The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-02-12
WARDROOM SENTIMENT.
Naval Officers Genial Comrades, but
infieXible i'm Courts Martial.

New York sun.
When a naval officer is dismissed from
the service it is pretty strong evidence that
he has exhausted the patience Of those In
authority and likewise Of his fello w officers.
Every wardroom reeks with gossip touching
this or that court-martial and the il-adVfsed
clemeney Of the President in one case or
another. The wardroom seldom leans TO the
side of clemency cnce an officer has been
tried, found guilty and sentenced. There is
a large contingent of officers who think that
Captain McCalla of the Enterprise was the
victim Of Injustice. and almost every officer
that suffers punishment after trial by court
martial has a few intimate friends who think
him an injured man. But as a rule no man
comes TO trial by court-martial until he has
either persisted in a long course Of minor
ill-doings, or through accident 10 ship
under his charge has called down upon HIM
self the attention of those in authority.
When a man enters the navy he is men
tally and physically trained and equipped
for fighting the battles of his country. But
most of the time the United States has no
battles TO fight During the long periods OF
peace Uncle Sans trained fighting sailor
men occupy themselves occasionally in
make believe Warfare, but most OF the
time they merely attend to daily routine
made up Of many Insignificant details.
When ship Is not overstOcked with liue
officers, those she has are pretty busily oc-
cuped with these details When the ward
room Is full, however, everybody except
the navigator and the executive officer has
good deal Of leisure. The staff officers IN
particular, except the engineers, are al
leisure for the greater part Of the time.
When a fighting man neither fights. nor
marches. nor marks time, he must find
something 10 do. Naval officers I'LL UP
their time aboard snip in vari Gus way.
Ex-Secretary Bayard once said apropOs
OF an especially dull town of his own State
that an intellectual man confined to a viii
lage must take 10 books or 10 drink. Ii is
not easy to lake TO books aboard ship, partly
because there are few books TO take TO. partly
because the facilities for reading are not
first rate. Some naval officers take to drink,
but drunkenness is not prevalent in the
navy, perhaps less SO than in civil life, be-
cause naval officers, more than most men.
feel the moral influence OF their class, and
the naval regulation against the presence OF
brandy, whisky and other strong spitiiuous
liquors aboard ship, save in the apothecafy's
stores, is pretty strictly enforced. Some
specially persistent naval officers make
critical studies of their own peculiar
branches, some take TO photography. some
collect coins or stamps, others study geOg-
raphy, few practice the ancient and dis
honorable ar; of lady-killing and some take
beautiful care OF their tingeT-nailS.
The great danger TO men occupied in a
routine including many seemingly unimpor-
taBt details is that they shall become care
less and neglect something essential at
critical moment. The fellow officers of
such men as are indolent OF given 10 drink
shield them as long as possible from the
consequences OF neglected duty. Many
good natured fellow keeps the deck long
past lis watch TO cover the neglect of his
relief. When. however, the court-mar is
al last Incurred goOt-n AZURE Is replaced by
a stern sense of official duty. ana the man
who has been shielded time and again by
fellow-officsrs is dealt with strictly accord
ing TO The evidence.
Naval officers feel strongly that executive
clemency has too often injured the service.
because they know that men charged with
minor offeuses, at least, never come TO q
court-martial until their msdeeds have been
often repeated. The naval officer has an
attitude Of hostility toward the politician,
as represented in the person Of the Secre-
tary Of the Navy. AS soon as a sentence is
passed by cOuTt-mariial, the friends of he
accused begin TO bring to bear all sorts OF
influences upon the Secretary, and il often
happens that such influences fail to bring
about a mitigation of sentence. Naval off,
GERS say that such influences never reach
cOurt-maTtial, and are never presented 10
Its members. There is a belief in the navy
that an officer is likely TO have nicer sense
OF honor. where official duty IS concerned,
than the civil head Of the department, ard
every officer believes c0urt-martial beyond
improper approach.
Naval officers are especially stern In their
Judgment OF men who tritie with their pay
accounts. IL often happens that an officer
goes to sea in debt TO the Government for
two months pay advanced. Perhaps no
body on board ship but the paymaster
knows this. No matter, the knowledge
would not hurt the debtor with his fellows,
since any man may be hard up, and pay
accrues rapidly on long voyage. Bnt if
an officer is suspected of shady financial
transactions. whether with the Government,
his fellow Ulcers, or the outside world, he
is severely frowned upon, and, IT, brought
to court-martial. strictly dealt with. When
such black sheep have sufficient influence
to obtain mitigation or reversal Of sentence.
any wardroom 10 which they are assigned
feels In measure dsgraced.