Milford chronicle., 1889-06-21
WHAT A MARINE CADET MUST BE.
Two Years Sea Service Required from All
Lads Who Apply.

A4tus VINO Apply
Capt. Smith, who commands the Chand-
Ter, boat detailed on special service by the
treasury department., gave the following
explanation Of entrance into and duties in the
marine service, which will cover all the
! points of information desired by lads who,
being denied the right to enter Annapolis,
/ wish to win their spurs, if naval officers wore
| spurs, which they only do in the Swedish
navy, in the revenue marine
ITO enter the revenue marine as cadet, "
said Capt. Smith "a young fellow must
have at least two years. sea service. This
! two years service may have been forward or
aft the mast, but must include, as au acquire
ment of the time spent, good knowledge of
seamanship. Of course, it would be absurd
to count the two years spent by boy in the
cooks galley or the stewards pantry boy
who desires to be cadet can apply in his
own writing to the secretary of the treasury
our service is completely under his control
His application will be promptly answered,
and, without nomination or any political in
huence, the LAD will be allowed to try himself
against his competitors on the day that the
secretary may select. About eleven vacan
cies win exist in each examination. The ex-
animation is very searching, and, of course,
the eleven lads that pass highest will be
appointed as cadets. These cadets will all be
supposed to have fair knowledge of marlin
spike seamanship, and each youngster will be
presumed to know everything about the
management not only Of a full rugged ship
and four-and-after, but to have some
knowledge of the ordinary duties Of junior
deck officer.
cadets for the marine service are taken
from all ranks of life. The boy who desires
to enter applies direct to the secretary of the
treasury, who furnishes all information.
When accepted, he is sent to the bark Chase,
which lies at New Bedford. On board the
bark there is an instructor in seamanship, in
gunnery, and in international law, outside
tho regular watch officers Ten years ago
the rule was that these lads should spend
three years on board the training ship; but
now, in consequence of two years. sea service
being required of them, the period of service
on the Chase has been reduced to two. The
Chase leaves New Bedford on June for
three or four months cruise every year, and
generally, like the st. Mary's, spends her time
in European waters
'The lads who are lucky enough to pass the
examination get S75 a month, and graduate
as third ieutenants They are nominated
by the president for their commissions, and |
confirmed by the senate. These commissions |
are for life, which places the revenue marine |
service entirely outside the domain of what |
is known as practical politics.
Passing out Of the training ship they are |
then assigned to revenue cutters The lads |
go still as cadets on board tho revenue cut
tiers, to break them in, and their nominations
as third heutenants depend greatly upon tho
reports of them furnished to the treasury de
partment by their commanding officers In
the line of promotion the revenue cadet ranks
with, and in precedence after, the midship-
man of the United States navy, and the pay
In the higher ranks is the same as that Of the
United States navy.
81 do not see" said Capt. Smith as he
leaned back in his coy little cabin in the
Chandler, 'why the government should go to
the trouble of educating a separate class Of
young men for our service, when the finest
is right at their hands. Annapolis
graduates every year fully 90 per cent. more
lads than it can give the chance to go a float
to. Now, why not turn those boys over to us
to fill such vacancies as there may be in the
revenue servicel Our discipline is exactly the
same as that Of the navy, and these young
men would be Of much more value to us than
the young fellows who are turned over on us
through the present examination system. /
Nv hO0 mean 70 say tndb Jne revenue mariner
IS in any way superior to the naval service,
but do mean to say that the same qualities
which mako good naval officer will certain
y make a good revenue marine officer.
''Do you know that it costs the United
States $4,000 for every young man it gradu-
ates from Annapolis, and taking the fact that
out Of a class Of hundred only forty can be
ient afloat-that means loss to the govern
nent of SS46 600 a wear mart of which o.
east, might DO saved by assigning these
Young men to the revenue marine"
It may be just as well to state that the ex-
animation prescribed by the treasury depart
nent is Of character that no young man
AN hope to pass who has not an excellent
English education. York Star.