The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-08-16
RECRUITING FOR THE NAVY.


mer, bound for st. Louis, but found the
water insufficient. Naval uniforms are
hardly ever conspicuous in these fresh
water towns since the gunboat exploits
of the late war. People are consequently
forgetting that we have any navy worth
mentioning,
And the unpleasant fact about the
matter is that what navy we have is
hardly worth mentioning. Public senti-
ment in this country does not take
kindly to the idea of keeping a formid-
able navy in time of peace. A navy of
any consequence is an exceedingly ex-
pensive national toy. And in time of
peace it isreally little more than a toy. But
then, in case of war, it is the power first
wanted and the most tardy to procure or
prepare. Consequently navy, to be of
any efficiency, must be kept in readiness.
In Europe the naval arm of National
defense receives much greater considera-
tion than in America. There are special
reasons for this, and quite obvious. The
consequence is that our naval arm is
much inferior to the best of Europe.
England expends, every year. on expert
ments in naval architecture, guns and
gunnery, almost as much as we do for
our whole navy and Navy Department.
But it is not alone in the material that
our navy is deficient; it has also fallen
behind in its personnel. This does not
apply to the commissioned officers of our
navy, than whom no country can show
more accomplished and capable men. But,
to be effective, navy needs capable men
in the forecastle and on the gun-deck, as
well as in the ward-room and on the
quarterback. And it is fact too noto-
rious to be ignored, that the men rated
as ordinary and able seamen on board
our naval vessels are, as a class, unwor-
thy of the wages they receive for service
under our flag.
This is simply fact; an unpleasant
one certainly. And yet this fact is no
disparagement to American seamen; and
for the reason that, among the men now
employed before the mast on our naval YES
sels scarcely an American seaman can be
found. The naval recruiting service has
for years been compelled to enlist men
of all nationalities, and generally the
very worst of their class, Our naval
vessels are consequently manned by men
of whom many can not understand our
language, most of them unnaturaliZed as
American citizens, and nearly all Of them
desertcrs from the merchant vessels of
other countries, driven by necessity to
take service under our flag; and from
which they are ready to desert at any
port where desertion does not involve
starvation.
With such crews, animated by no love
for our flag, entertaining no respect fer
our officers, holding no attachment to
our service, looking only to theirmonthly
pay as the only tie between them and the
country that pays it, our vessels are en-
dangered even in time of peace; and in
case of belligerenL action but small re-
lance could be placed upon their courage
or fidelity. For casualty under such
circumstances our officers would not be
to blame, and yet they and our flag
would have to suffer the loss and the
disgrace.
Moreover, the prevailing enlistment of
such seamen from the slums of seaboard
cities has so demoralized the forecastle
!f our national vessels, rendering them
so offensive and disgusting, in defiance of
discipline, that no really worthy Ameri-
can seaman will Or can endure the life
he must lead in common with such out
laws and vagabonds on ship-board. The
evil consequently intensfes itself until
it is becoming uncomfortable.
At the last session of Congress, on the
earnest recommendation of Mr.. Thomp-
son, Secretary of the Navy, an act was
passed authorizing the enlistment of
seven hundred and fifty American boys
from fifteen to eighteen years of age, as
naval apprentices. The aim is, as Secre-
tary Thompson says, to "Americanize the
American navy" Having faith in our
Western boys, and desiring to give the
interior as well as the seaboard chance,
the Secretary at once instituted arrange
ments for procuring such enlistments, by
sending naval vessels to the lakes and up
the Mississippi, in order to draw as many
Western boys into the service as might
be found practicable. The plan has met
with most encouraging reception; and
the Secretary reports that the applica-
tions are numerous, much in excess of
the number prescribed, and of superior
character of material.
Every applicant must be able to read
and write. No boy is taken under fif-
teen nor over eighteen years of age. The
term of enlistment in each case is till he
becomes twenty-one years old. The boy
must be accompanied by parent or guard