The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-07-14

Der of chief petty officers, go through an
entire cruise of three years on the fourth
class list, not making more than a dozen
or so of liberties-but these good and long
during the entire period.
Liberty breaking" il the cause Of most
OF the men getting their names on the in
ferior conduct class list and liberty
breaking is a thing that Is liable to con-
tinue among the sailormen of all navies
until the worlds peace congress has ac-
complished its mission of disarmng the
earth. In nine cases out OF ten 1t is not
intentional. 1t, Of course, stands TO reason
that no sailor whose name Is on the spe-
cial fiTst-class conduct list, and who has
enough brains to count his fingers. will
deliberately remain ashore after his leave
has expired, thus bringing upon himself
a score of Inconvenience and annoyances
II he is possibly able TO navigate hack to
mis- ship. IL is just this H." however
that generally catches him.
He starts Off from his ship at , o'clock in
the evening, say, with fun money bag
underneath his mastering shirt and ca
pacity for shore enjoyment such as Is only
possessed by the man who passes his life
cooped up under rigid discipline on a man
of-war. AS like as not he sets his teeth
down hard as he goes over the gangway
and swears 10 himself that he is not going
to break his liberty, and also, as like as
not. he thereby illustrates the brittleness
of human resolutions. The chances are
pretty good that he will remain up all
night-for a man-Of-wars man hates to
waste good shore time by going 10 bed. II
he remains UP all night he Is pretty likely
to be IN a state Of exceeding great mental
happiness by The time the east becomes In
famed with orange, and when the realiza-
ton come home 10 him that he IL due back
aboard his ship at o'clock IN the morning
he Donders over 1t, while he takes a drink
or two In nine cases out Of ten he ar
rives AZ the conclusion that the navy can
get along without MIN for "A few hours
and goes on maSng himself happy
If he becomes worn out by pure excess
Of JOY somewhere around midnight and
does go 70 bed in bed he Il very likely
to be when the sun is circling high IN
the heavens. unless one OF his shipmates
turn up and dump him out on to the
deck on all fours But even n he Is
alone and broad awake in bed he often
enough discovers that his WEAKNESS Is
such that he can't possibly get up, and
that settles him. when the roll OF his
ships company is called az quarters on
that morning. he Is reported absent with
out leave by the ships writer who has
the list Of abscntees IN his hand and he
is done for 20 FAR as his first class n con
ccrned When "a blue Jacket discovers that
h. has broken his liberty he generally re-
mains ashore as long as he wants 20. for
he knows thar he rs in for 10 when he goes
abroad his snip anyhow This b. a some
what ahortsiRhted policy. however. for "
he only overstays his leave a few hours
he is only reduced 10 the second class: for
an overstay OF a day 10 goes on the third
class, and "breakng it for more than
day gets him down 10 the fourth class.
The bluejackct generally picks tho fourth
as the particular class which he purposes
Joining under such circumstances
A fourth-class bluciackct engaged in the
act Of breaking his liberty n an inter.
ostinR atudy He generally goes broke
after a day or So but that does not bother
him at all. lie goes 20 the landing where
hla ships steam launca pulls up. being
cautious that no debarking offoern clap
their eyes on him, and by the cox un Of
the launch he sends on 10 some OF his
shipmates FOR more money. They always
send It 20 him on the return OF the launch,
for they have all been there themselves