The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1894-06-14
CASTE IN THE NAVY.
There are no Seamen In Our Navy
That Can Obtain a Commission,
Opinions On a Subject Thai al First Sight is Very UnjuS
10 Ambitious MaiRes-AIe loo Old 10 Learn

| come a commissioned officer of the United
| States. A sailor may have learning, BRAY
cry and seamanship, each in the highest
| degree, but he can never command ship
or be anything higher than warrant Off
GER When he has risen to that position
the limit has been reached. 1t has not al
ways been so. In past times men in few
cases have attained commissioned rank.
After the war a provision was made by
congress for selecting the brightest of the
apprentice boys on board the training
ships and sending them to the academy.
But this practice was discontinued.
The opinions on this subject of some sail
ors, marines, warrant officers and commits
stoned officers were collected by World
reporter.
The captain of the receiving ship Yer
mont, who has more opportunities of OBJ
serving the sailor than any man in the
country, was indicated at the navy yard as
the man best qualified to speak upon the
matter.
81 believe in the abstract principle that
men should rise" he said "lf they could
pass rigid examination they should have
the same chance for commission as in
the army. 1t would be good idea to send
the best of the men to the academy for
two years to make them conversant with
the theoretical details of the profession.
| OF course only those who had had some
practical experience at sea and were studi.
GUS should be taken. The naval profes.
sion is more technical than the military,
so the examination for a seaman in the
navy about to become an officer should be
more rigid than in the same case for pri-
vate in the army.
The modern man-of-war is so compli.
Gated that it would be hard for a man to
gain the requisite knowledge without as
sistance. 1t would encourage men and
make better class enlist if they saw
commission ahead of them. In the marine
corps promotion should be as free as in the
army. Nothing but lack of technical
knowledge should be a bar. The best ap-
prentices and men should have u chance.
The trouble is that no provision is made
for such thing. A limited number of
bright fellows should be selected from the
ranks and sent to the academy. Such a
course would be more in consonance with
American institutions There is no earth
ly objection to it in my mind. 1t would
benefit the service and bring first class
men in"
A lieutenant of marines said that the
marines are too old in most cases to learn.
! They could not acquire sufficient knowl-
edge. II they are able, however, they
should have the chance
Rear Admiral Walker, the commandant
of the north Atlantic squadron, said "A
man who shows himself competent should
be encouraged. Not many could do so. An
L.,
of technical knowledge There would be
so many obstacles to getting commission
that few men would go in for one. There
are so many chances for bright men in pri-
vate life in this country that few good men
would be tempted to come. 1t probably
would not be good policy, since men would
come into the service for the sole purpose
of getting commission. Having failed
they would be disconnected and move
heaven and earth to get out. The marines
of course should have the same chance as
, in the army.
when the best apprentices were APP
pointed to the naval academy sons of Off
GERS and sons of gentlemen would enlist.
When they did not get chance they pulled
all sorts of wires and kept all their political
! influence at work trying to be discharged.
| The consequence was that the apprentice
| ships were in Il bad state Instead of try
ing to turn out seamen, the whole service
was subordinated to sending ten cadets a
year to the academy. The consequence
was that the ships did not turn out good
men,"
These are the opinions of the officers.
The men unanimously disapproved of the
present system.
The best men would stay in the navy if
! there were any chance to RISE" said one
sailor. las it is, they leave at the first OPP
portunity, both for this reason and because
they are Disguised with the prevailing sys-
TEN Of caste"
There is no reason why men should not
make good officers" another said. "The
commissioned officers have no idea of
practical seamanship. This is the reason
the ships are always getting aground and
into all kinds Of scrapes. An officer goes
to sea for three years and then stays on
shore for from three to six years. Suppos-
ing doctor or lawyer were to practice
his profession for three years and then do
something else for six years, would he be
competent They should be at sea four
years out of five"
When this man was asked whether, if he
had chance to get commission, he
thought that he could get enough theo-
retical knowledge to pass an examination,
he said that he had graduated from school
second in his class. Below him was one
who is now a professor of Greek at Har-
ward. He said that there are numbers in
the navy like him, who after short
period of study which they could do in
their leisure time could pass rigid theo-
retical examination, and in practical sea-
manship would stand head and shoulders
above the present officers.
This man did not drink, was an able sea-
man and has been in the service for eight
years. He had attained the high rank of
coxswain, with thirty dollars month pay.
AS to the statement that we could not
learn enough, there was an apprentice on
the ship to whom the navigator kindly
offered to teach the science of navigation.
In short time the officer said, Here,
can't teach you any more; you know more
about it than do OF course this appren.
tice left and entered the merchant serv-
ice.'
The marines told the same story, and
said they ought at least to have the same
chance as privates in the army, which is
not much.
A gunner questioned said: Warrant
officers with short study of navigation
would be competent to command ship.
A gunner not only has to have the most
thorough scientific and practical knowl-
edge of gunnery and guns, but he has also
to be thorough, practical seaman. Seven
years ago an act was brought forward that
warrant officer after number of years
service should rank with junior leuten-
ant, but it did not quite get through.
III the best OF the younger seamen were
selected and sent to the academy for. say.
two years, some good officers would be
turned out. The best officers in the service