New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-06-08
FOREIGNERS IN THE NAVY.
HOW BEST TO REMEDY THE EVIL.
THE PROBLEM OF SELECTING THE RIGHT KIND
OF RAW MATERIAL TO MAKE GOOD
SAILORS FROM.


SAILORS FROM.
The recent court Of inquiry on the conduct OF
coom.nder r. II. McCalla and the courtmartia which
sollovred caused for a while a marked falling oil In
,be number of cnllsmens in the Navy But when
these were over the usual number OF applicants began
again TO appear the receiving ships az the various
Naval stations Almost any day stranger visiting
the Brooklyn Navy Yard may see doleh or TWO
men of strong and robust frame, tler races orohhea
hv sun and wind. and bearing the fresh imprint OF
the sca going over to the Vermont to apply for
enlistment in the Navy. With population OF seventy
millions or thereabouts TO draw on, ana Win only
1900 enlisted men allowed in the Navy 'e recruiting
officer at every receiving ship can aford 70 DC oi''
eliminating, and the result Is tid' ~" " ~ ~
apply shipped.
Thoro has bcen Of late great deal said and written
about the small number of native Americans before tho
mast in the Navy. Yet so per cent Oh .''e'n %'
Americans. Not many as used 10 hll uie SUPP
company the days when the Constitution sanep V.'
seas with 800 New England frceholders on hef triumph
ant decks but more than the pcssimsts and less tah
the OpnIists lake into their reasoning As the ''0A
States Navy is the best paid navy In the world sailors
OF ALI nations flock 70 It, and IL offers 10 the enlSci
The opportunity Of rising only to certain point
1t is service that the ambitious American ooy ooe'
not care to enter. Vicious men OF any hauoh VT
unqualified men the recriitng occr will not pass ana
Navy gets the best sailors Of every nation. sun
there Is a deep feeling that American ships should be
manned by American sailors.
Mr.. McAdoo. of New Jersey and virginia has
introduced into Congress bill providing That only
Americans shall be enlisted in the Navy and some
people have practically advocated that all the enlisted
men should be eventually made officers as a solution
Of the difficulty Captain Henry Erben in recent
report 20 the secretary Of the Navy giving his views
on the enlistment Of men, has In the opinion OF many
naval officers, arrived at the proper solution OF 'he
question when he advocates the shipping OF more
landsmen-in other words. the making OF American
sailors There arc hundreds and indeed thousands OF
American boys VINO working on farms ana IN iac'
tories for less than they could get they were enlisted
IN the Navy And they would be glad to enlist. but as
they are landsmen they stand poor show OF passing
a recruiting officer. When sober, industrious scan
dnavan, a sailor from his BIRTH and docllc ana
respectful under discipline can be had for the same
price 1t Is not in the nature OF things for me re-
crutng officer take instead an American boy green
from the country, who does not know which ehd oI
the ship goes first and whose ideas Of discipline arc
confined entirely TO his remembrance Of the days
when he was fcrued7 by the deestrfc' schoomarm'
Yet the number Of applicants among good material
from the landsmen and the good results which arc
frequently obtained from such material would seem
to Indicate that the enlistment Of such men would be
Of great ultimate value TO the Navy. great maritime
4
to draw FROM The sailors for her navy are ready
made The United States must make sailors. Inc
Germans in building up their navy have tried II ana
with Captain Erben says In his report:
During my last cruise l met two fine German
| ucn-ofwar the stroch at Hong Kong and the Prlnz
Adebert at the Cape Of Good Hope. Both SHIPS h%i
crews made up OF andsmen, young men just from the
country except about fifty each ship who acted a.
leaders and instructors. new crew was put on
the Stroch while we were anchored near her ana
rreener lot could not be found; they really could no'
pull an oar. I them daily under Instruction.
noting their very rapid Improvement. The old crew.
who went home after three years service were
fine lot OF young ofwar's men, ADMIRED oy every
naval officer in the fleet
The present enlisted in the American Navy
Is something that no American need be ashamoo o.
| The native contingent is one which has In II tna
finest sailors in the world and many Of them can pon'
with pride and do point with pride, TO fathers, ana
even who served before the mast under the
same flag IL is easy and common thing to say thas
the American man wars man to-day has no love
for the flag he sails under The bearing Of these men
AZ Corea Panama and samoa, and In hundred other
places they have been tried since the close Oh
the Civil War should bring The blush OF shame TO those
who give coin and currency" TO SUCH statements
Captain GARRISON. the last captain OF the Huascar
IN hep Aght with the Gillian fleet. stood once on .
balcony overlooking the courtyard OF the Grand central
Hotel at Panama, where seated at tables the Ameri-
can marines and blue jackets were eating their sup
per- Turning 10 officer who stood near him, he
said: Do YOU 10 tell me that those are ehlisN0
menu Why, they eat like gentlemen
"sr.r replied the officer, all enlisted men are
gentlemen MI. 100000, .r A., obi.
The noish OF Lord Chesterfield and all The cardinal
/ virtues are not obtanable at S24 month. eut sny
who has seen the american ssor C5 .o vii
not DO ashamed of our gallant boys in blue" ,ors
for the Savy is considered nv some to be failure be
OF the small percentage Of GRADUATES who stay
in the service after the completion OF their course
Uut on the other hand. those who do stay are seq
Of men almost invaluable to the service. and those
me l,fent Naval resources Of the Republic. The max
ns OF petty oihcer, out Of foreign sailors Is one Oh
the things that discourages American sailors ealiIns
apprentice boy so@ Others eo aPs nGs and
on too many ships the professional qualification OF
IS the only thing taken into consideration IN inc o
hoard an American ship is naturally disgunted when
a foreigner Is rated over his haaJi o.r-o,rars
men would be surprised 20 know how many OF them
have their little homes ashore ana support shss .,on
lshcd TO look ovcr the paymastere books when a snip
that many Of them have accumulated "a tha1 rsv;
Nmong the foreign sailors who enlist IN me 1neTs
| by The officers and are tho most numerous. my
are all good sailors, frugal with their money aug m
| psrate They contontcd with their lot ana 10 ho'
lrhmen make good sailors but apt TO be insub,
ON liberty An EnciiShman Is wanted for though
/ he makes a good sailor on a ship that mes INC WHO
ensign he IS difficult 10 manage on an anertca,
and The history and the naval spirit Oh the F
| states is Incompatible with tho presence Oh EnS,
/ rsbmen IN ihe Service. Even though hair uic men
~ NOV o,,r sbins are foreigners, the spirit whfh
anmacs all an American one Wni'9 n fo' cTea
dit - - ssa and the deed, Of the great naval
rTU,anaers If the past more familiar To the
swcdos aud Norwegians IN 'He Navy ina" "''' W "
u'e rSe tcSng and sentiment Of the country now
ime an ~, subject OF the Navy demands that the
nry N"cts now building shall be manned by Amerlcan
crows and the officers of The Navy nave responuea !"
.tsN - ,.arety Of suggestions and iccomnendaiionH
| Sms y; all these will grow sentiment ana system
which will make the service what IL was III ue ua''
of lis greatest glory.