The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-09-08
PROMOTION IN THE NAVG
While There Are Some Good OppOr-
tunities Open to Enlisted Men,
There Are No Commissions.

There Are No Commissions.
A correspondent, formerly w On
teer naval officer, writes to the rSbst
as follows:
Il noticed the other day in YOUR
paper that the United States navy wis
having some difficulty in obtaining the
necessary enlistment of men to prop
erly man the ships now in and going
into commission.
1T is not at all wonderful that tits
hard to get respectable American
young men to enlist in the United
States navy. Why should they do SO?
What prospect for advancement in life
S there for any enlisted man IN the
United States navy?
mo matter how intelligent, how dis
tinguished in action or in any way fit,
can he ever become a commissioned
officer? All he can possibly look for
ward to and hope for is that he may
eventually become a warrant officer,
boatswain, gunner, sailmaker, car
penter-an officer who is neither fish.
hesh, fowl nor red herring. Let there
be some law passed by congress SO that
young men in the navy can obtain com
missioned rate, the same as young men
In the army can, and there will be no
trouble III getting lots of young zhen'
20 go into the naval service"
Of course this is an old familiar
proposition which has been threshed
over for 10! these many years, and
which loses force with every advance
in the science of marine warfare. 1t
may have possessed merit 80 years ago.
when the education of officers was a
very simple on, and when courage, sea-
manship, the faculty of command and
high personal character were the only
requisites. But nowadays, when the
Anna polls curriculum is eXtravagantly
eXacting, when the equipment for
command is practically beyond the
reach ofanyone save an alumnus of that
particular college, IT is idle to talk of
promoting men from the ranks, no
matter what their personal ability
may be. The modern warship is the
most complicated piece of machinery
imaginable. Steam and electricity
have taken the place of Drawn and
sails. Guns are loaded and fired by
mechanical appliances. Range is
taken by mathematics. 1t is impossi-
BILE for a man, whatever his native gifts
may be, to fit himself for the success
full discharge of a naval officers duty
by any amount Of experience in the
forecastle. Our correspondents the
DRY is beautiful and alluring, but it is
hopelessly Utopian.
We are moved to say, however. that
the rewards open to seamen are not
altoge Their unworthy of an honest
mans notice. The Post published,
few days ago, a list of promotions
within the ranks which indicate that
excellence there is far from unprofit-
able. We quote few instances:
Daniel Montague, master at arms,
to be boatswain, from $50 a month to
$1,000 a year.
George Charette, gunner's mate, to
be gunner, from $50 a month to 81 1900
a year.
Rudolph Claesson, Osborne Deig-
nan and -- Murphy, cCXswains, to be
chief boatswain's mate, an increase of
$40 month.
George F. Phillips, machinist. to be
chief machinist, from $40 month to
$40 month.
Francis Kelly, a water tender, to
be chief machinist, from $37 a month
to $40 a month"
1t can hardly be said that 81, 300
year. with hoard and lodging furnished
by the government, is a thing to be
despised. 1t may not carry with it
high social position on shore or the
privilege of wearing a gorgeous uni
form on deck, but many thousands of
government employees of good social
standing work hard for much less re-
Enumeration, and do not feel that the
world is empty, either. There is room
to spare in civil life for men capable
of earning larger misunderstanding
ton Post.