The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1892-10-27

should have the same chance for q com.
mission as in the army. 1t would be
good idea to send the best OF, the men to
the academy for two years to make
them CONVEX SAINT with the theoretical
details of the profession Of'course6dly
those who had had some practical ,ex.
perience ut sea and were studiona ahnald
be taken. The naval professio3 "a nor
technical than the military, .s3- :.
amina ton for q seaman in Inc na,e
about to become IN officer. srould %,
more rigid than In the same Csc fur q
private in the army. ~ -.
= 1.-THE mod ern man-of-wariss s. s<=-.lg--
plicated that it would be har7 Il.
man to, gain the requisite knus-,- -
without assistance It would en- ..-s,=
men and make a better clas- $780,,
they saw a commission ahead of them.
In the marine corps p romotion should
be as free as in the army. Nothing but
q, lack of technical KIN owledge should
be q bar. The best apprentices and
men should have chance. The trouble
is that no provision is made for such
thing. A limited mum b er Of bright fei
lows should be selected fr ON the ranks
and sent to the academy. Such course
would b. more in consonance with
American institutions There is nc
earthly objec ton to it in my mind. II
would benefit the service and bring
frst-class men in" 's'' a s5!''' s&s
A lieutena mt of marines said that the
marines are too old, in most cases, tc
learn. They could not acquire sufficient
knowledge. If they are able, however,
they should have the chance.
The executive officer of the Atlantis
said that it was perfectly right that
men who could pass the examinations
OF the Naval Academy should get com.
missions. Sending apprentices to, the
Naval Academy, however, was failure.
When it was tried many apprentices
entered, expecting to be sent to the
academy, and were spoiled for the serv
ice and rything else when they, did
not get there: >,.. !. .,
Rear Admiral Walker, the command
ant of the North Atlantic squadron,
said: "A man who shows himself con.
petent should be encouraged Not many
could do so. An officer nowadays ha.
to have great amount of technical
knowledge. There would be so many
obstacles to getting commission that
few men would go in for one. There
are so many chances for bright men in
private life in this country that few
good men would be tempted to come.
= 1t proba bly, would not be good policy,
since men would come into the service
fo,. k1,o cola ~
mission. Having failed. they would be
disconnected and move heaven and earth
to get out. The marines, of course,
should have the same chance as in the
army.
when the best apprentices were ap
pointed to the Naval academy sons Of
officers and sons of gentlemen would
enlist When they did not get chance
they pulled all sorts of wires and kept
all their political influence at work try
ing to be discharged. The consequence
was that the apprentice ships were in
bad state. Instead of trying to turn ont
seaman, the whole service was subors
dinated to sending ten cadets year to
the academy. The consequence was
that the ships did not turn out good
men," These are the opinions of the Of
fcers. The men unan imously disapr
proved of the present system
1.-THE best men would stay in the navy
if there were any chance to rise," said
one sailor. ''As it is, they leave at the
first opportunity, both for this reason
and because they are disguised with the
prevailing system of caste.'
.There is no reason why men should
not make good officers" another said
''The commissioned officers have no
idea Of practical seamanship This is
the reason the ships are always getting
aground and into all kinds of scrapes
An officer goes to sea for three years
to six years Supposing a doctor or .
lawyer were to practice his profession
for three years, and then do something
else for six years, would he be compe-
tent? They shoul Id be at sea four years
ont of 6ve.", n ~I. :. 80
When this man was asked whether,
If he had a chance to &c: commission,
he thought that he could get enough
theoretical knowledge to pass an exam
ination, he said that he had graduated
from school second in his class Below
him was one who is now a professor, 0
Greek ct Harvard. He said that there
are numbersin. the navy like him, who
after short period of study which
they could do in their leisure time,
could pass q rigid theoretical examine
ton, and in practical seama1 pip would
stand head and shoulders above the
present officers -.*. : E--.g,5sss :,
This man did not drink, was an able
seaman and had been in the service, for
eight years He had attained the high
rank of coxswain, with thirty dollars i
month pay. = - ia -. = ~ -:tEsi
''As to the statement that we could
not learn enough, there was an appren.
tice on the ship to whom the navigator
kindly offered to teach the science Of
navigation. In q short time the officer
said, Here, Ican't teach you any more,
you know more about it than do OF
course this apprentice left and entered
the merchant service :, @.s - s...-.,t,z
The marines told the same story and
said they ought at least to have the
same chance as privates in the army,
which is not much. - 1''@j az ~
.. A gunner, questioned, said: ''War4
rant ohacerA with a short study of navt
CATION, would be, competent to COM
mand a ship A gunner not only has to
have the most thorough scientific and
practical knowledge Of gunnery and
guns, but he has also to be thorough,
practical seaman. Seven years ago %
act was brought forward that q war
Eant officer, after . number of years'
service, should rank with a Junior lieu.
tenant, but it did not quite get through.
's''1f the best Of the younger seamen
were selected and sent to the academ3
for. say, two years. some good officers
would be turned out The best officers
in the service are those, apprentices
who were sent to the acadeny."-N. T.
World as. - ~, -
Not Pleasant Trim.