Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-07-03

down hard as he goes over the gangway
end swears TO himself that he is not going
10 break his liberty. and also. as like as
NOT, ne thereby illustrates the hri,tlenass
OF human resolutions The chances are
pretty good that he Will remain IN an
hisht-for a man-of-war's man hates 10
waste good shore time by going to bed. IL
ne remains up all night ne IS pretty likely
10 De In state of exceeding great mental
happiness by che time the east becomes in
named with orange. and when the reaIiza-
tion comes home to him that ne is due back
ABOARD his ship al . o'clock f. the morning
ne ponders over IL. while he takes a drink
OF two In nine cases out OF ten he arrives
al the conclusion that the navy can get
along without him for a few hours and
goes on making himself happy
III ne becomes worn out by pure excess OF
JOY somewhere around midnight and does
go TO bed, In bed he is very likely to he
when the sun is oircling high in the
heavens. unless some o. his shtpmates turn
up and dump him out on TO the deck On
all Tours. But even II he is alone and
broad awake in bed. he often enough dis
covers that his WEAKNESS Is such that lie
can't possibly get up. and that settles him.
When the roll of his ships conpany Is
called at quarters on that morning. he is
reported absent without leave by the
ships writer. who has the list OF ahsentaes
in his hand, and he is done for so far as
his first class is concerned. When a blue
jacket discovers that he has broken his lih-
erty he generally remains ashore as long as
he wants TO. for he knows that he is In for
1t when he goes aboard his ship anyhow.
This is a somewhat shortsighted policy,
however, for IL he only overstays his leave
a few hours he is only reduced To the
ond class: for an oyerstay of a day he goes
on the third class. and breaking il" for
more than day gets him down 10 the
fourth class. The bluejacket generally
picks the fourth as the particular class
which he purposes joining under sach cir
cumstances.
Have All Been There.
A foarth-class blueiacket engaged in tho
act of breaking his liberty is INTEREST,"
ing study. He generally goes broke after
a day or so, but that does not bother him
at ALL He goes TO the landing where his
ships steam launch pulls up, being eau
tious that debarking officers clap their
eyes on him, and by the cox un OF the
launch he sends off to some of his ship
mates for more money. They always send
II to him on the return trip of the launch,
for they have all been there themselves
While he is waiting for the return OF the
launch the Notwithstanding Jack stands on
the dock and contemplates his ship out I'm
the stream with a grin. He knows that he
runs no danger whatever of being hunted
while he is in home port But in the
ports on a foreign station he must enjoy
his decp-seated satisfaction over being
foot-loose in the quiet secuson of some
friendly saloon. or elscwhither and even
then he runs a first-class chance OF being
gathered I'm by the master-at-arms of his
snip. Inc Jimmy Legs OF an American
man-of-war is always sent ashore in a
foreign port to look up derelicts who have
oyerstayed their leaves for more than a
day, and he rarely fails to get them. no
matter how elaborate the precautions they
make to evade him. He has been derelict
himself and knows the ropes. There is not
a corner of Shanghai or Liverpool or Tan
gier that the average master-at-arms of a
United States war vessel does not know
that is likely to afford a hiding place for
a Notwithstanding bluejacket. He hauls
them from their lairs. gives them a drink
or two to straighten them out on the way
to the steam launch's landing. and before
they know II they over the gangNay
of their ship. practically led thither by the
ear like truant boys.
Required by the Regulations.
1T does not take very long period Of
service on a man-of-war." said the naval
officer quoted at the beginning of this
article, ito discover that the best enlisted
men of the ship the trained workers of
seamanship and experience, are generally
down In one of the inferior classes. The
chaps who contrive to stick at the special
first cllS through an entire cruise are in
the words Of a famous lighting admiral, who
recently died, long-eared skulk.rs, who'd
take to the bilgeS at the first shot OF the
enemy This may have been a rather
forcibe way of putting 1t, but the fact re-
mains that the special first conduct class
men generally a pretty spiritless crowd
to the brains the working ability OF
their ship's enlisted force. Many COM
manders appreciate this fact, but the i=gu-
lations require them to inflict the 'auaran-
timing punishments, and they can DO roth
ing about it.
If enlisted man breaks his liberty CT
commits any other infraction of discipline
for which he is now marked down on cIa
of the qucrantining classes, the best way
of dealing with him is TO give him a Gose
of the brig in proportion TO his offense.
No navy sailor is fond of finding himself
in double irons, and that sort of punish
ment would have much more deterrent
effect than quarantining him and With
holding his money from him. This sort
of thing only embitters him and causes
him to form the determination TO stay on
the beach just long as he everlastingly
chooses, once he gets there. Moreover. TO
quarantine a bluejacket or marine for
three months is unjust and in contraven-
ton of the laws of nature. 1t is a menace
to a full grown mans health to keep him
tied up on shipboard for three-month pc
RODS, year in and year out. The conduct
class list system should be done away with
altogether. and L think IT will be before
very long"