The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1892-03-26
MEN FOR the NAVY.
Eighteen Thousand Required TO Keep
Our War Ships in Commission.

keep 6nlpe IN commission we IuuSC
have them without delay.
Captain Henry Erben is the sem
ior captain in the navy. AS COM
mandant of the Brooklyn Navy
Yard he has charge of all the re-
cruiting and fitting out Of war ships
at that port. He is one of the most
experienced and able officers in the
navy. Captain Erben declares that
the men can be obtained from all
parts of the country. He believes in
drawing upon the farmer boys and
the country at large, rathef than
confining recruiting efforts to the
coast towns alone.
II am wiling" says Captain Err
ben, ITO take 200 inexperienced men
to sea. Give me but sprinkling
of old sailors and l will guarantee
to leaven the whole loaf in much
shorter time than is comm only
thought necessary to turn out man
of-warsmen. l have piled questions
to farm hands in various parts OF
the New England and Middle States
and to men in lumber camps. l
have inquired of them concerning
the amount of their wages. and
found that for year round they re-
ceive much less than is paid during
the same period to seamen, and
that during certain months of the
year they are entirely out of en-
plovment and have to live at their
own expense.
"Men by the hundreds have in
quired of me as to how they could
secure enlistment in the navy. AS
a consequence of what l have seen
and believe, l have reported to the
Navy Department a plan for tap
ping all o: this class of people, and in
the event of sudden contingency
when an increase in the naval es
tablishment is authorized, | believe
that from these classes alone we
will be able to count on men.
| 81, for one, am willing to take out
the first ship manned by landsmer
of the above classes, and l kno"
from my experience with such ma
terial what can be produced"
The navy is at present allowed
$3.50 men. OF this number 75O are
apprentice boys, leaving 1900 men
as the force proper to man the ships
in service. The force is SO small
as to not be sufficient to 60 aroune
among all the ships without reduc
ing the crew complement on eacf
vessel. This is exactly what has
been done, and if war is declared to
morrow United States vessels vii
be found going into action with re
duced gun crews.
The only way out of the difficulty
it is declared in naval circles, Is al
authorization of Congress increas
ing the enlisted strength of tn
navy. The allowance Of 75OO mer
suficed some eight or ten years ag'
to man the few wooden ships o
the navy. In the past six year
gigantic strides have characterized
the growth of the service, but tn
number of men to man all thes
ships has remained as before-75OO
1 Captain Erben estimates tha
l1S.OOO are needed to give all tn
war ships full crews aud leave a
the same time sufficient reserv
force to supply any sudden wan
from unexpected quarters. Ever
now no difficulty would be expert
enced in swelling the navy to IL,
GOO men with trained seamen, bu
the Limitation of 1900 seamen i'm
posed by law compels the recruitin
stations to cease enlisting wheneve
the limit allowed is closely ar
preached. To bring the navy up +
is. 600 men in "hurry" Captain FL
. ben believes one of the most effectiv
plans would be to send recruitin
parties throughout the country
supplemented by work along tn
coasts and great lakes. Young me
between the ages of 81 and %, Car
: tain Erben thinke, are best suite
for rapidly converting into seame
such as are needed to-day aboar
modern ships of war.-N.Y. Times
rha First Phonograph.