nicknamed The...
and the former island legislature. The United States declared war on Germany on April 6, less than a week after securing the islands. Oliver was confirmed by Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
on April 20 and relieved Pollock as Governor.
World War I
During the war, Pollock was appointed as Captain on the , a German cruise liner which was seized by the United States government for use as a military transport ship. She was rechristened George Washington in September 1917 and Pollock was given her command on October 1, 1917. That December, she set out with her first load of troops. During the war, Pollock successfully transported 60,000 American soldiers to FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 18 round trips. In 1918, the George Washington was tasked to deliver President Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
to the Paris Peace Conference
Paris Peace Conference, 1919
The Paris Peace Conference was the meeting of the Allied victors following the end of World War I to set the peace terms for the defeated Central Powers following the armistices of 1918. It took place in Paris in 1919 and involved diplomats from more than 32 countries and nationalities...
, though Pollock would not make the trip. He was reassigned on September 29, 1918.
While on board the George Washington, Pollock and Chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
Paul F. Bloomhardt edited a daily newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
. After the war, stories from the paper were assembled and published in 1919 by J. J. Little & Ives co. as Hatchet of the United States Ship "George Washington". A short review of the work by Outlook
The Outlook (New York)
The Outlook was a weekly magazine, published in New York City.-History:In 1900, the ranking weekly journals of news and opinion were The Independent , The Nation , the Outlook , and in a different class or with a different emphasis, The Literary Digest .-Notable contributors:*Theodore Roosevelt...
magazine called the book "readable" and "admirably illustrated". It "abounds in clever bits of fun, queer and notable incidents, and sound and patriotic editorials."
After the war, he was eventually reassigned to the battleship , to serve in the Pacific fleet. On November 10, 1920, Pollock was awarded a Navy Cross
Navy Cross
The Navy Cross is the highest decoration that may be bestowed by the Department of the Navy and the second highest decoration given for valor. It is normally only awarded to members of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard, but can be awarded to all...
for his services during the war.
American Samoa
American Samoa
American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the sovereign state of Samoa...
. Events both personal and political led to a previous Governor Terhune's suicide on November 3, 1920, and the appointment of Governor Waldo A. Evans
Waldo A. Evans
Waldo A. Evans was a Captain of the United States Navy and military Governor of both the United States Virgin Islands and American Samoa. He was the last military governor of the U. S. Virgin Islands.-Biography:...
to conduct a court of inquiry into the situation and to restore order. Pollock succeeded Evans, who had successfully restored the government and productivity of the islands after a period of unrest. At this time, American Samoa was administered by a team of twelve officers and a Governor, with a total population of approximately 8,000 people. The islands were primarily important due to the excellent harbor at Pago Pago.
Beginning in 1920, a Mau movement
Mau movement
The Mau was a non-violent movement for Samoan independence from colonial rule during the early 1900s. The word 'Mau' means 'opinion' or 'testimony' denoting 'firm strength' in Samoan...
, from the Samoan word for "opposition", was forming in American Samoa in protest of several Naval government policies which natives (and some non-natives) found heavy-handed. The movement itself may have been inspired by a different and older Mau movement in nearby Western Samoa, against the German and then New Zealand colonial powers. Some of the initial grievances of the movement included the quality of roads in the territory, a marriage law which largely forbade natives from marrying non-natives, and a justice system which discriminated against locals in part because laws were not often available in Samoan. In addition, the United States Navy also prohibited an assembly of Samoan chiefs, who the movement considered the real government of the territory. Surprisingly, the movement grew to include several prominent officers of Governor Warren Jay Terhune's staff, including his executive officer
Executive officer
An executive officer is generally a person responsible for running an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization.-Administrative law:...
. It culminated in a proclamation by Samuel S. Ripley, an American Samoan
American Samoan
American Samoan may refer to:* Something of, or related to American Samoa* A person from American Samoa, or of American Samoan descent. For information about the American Samoan people, see Demographics of American Samoa, Samoans, and Culture of Samoa. For specific American Samoans, see List of...
from an afakasi or mixed-blood Samoan family, with large communal property in the islands, that he was the leader of a legitimate successor government to pre-1899 Samoa. Evans also met with the high chiefs and secured their assent to continued Naval government. Ripley, who had traveled to Washington to meet with Secretary of the Navy Edwin C. Denby
Edwin C. Denby
Edwin Denby was an American lawyer and politician who served as Secretary of the Navy in the administrations of Warren G. Harding and Calvin Coolidge from 1921 to 1924. He also played a notable role in the infamous Teapot Dome scandal which took place during the Harding presidency. He was the son...
, was not permitted by Evans to enter the port at American Samoa and returned to exile
Exile
Exile means to be away from one's home , while either being explicitly refused permission to return and/or being threatened with imprisonment or death upon return...
in California, where he became the mayor of Richmond.
After being appointed as Governor, Pollock's continued the colonization work started by his predecessor. Prior to traveling to the territory, he met with Ripley in San Francisco, California. Although Ripley maintained that American "occupation" of Samoa was usurpation, he agreed to allow Pollock to govern unfettered and to provide him with copies of his letters. Almost immediately after arriving on the island, Pollock and Secretary of Native Affairs S. D. Hall met with representatives of the Mau, becoming the first governor to do so. Shortly afterwards, some members of the Mau disbanded, though the movement would continue in some form for another thirteen years.
Pollock's remaining time as governor was less eventful. While exploring Tonga
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
in May 1923, he discovered a turtle which had been branded by Captain Cook on his expedition there in 1773. The turtle was thus known to have lived more than 150 years. He was ordered home on July 26, 1923.
United States Naval Observatory
United States Naval Observatory
The United States Naval Observatory is one of the oldest scientific agencies in the United States, with a primary mission to produce Positioning, Navigation, and Timing for the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Department of Defense...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, replacing outgoing Rear Admiral
Rear admiral (United States)
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. The uniformed services of the United States are unique in having two grades of rear admirals.- Rear admiral :...
William D. MacDougal.
On August 22, 1924, Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
came within 34630000 miles (55,731,444.2 km) of Earth. The US Naval Observatory made no formal observations of the planet, but Pollock and the son of astronomer Asaph Hall
Asaph Hall
Asaph Hall III was an American astronomer who is most famous for having discovered the moons of Mars in 1877...
ceremonially re-enacted Hall's 1877 discoveries of the moons Phobos
Phobos (moon)
Phobos is the larger and closer of the two natural satellites of Mars. Both moons were discovered in 1877. With a mean radius of , Phobos is 7.24 times as massive as Deimos...
and Deimos
Deimos (moon)
Deimos is the smaller and outer of Mars's two moons . It is named after Deimos, a figure representing dread in Greek Mythology. Its systematic designation is '.-Discovery:Deimos was discovered by Asaph Hall, Sr...
with his original 17 inches (431.8 mm) telescope
Telescope
A telescope is an instrument that aids in the observation of remote objects by collecting electromagnetic radiation . The first known practical telescopes were invented in the Netherlands at the beginning of the 1600s , using glass lenses...
. They also made observations to calculate the masses of the two moons.
On January 24, 1925, Pollock commanded the dirigible on a flight from Lakehurst, New Jersey
Lakehurst, New Jersey
Lakehurst is a Borough in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 2,654.Lakehurst was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 7, 1921, from portions of Manchester Township, based on the results of a...
, to photograph a solar eclipse
Solar eclipse
As seen from the Earth, a solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth, and the Moon fully or partially blocks the Sun as viewed from a location on Earth. This can happen only during a new moon, when the Sun and the Moon are in conjunction as seen from Earth. At least...
from an altitude of 8000 feet (2,438.4 m). This was the first time an eclipse had been photographed from the air.
After retirement
Pollock retired from service in 1927 and was replaced as superintendent by Captain Charles F. Freeman. In 1930, Pollock and his wife purchased a summer home in Jamestown, Rhode IslandJamestown, Rhode Island
Jamestown is a town located in Newport County, Rhode Island, in the United States. The population was 5,405 at the 2010 census. Jamestown is situated almost entirely on Conanicut Island, the second largest island in Narragansett Bay.-History:...
, remaining also in Washington, DC. In 1932, he was made a director of the Jamestown Historical Society. He also became interested in genealogy and published several works on his family's history through the 1930s. He died on June 6, 1943, after a long illness and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
on June 7, 1943.
Works
- Hatchet of the United States Ship "George Washington", edited by Pollock and Paul F. Bloomhardt. A compilation of stories from The Hatchet, a daily printed on board the George Washington during the First World War. Published 1919.