Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-26

worked well in the past, but that was in the
days of sailing ships, long cruises and sim
pie batteries, when little or no knowledge
was required beyond that of knowing how
to splice a rope, handle q marine spike or
reef sail 1t will not do in the era of fast
steam cruisers, armored ships, torpedoes
and varied ordnance. An improved per-
sonnel is just as essential under the present
requirements of modern warfare as the i'm
proved type of cruisers and battle ships.
In fact, to man and fight these ships ef-
fectively a radical change will have to be
made, covering the entire personnel of the
navy. To begin with, the Navy Depart
ment should inaugurate fixed policy, and
organize board of competent officers to
overhaul the records of all officers in the
naval service and report the result, that
such legislation may be secured as will weed
out all found incompetent to perform
active duty.
This having been done, the law should
provide for retiring officers who have
reached fixed age before attaining a GER
tain rank. This would insure officers pro-
NOTED reasonable time in which to serve
tA higher grade, and make all officers go to
sea more frequently. Bring the Senior Ad-
miral to the department and place him in
command of the navy, in the same manner
as the Senior Major General now commands
the army. Instead of the Independent
bureau chiefs, organize Board of Admir-
ais, with the commander of the navy at the
head, this Board to be responsible for all
changes or detailed work.
A Fixed Punishment Recommended.
Adopt a fixed punishment for each class
of offences, and make it imperative tor the
commanding officers to iniict the desig-
mated punishment and to make q detailed
report monthly to the department Exer-
else a more careful supervision over COM
manding officers, causing them to perform
their duties, and forbid that these be dele
gated to others. The duties of command
ing officer should not be Office work, re-
manning in his cabin simply to receive re-
ports. He should come out and assume
active command when all hands are called
or general drills take place, be responsible
for the general discipline of the ship, and
take an interest in the instruction, comfort
and development of all those placed under
him, assisted by his aide or executive Off
Ger, who should be his aide and not his sub
stitute. Give to the divisional officers the
responsibility for the instruction, comfort
and promotion of the men of their divisions,
the possession of their enlistment records,
and other necessary papers covering their
history and recommendations for discharge,
in the same manner that a captain in the
army is placed in charge of his company.
In this way the seaman would be trained
by his officers, would be always in close
touch with them, and insensiblv assimilat-
ing the characteristics of the officers, would
become personally attached to them, and
when upon boat expeditions or detached SER
vice the officers and men would preserve
their own dignity and the necessary disci-
pline, though practically sharing the same
platter or sleeping under the same shelter.
Under such changed conditions officers
would learn the wants of their men, be in
position to give the blue jackets and petty
officers the first place in their thoughts, and
manage to train them for the efficient per-
formance of duty.
How to Secure American Seamen.
This being accomplished, much more re-
mains to be done to secure the comfort of
the enlisted men. Greater attention should
be given to the berthing of the men. The
greater portion of the living quarters on our
naval ships should not be devoted to one
man, the captain or flag officer, as in the
case of the Yorktown and Baltimore classes
OF vessels, both of which are copies of En-
glish vessels, and in which there exists more
dissatisfaction in the crews than in those of
any other ships of our new navy. Console
date the small messes into one big mess,
with good cook and assistants; require the
ships paymaster to act as commissary and
see to the issue and service of the supplies,
as well as their purchase, and make it the
duty of the officer of the day to be present
at all meals to preserve order, see that the
food is furnished in quantity and quality
according to regulation, and that it is prop
erly cooked and served.
Reduce the complement of the vessel to
the minimum, and make the crew as homo
geneous as possible by doing away with all
idlers Transfer the marines to the army,
where they belong, and in their stead assign |
petty officers and seamen to their proper
places in ship discipline and organization.
Make every effort to develop and elevate
the combatative element from the lowest to
the highest position on fighting ship, and
let them realize that they are the men to be |
depended upon for victory in action. In
crease the number of apprentices and edu- |
cate them to handle modern guns, torpedoes |
and high explosives; make seamen and gun
ners of them, and let them see and feel from |
the beginning that they have a chance for |
promotion as a reward for energy and faith |
full service to be first-class petty officers |
with the highest pay of any enlisted men,
and that the leading positions of trust and |
preferment will be the trained seamen, gun |
ners and gun captains, and not the idlers and |
non-combatant petty officers whose positions |
are now so eagerly sought after on account |
of the advanced pay.
Encouragementfo for Apprentices in the Navy. |
The Government can easily go into the |
labor market and obtain skilled laborers |
and mechanics, but it is not 80 with trained |
gunners and efficient men-of-war's men,
They must be trained from boyhood, and it |
is humiliating to them, after years of ap- |
premiership, to find that they can only |
reach a position drawing half the pay of a
mechanic or machinist who just enters the |
service. This explains why so many young
men abandon the navy after serving term
of years as apprentices. When the seaman
gunner or other fighting petty officer be-
comes lntrm from age or long service he
should be given a transfer TO permanent
position of master-at-arms or schoolmaster
on a receiving ship or at a naval station, or
given the benefit of a retiring law. In cases
where the seaman-gunner or other high |
petty officer shows, in his general average
and conduct, a marked degree of proficiency
he should, upon the recommendation of his
officers, be advanced to the position of war
rant officer, known as gunner and boat
swain, and in special cases of careful atten-
tion to study and duty, or extraordinary
heroism in line of duty, he should be able
to obtain commission. To aid them in
their mental improvement, and relieve the
of discipline, restraint and con-
a well-selected library, including
and professional works as we'll az
those of fiction, should be on every naval
vessel, and placed where it would be easily
and ct all times accessible to the crew.
The vocation of the sailor Is, and always
has been, popular, and the sailor has per-
formed deeds at various times in our coun-
try's history justitying that popularity.