New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-08-25
VALUE OF THE Avail RESERVES.

|
| AN ORGANIZATION WHICH PROMISES EXCEL
LENT REsULTs-THE HARD WORK DONE AT
THE REGULAR DRILLS.
"Of what benefit is IT." ats great waste Of effort
and an expenditure money for which there can DO no
! rccompense!r Its only week Of outing for lot
Of young fellows who like to be seen and talked OF BY
the people and the newspapersi' These are eamp &c
OF some Of the expressions heard BY the writer wnen
| the Ncw.York Naval Reserves were on the ships IN
Gravesend Bay during Of the hot weeks IN july
whom the eornest volunteers working and boiling
An their routine Of drills at great guns. etc, and burn
nc their skins under the scorchng sun and bisterns
their hands pulling at boats In fact hvns eauhs
and working all sea-soldiers now have 10 co. 70
perfect themselves naval reserves II Is aimos'
certain that large number Of the mere spectators 70
| these drills OF the Naval Reserves gave them niue
| thought beyond the one that these volunteer naval
militiamcn have other work than this one week Oh
drill each year board OF the war vessels uat may DO
detailed for the purpose and that the vessels are 30
| thoroughly equipped fully manned ana so wen
furnished with every convenience for getting regular
and hotelike fare and with spring ana nair mattress
beds, that the week on board snip Is 'ne hoS' Vii
Ioyable Kind OF picnic.
Whoever has settled upon this convicuon "oniu
oetter dismiss 1t at once for II IS not only untrue
bnt It does this organization OF State naval mhi'm
great Injustice Their duty is one OF pleasant recre
alton, because IL is INVERSION t"c ""'''" IS
the bank in the counting room, In the law ana
brokers' offices ETC., and because their loyalty 10
the Government which protects them In their occupa
rons and homes Is strengthened with the knowledge
that they become more capable OF hahdilhg ing
weapons that may sope day need to be used IL one
thinks that the sailors life, even that OF NaVal IKE
serve IS all fun he would better try 1t; and II he rs
not permitted TO become one OF them, let MN DC
present at the drills which take place on board OF
IN. shtps each day during the week OF summer dr1i
or on the training ship Minnesota and the receiving
ship Vermont al stated times during the rest oi 'he
year and note what the men do from the time they
go on board and come back on shore or from the
time they turn out OF their hammocks IN inc morh-
ng until they turn In night lie will then become
convinced that tie Naval Reserves are men OF earnest
and practical effort, collection OF material tha' any
Government would be proud to possess. feeling salts
fed Of their ability and loyalty whenever the services
Of these capable defenders were needed The week
OF summer drill IS week OF bard practical learning
study TO master the names and uses Of the myrlaus
OF ropes the proper way Of lowering the boats, OF
getting up the and letting them fall together'
To- pull away as one and 70 land on the beach IN
smooth water or In the surf, the quickest way OF
filling and slowing away the water breakers anu
the bread bags and other equipment at the COMMAND
OF armed and equipped boats away; TO learn the
intricate mechanism Of the breech loading rned can
non the machine guns and torpedoes how to get into
and rskng the breaking Of necks. eto In these DAYS
Of mastless ships there Is not the same necessity for
practicing sending up spars ana ocholhs' io"@"s'
reeHng and furlng sails but with scrubbng and holly
stoning decks cleaning brasswork and guns spread
ing awnings and washing clothes once week they get
oretaste OF OF the work OF the practical sailor
But the week Of summer drill does not constitute
the entire drilling Of the Naval Reserves. for the
regular oncea-week drills are continued throughout
the year on the Minnesota and on the Vermont. and
m such armory as the OF may be courteously ex-
tended by some regiment OF the National Guard
The Naval Reserves bear the same relation TO the
Nuvy as the National Guard does TO the Army. but
one prpcipal feature about this militia force Is
that should an emergency arise similar TO that OF
1861 and volunteer officers be required for Deces
snrily increased Navy, there wfl be an efficient corps
OF men from which select instead Of relying wholly
| upon the merchant marine. Many Of those who were
| appointed volunteer Navy officers during the Civil
war proved 10 be men OF excellent character and
| habits but there also many who proved 10 be
especially cruel and brutal 70 their suberdlnate'. and
who instead OF being capable OF exercising good dis
cipline and confidence, caused decentralization.
or course this class OF officers not retained In
tho service ard got rid Of BIZ courtnartial and
revocation OF appointment. There many Instances
OIL record In the Navy Department OF volunteer officers
being courtmai talc0 and dismissed from tn Navy
because OF maltreatment OF ordinary seamen sub
-ct 10 his ORDERS And these were men who had been
orccrs on the clipper ships OF the Black Ball. or
some other wel-known line Of antetellnm days
The charges IN addition to that quoted above, were
drunkenness conduct unbecomlng to an officer and
subversive OF good DISCIPLINE scandalous conduct.
tending 10 the destruction OF good morals" asaulng
another person In the Navy" "culpabe incNiciency
IN the performance Of duty" "cruety, oppression and
malueatment Of those subject TO his orders
There were scores OF cases such as enumerated, TO
saw nothing OF the absolute ignorance OF many other
officers OF the OF warfare. such the