The evening times., 1895-11-19
IDLE HOURS B0lRO SNIP
Accomplishments MASTERED by
the Officers Of the Navy.
L1NaUIsTs IN wARDRooM
Serious Studies OF Some of the Off
cers-A Little Jealous OF Special
Encourages the wOrk-what the
Critics Say of the Men of Letters.

Critics Say of the Men of Letters.
GERS who have not reached the rank OF com
manders, save In the case of the few who
have distinguished themselves n literature.
rs inventors, or by special heroism, little
opportunity for which is presented in these
times of peace.
There is, however, q considerable body
of men who have found time after attending
to routine duties, to master some speciality
of the service, To acquire foreign languages,
to study the history or geography OF lit
tic.xnown countries, OF in some other way
to add to their own accomplishments Or
the sum OF human knowledge.
The wardroom Is likely To contain at least
half dozen men that have considerable
proficiency in Frcncb, at least as many who
read Spanish and speak IL after n fashion,
several who are acquainted with German,
and, more rarely, u few that know some
thing of Italian.
There are some entirely unknown off.
GERS who have mastered three or more
foreign languages. French, in some degree
is n matter of course with every naval Of
rlcrr, and it is the fancy OF most To study
Spanish. Indeed, the fact that our ships
are so frequently brought into official re-
lations with the Spanist,-Amcricau c"un-
tries has made spanish almost a necessity
in the navy.
FANCY FOR LANGUAGES.
A few of the lingnsts of the navy have
mastered the Russian language. II is only
those with special lift and fancy for Ian
guages, however, who undertake thor
ough study OF Russian, though others may
pick up sInattcring of the tongue.
Those who know Spanish manage to
make themselves understood in Portuguese.
French serves so well for nearly all of
Southern Europe that the need OF Italian
is not greatly felt. Ono now and then meets
IA naval officer who has picked upa little
modern Greek. ami there are some who have
looked into Arabic.
Although our ships constantly visit the
Asiatic countries, japanese and Chinese
are little known In the navy. 1t is easy TO
go about the edges of Japan with IA very
small stock OF the language.
As our ships rarely visit British India and
English serves perfectly for the ports of
that country. the myriad East Indian Ian
guages are neglected IN the war,irooni, ana
only by chance a man with lad for strange
tongues viii have any knowledge or them.
Even the mongrcl Hindustanee is neglected
in the navy, although almost every Euro
lingo.
The naval officer who does not devote
himself TO foreign languages has wide
choice of subjects TO willie away the idle
hours aboard ship. The new ships libra
ri,.s are 80 considerable and so interesting
that n man has small excuse for absolute
idleness when his day off routine duty
comes around. -
As these libraries areimade up In con-
siderable measure of technical, scientific.
and historical works, tho man who wishes
10 cultivate literature proper must carry
along 4 few books OF own.
CHAFF OF TIfH wARDROoM.
There is room enough in the modern ship
to enable every officer TO take as many
hooks on u long cruise he is likely TO
read The habituai reader, of course, +,
does not escape the omnipfesent chaff OF
the wardrovni, bat once man has convinced
his fellows that he reads IL some purpose
and comcs to know his subjects. care is
taken that his times OF study are free from
unnecessary interruption.
Some uf the most important te,bnical
work in the navy has been done on the
wardrom table after the breakfast clot;-
was removed. There are Officers with a
taste for the higher mathematics, who
give many hours Of their time to the study
Of problems unknown 10 the average under.
graduate mathematician.
There are those who have taken up
special periods Of American history, and
especially OF naval history. Capt. Mahan's
work is So important that peculiar oppor-
tunitics have been put in his way by the
Navy Department. But there are others
also who do really valuable work in the
intervals Of routine duty.
There is a little jealousy of the man whose
special work becomes so important as to
attract attention and obtain for. him relief
from the routine OF naval life.
Peary has all along been n special object
OF envy because Of the important work
he was permitted TO do outside the regular
course Of duty. The fact that he is Il staff
officer, and not of the line, has perhaps
acCentuated the criticism In the wardroum.
There has been a great deal OF talk among
line Officers because the title lieutenant
has been coupled SD frequently with Peary's
name, though Peary himself would be the
last man to insist upoa the title. since his
rank is not absolute but relative.
Envious criticism of the specialists has
always called attention to the fact that
the absence OF such men from routine duty
imposes extra burdens upon their brethren
i'm arms, but it has long been n wcl-de fined
rule of the Navy Dcpa rtment to encourage
the specialists, and the latter undertake
their tasks with entire good conscience,
since they believe their services to be more
valuable in their spccialties than in routine
work.
There is an affectation of contempt for
some of the most distinguished men of let
ters in the Navy upon the ground that they
are not skilled in routine duties or first-rate
commanding officers. The business of the
naval officer so the criticism runs Is to 90
to sea and work his ship.
WHAT CRITICS SAY.
II he chooses TO write books or invent
patent anchors, and thereby falls short in
the discipline that makes a first-rate off
Ger, he fails In his duty. AT the same time,
however, whatever wardroom contains the
literary officer or the successful inventor
is properly proud of the possession.
Perhaps the least common accomplish.
nlent in the Navy is a wide and critical ac-
quaintance with English literature. The
naval officer feels the need of technical
knowledge, which now Includes history,
geography and international law, and is
likely to regard literature proper as q
merely gra ceful decoration.
The fact, too, that the ships library
docs not include books devoted to literature
proper also discourages the wish to make
acquaintance with the great masters Of
the language. -
The latest novel, however, is likely to
find its way to the wardrOOm, and what
ever book is creating n sensation is apt to
come to the knowledge of those officers
who are not taken out OF reach of current
literature by long cruises In strange waters.
The wardroom is now abundantly supplied