The honors and ceremonies to be observed when the President of the United States or the president or sovereign of another country, or a lesser official entitled to such honor visits a ship of the U. S. Navy are given in the following table from the U. S. Navy Regulations. These honors are decided by international custom and are practically the same in all of the navies of the world and a strict observance of them is necessary to avoid any occasion for international misunderstanding that might arise from an omission of any customary honor or salute. In addition to the gun salutes described in the above table a National salute, twenty-one guns, is fired by every ship in the Navy at noon on Independence Day, July 4th, Washington’s Birthday, February 22nd, and Memorial Day, May 30th. ===========================+=======+============+====+=======+====== | | Salute | | | | +-----+------+ | | Rank |Uniform|Arri-|Depar-|Guns|Ruffles|Guard | | val | ture | | | ---------------------------+-------+-----+------+----+-------+------ President | S.F.D.| 1 | 1 | 21 | 4 |Full | | | | | | | | | | | | President of foreign | | | | 21 | 4 | do. Republic or a | do. | 1 | 1 | | | foreign sovereign | | | | | | Member of royal family | do. | 1 | 1 | 21 | 4 | do. | | | | | | | | | | | | Ex-President | do. | 1 | 1 | 21 | 4 | do. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Vice President | do. | | 1 | 19 | 4 | do. | | | | | | Ambassador | do. | | 1 | 19 | 4 | do. | | | | | | Secretary of the Navy | Dress | 1 | 1 | 19 | 4 | do. | | | | | | | | | | | | Assistant Secretary | | | | | | of the Navy | Dress | 1 | 1 | 17 | 4 | do. | | | | | | | | | | | | Cabinet officer | do. | | 1 | 19 | 4 | do. | | | | | |