The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1889-08-29
UNCLE SANS JACK TARS
HOW AMERICAN MAN-o-wAR SAIL
oRs ENLIST.
The Most Desirable Recruits-Why
Distortions are 30 Frequent
Oyerstocked with Foreigners.

TO enlist in the navy rs seamen. The most
desirable recruits, apart from the naval
apprentices, are those who enter the ser.
vice between the ages of twenty-five and
thirty-6ve years, and comparatively few,
says writer In the Boston Bulletin, re.
main for more than one cruise.
by signing the shipping articles of the
navy man binds himself to serve the
Government for term of years. Before
signing the applicant for enlistment must
take the oath of allegiance. A recruiting
officer is enjoined to guard against the
enlistment OF improper, unsound or in
competent persons. During three years
service as clerk at recruiting station the
writer often felt that were the officer in
charge to abide strictly by this order there
woull hardly have been boats crew OF
men enlisted during his tour of duty.
Boys are now enlisted as apprentices
in the navy and with the consent of their
parents or guardians, are accepted be.
tween the ages of sixteen and twenty
one. To the reader who possibly may
have son DESTROYS of entering the navy
as an apprentice, IL may be advisable to
say that unless the youth displays in his
actions more than ordinary aptitude for
elc profession of a sailor he is by all odds
to be warned against entering, II would
be only throwing away time for him to
serve as naval apprentice.
No person under sixteen, no insane or
half tipsy person, and no deserter from
either the military or naval service or an
OK convict is to be knowingly enlisted.
The rules concerning enlistments read
somewhat as follows: A landsman cannot
lawfully enter the service if over twenty
| five years of age unless he has some me-
chanical trade, nor after thirty-four years
of age even though he be the finest work
man in the land, unless by authority from
the Navy Department. This rule, be it
understood, does not apply to men who
remain continuously in the service.
In order to first enter as an ordinary
seaman the applicant is supposed to have
been at sea in square rugged ships before
the mast for not less than two years and
seaman four years. Both must pass a
satisfactory examination in seamanship
before signing the shipping articles.
This rule in European navies is strictly
adhered to; in ours it is not.
| We have to-day hundreds of "Burns"
and "Barney McNickols" men, as they
are styled, on board our war ships.
Where an American or English-speaking
sailor applies for examination in order to
ship in our navy he is closely questioned
in seamanship, and must return intelli-
gent replies under pain of being passed
as an ordinary seaman only. Where for
gn-spcaking sailors apply for enlistment
it is often found difficult to understand
what they say, and thus they are fire.
quently passed into the navy as seamen
by careless and easy going boatswains,
whereas they are not in any sense quail
Ted for such a position.
The "Burns" and eMcNickols" men
are those who are engineered into the SER
vice by two INSCRIPTIONS individuals Of
the names given who run sailors board
ing houses in the principal cities where
navy yards exists. A thick witted Nor
wegian or in fact any foreign speaking
sailor who has proved himself unfit for
duty as an able seaman on board a mer-
chant vessel is eagerly seized upon by
these two land sharks. The latter know
all the questions usually asked recruits in
] the navy and the proper answers thereto.
This information for consideration of
$40, to be paid out of the recruits adj
vance wages, is impaired to the green
horns, who, after committing the answers,
ETC., to memory, usually manage to pass
muster and become seamen in the navy.
In the same way bogus firemen, who have
been coached in the answers to be made
to questions asked applicants for enlist
ment in the fire-room, manage to enter
the naval service as oilers and water ten
ders, etc.
Once on board their proper vessel these
fraudulent sailors and fremen arc easily
detected, and as a rule the boatswain OIL
engineer passing them is later on anathe-
matized for months by officers in whose
departments the individuals may be serv'
ing. With the exception of Irishmer
every foreigner in our navy serves only
for the pay he receives and is in no way
actuated by motives of patriotism wher
enlisting. In the event of war between
this and their own country these foreign
ers would undoubtedly and NATURAL.
desert at the first opportunity.
A majority of the assertions in oul
navy occur among the Ole Nelson's, Ham
Gubensacht and Johannes Johannesens
Why2 Simply because these men serv'
only for pay. To them the navy il
looked upon as national sailors board
ing house. A cosmopolitan establish
ment as it were-sailors of all nations ar,
free to come and go as they see fit. If
captain will condescend to appoint then
i. as petty officers these foreign sailors will
stay, otherwise they will desert thei
ships and join some other naval vesse
until finally attaining their object, to
wit, promotion. One of their humble
may serve cruise of three years as
seaman, or possibly as a petty officer
Should, however, he later re-enlist ant
: be found upon examination to lack tn
, essential qualifications to fill either of tn
ratings named he will, in nine cases on
Of ten, desert
Once foreign sailor becomes petit
} officer in our navy he must thereafter b
Y retained in that position. Otherwise h
, will growl away his time, rendering ever
{ person near him uncomfortable, causin
) many to desert and finally will run ava
A himself, although it is like drawing
! tooth for men of this class to leave be
' hind the pay due them. Said an office
: to the writer: "We can never have
( representative navy where the petit
S officers are not at least American born.
n The remedy for this overstocking c
D our navy with foreigners lies with re
| cruiting officers. No foreign born office
t should be employed upon recruiting SCI
J. vice, nor should our ships be recruite
' in foreign ports. We have in our nav
to-day German recruiting officer VIII
has been nearly six years employed
capacity. Naturally he prefers his ow
countrymen as sailors, and in fact dot
, not deny his preference in the matter.