The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-11-29
BETTER MEN FOR THE NAVY.

The recent possibility of war with Chile
has forcibly called public attention to the
condition of the American navy. In the
face of an emergency, generalities. either
of action or information, must give way to
direct, specific and precise preparation.
The government has been pushing the
completion of vessels under construction
or repairs, and doing all in its power to
get the material part Of the navy upon the
best fighting basis at the earliest time. But
with the passing of this immediate crisis,
attention should now be given to the
moral as well as the material equipments
of the navy. Of equal importance with
the gun is the gunner. Of That use are
rifed cannon, dynamite guns and torpedo
boats without intelligence and skill and
courage and patriotism to direct them?
Steel plates and modern explosives can
make war terribly effective only
when backed by the blood and
brain of brave and intelligent men.
There has never been a time when the
government so much needed trained sea-
men of intelligence, skill, courage and
its new ships should be intrusted to COM
petent hands. The millions of dollars spent
in making the new navy the equal of any
in all that modern invention and the ad-
vance of science can suggest, should not
be Ieopardized by the blurders of igno-
rance, the stupidity of incompetence, or
the crimes of cowardice. First-class ships
call for first-class men, and there should
be no delay in the work of securing them.
Lieutenant A. B. Wyckotf, commandment
of the Puget sound naval station, has All
admirable and very timely article on this
subject in the November Scribner's He
discusses in very interesting manner the
United States naval apprentice system,
reviewing its history, pointing out its de-
fciencies and showing its possibilities for
enlarged usefulness. This system began
before the establishment of the Naval
academy at Annapolis, but its growth has
not been commensurate with its years.
During the civil war patriotic impulse
kept the ranks of the navy filled with as
gallant men as fought on land, but in the
years since that time the personnel of the
navy, in its rank and file. has greatly retro
graded. The government has tried in
limited way to train men for the navy.
and so far as it has gone the results
are excellent, but not at all sd
equate TO the needs. The naval school at
Annapolis is for the training of officers
but the only school for training seamen is
the one established a few years ago near
Newport, K. |. 1t has accommodations
for several hundred apprentices, enlisted
between the ages of Ii and Is There are
three departments of instruction in the
school, namely, seamanship, gunnery and
English branches. The boys are given
practical lessons not only in sailors
duties, but in the handling and use of
guns, torpedoes, etc. Although their stav
at this school is very short, in some cases
NOT more than six months, Lieutenant
WycSof says that ''the average boy
learns more about his future uro-
fession that the average landsyran'
on man-of-war does in three years
cruise" After his course OF instruction at
the station is over the apprentice is trans
ferred to training ship where he cruises
tor year and becomes transformed from
the boy into deep water sailor. His
studies, however, are continued on board
ship, and "the principal result is a splen-
did development of physique, thorough
knowledge of sailing ship, and perfect
fearlessness and activity aloft" AT the
expiration Of his year on the training ship.
the apprentice is transferred TO q regular
man-of-war, and his education as a seaman
is still continued during the rest of his
term Of enlistment
30 far as the apprentice system goes it is
dong good work and is 10 be commended
But unfortunately its limitations are such
that II has but insignificant influence upon
the morale and personnel Of the navy as a
whole. The few dozen trained boys added
to the navy each year are soon lost sight
OF among the thousands OF ignorant. stu.
pid, not to say vicious and incorrisibla
men who compose the bulk Of the Amer
lean navy. To quote from Lieutenant
Nyckou . article again. "our crews are