The morning call., 1892-02-01
NAVAL RESERVE.
Lieutenant BOleS' Lecture Before
the Battalion.
Material That Once Manned Uncle Sans Ships
An Assistant Surgeon Appointed-Drin
With S,ngle-sticks.

before the Naval Battalion, n. G. c., at
Germania Hall. The officers Of the city
companies of the battalion were present.
with the exception of one, and ap-
peared in uniform. as did about 100
of the blue jackets. The officers oc-
| cupled seats on the stage, and the
! blue jackets were massed in the main hall.
| The lecture was as entertaining as IL was
| graphic, and much was made of the ocea-
sion, because 1t was the first on which any
! considerable number Of the battalion had
an opportunity TO appear in sailor logs. The
| Lieutenant was frequently interrupted by
| applause, and at the close of his instructlDg
talk was rewarded by a round of cheers.
"The subject of the seaman Of the United
! States Navy" said he, sis one over which
! there has been much trouble and veXatlOn
! of spirit, not as to what he is, but how to
! get him. This question during the past
! twenty years has assumed serious proper
| tOns, and only now. as we see our Amer
! lean boys coming forward it is solving Itself
! in our apprentice system and by the f0rma-
| ton If the companies Of the naval militia
! battalion. To have Anglo Saxon blood in
| ones veins is to have the sailor instinct.
! The NOrSeman, the Dane, the Saxon, the
| old Vikings. have left in us a strain of sea-
man blood which ten centuries Of time have
| not eXtinguished and which ten more can
not; and II we can stir this wa Americans
can hope in the future to equal the prestige
! gained in the past"
! The speaker then took his hearers 'to
| the very beginning Of our cOuntry's life
! when yet IN the swaddling clothes Of En-
| gland it made its first vigorous kick and
uttered its first independence. a glimpse
! was given Of the history OF the navy when
| its men were all American seamen from the
captains down, but not seamen in the naval
sense Coming down to the period covered
by tie Civil War, and speaking of the
kearsage- Alabama fight he commented:
Was not here again emphasized the fact that
! an alien crew, or those who fight under dureSs,
! do not tight well, aud that il We are 10 have a
! navy We want II OF Americans, VINO love the
Liberties for which the stars and stripes stand,
| and whose desire is TO elevate, not use, the
! reputation Of our navy.
DFCADENCE OF THE NAVY
Before touching upon the source Of sup
! ply from which men must be obtained, he
marked the time divisions. First, up to
| about 1920" he said, I'VE had all we wanted
| Of good Americans; after that date to 1862
some trouble was found; after 1862 it was
| impossible 10 get many born Americans, or
even naturalzed ones; and up to the time
| OF our present apprentice system the number
of Americans steadily decreased, and the
number of aliens of doubtful value increased.
This carried In its train the discarding at
| the end of the first term Of service of more
than one-half, the deser,i0n of a large num-
Der, while courts martial increased to a seri-
Gus figure" AS to the causes Of this change
| he said:
In the early days Of our existence as a Gov
| eminent there was love OF county ana a ma
! tiOnai pride In every bosom. II was considered
! an honor 10 serve under The flag. while the
! wages were ample The value OF money being
/ more than double what Il is now. Later, The
! failure OF the whaling voyages TO be Iemuuera.
! tiy' on account az the use OF other Illuminating
: fluids, tie embarg9cs OF England. France and
ourselves threw mauy out Of employment and
| SIN kept rlI vessels atlOaf.
After 1920 the absorption Of Americans in
business GA shore which paid better, The in.
! crease OF merchant ships and foreign trade and
/ The decrease m lie purchase power Of sailors
! wages, all tended TO reduce lie margin OF supply
! This struEeuCy increased from year 10 year,
until the margin was gone and outside men had
TO be employed. From 1862 the army. lie en-
larged navy. tile eager rush OF foreigners 10 lie
! nNed state 10 secure ne immense bOuntieS
offered for service. and after the war up 10 1885
! the necessity ~ hllluR on Sims on foreign sta
! lions The places OF men whose lime had expired
or who had died, deserted or been dismissed, SIN
! further increased the de-A determination Of our
/ persOnuei-ln fact, our SHIPS were looked upon as
| golden bonanza; representing To the foreign
| lOaier chance for big pay. little work and
free passage 10 the United States
TIE sources Of supply, as said before, up 10
| 1920 were drawn upon The surplus Of Anne. lean
! seamrn; from 1920 TO 1892 upOn the same
source with a few additions Of merchant sailors
! OF other Hati0nalites-gOod meH--the STOCK be
| Ing large. After 1862 iuere beg those present
/ 90 understand that / say It with sorrow and
humiliation the source has been, with The ex-
! CepIOn OF perhaps Oue-StXth. from the Sums
| the cutters, The WORKOUT contingent OF Tie city
front saloon. he pauper emgt1nt, the sneak
thef and The UeIiy larcenists hiding from JUS
| tlCe, The broken down gambler or drunk, seek
! ing the restrictions and confinement OF a ships
| life TO recuperate bis finances or avoid drlnk-all
| these expecting bY w1IthleSsueSs TO avoid work
| and by stupidity. real or assumed, 10 live an
| easy llfr aud become Que OF Uncle Sans hard
| bargains.
SUCH MEN FILLED TIE SHIPS.
These are tie men with which We have been
| obliged 10 M cur ships, these the men 10 mo-
| iecl Gu flag and represent our Anne lieau nation
! 10 foreign overwhelmingly these fellows
| seldom reached the grade Of scameu, but filled
| Tie lower places, forming steadily passing ~
| and out LOT Of material, with whom we struggled
! Tor a line. Then They Went and we began on
| others OF the saIue Kind and so on al intuitum.
| How IscOutaging aud hOi eless such work has
/ been 10 the officers ven can W n imagine. Thank
| Heaven that the time IS past and fot the future
| We can hope to have men Ike the Baltimore 2,
/ who can with honor wear the uniform 10 So
bnely and not give the hight TO class such trou-
/ bic as occurred IN dlpardlS0 under the name OF
! a drunken brawl.
The speaker then explained the differ
ences between the landsmaD. the newly ar
rived recruit the ordinary and full seaman
and said
In training our men we reach the muscles and
! brains, but not the hearts or cOnsciences These
we must leave 10 higher hands, and while we can
| vOuch for his ability we can not for his honor,
honesty on morals. We keep his person and
| clothes clean and whole, but his character we can
only mold 10y good example aud thai alas, has
! lille weight with most men, hence our need Of a
source OF supply not STEPPED In vice or crime
men plastic enough 10 Yield morally as we'll as
! physically o The GOOD effects of pure alr-grand
! nature-gOUd food and just treatment. The
! laudsman is 10 be reconstructed entirely. He is
to be introduced into a new life, surroundings,
lodgment, good hours even hts Ideas OF the
meaning Of words Is 10 be totally upset and a
| new language learned.
The present apprentice system seems 10 place
| within reach the plastic material. TIE bows are
;aken young enough. their minds, muscles and
morals are cultivated and they are turned out
fine young men-Amercan men-whD. II they
leave the service (as more than half do, have
their blood Instinct stirred, and la case OF war
are already taught. wire the formation OF the
companies or the naval militia we have opened a
new source from which our coast States can
draw defenders, thus relieving our men-of-war
OF mat much duty ana stirring In widening cir
cles the naval instinct. And when IN The near
future we have also a naval reserve composed
Of the Revenue Service, the coast life-saynG
force and others, who viii be willing to serve
abroad In time OF war, then can we for a moment
pause and take brrath with a sense OF security
which we have not felt FOR years.
LIFE OF THE SAILOR
The speaker described most entertainingly
the sailors environment, his life and duties
on sbip-board. his clothes and stores, his
rations. his classification and punishments,
pay, method OF enlistments and discharges,
the hygienic regimen, his rights, privileges
and amusements, and then stepping into is
shoes passed with his hearers day or two
with him, both in harbor and at sea, and
said:
lie is man and needs food and clothes; hts
wants must be attended TO- well or sick; his
abilities gagged; his conduct controlled; he Is
10 be rewarded or punished; he must work, aud
all work and no play makes Jack a uull boy,
be amused: be must be nald for his work ana