The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-03-28

he said. "At least not more than one.
and l want him for the clerical work
of this board. The other men must
be mechanics or have some Of the
qualifications of sailors. IShave not the
least idea of how long wssswill sit here,
themselves. I should think we could
get through here in ten days or so,
and we go from here to Duluth and a
number Of other lake ports, our work
continuing until the full complement
OF men for the ships that have recent
ly been put into commission has been
obtained. 4i
THE work Of the commission will
be divided. Chief Engineer Denig will
examine the applicants for enlistment
as mechanics; Surgeon McClurg will
make the medical examination. The
seamen will be examined by the war
rant off1cer-the boatswain."
ITO my mind the most ominous
thing in these warlike preparations Is
the painting Of the ships" said Sur
geon McClurg, who is the guest of D.
A. Monfort, on Dayton avenue The
doctor had been asked If he thought
war was at hand.
"Of course, I really know nothing
about 1t, and we people in Washington
know as little of what is going on as
you do by reading the well-informed
and conservative papers. In fact,
had dinner with some. people in the
department who ought ito know what
is going on, and "a couple of hours
later was ordered on this duty with
out the least inkling of 1t in advance.
Painting the ships is about the last
thing to be done and unless the author
tiles were convinced that trouble was
at hand doubt If 1t would be done. 1t
might be done at sea, this painting, and
would be if a ship had to put out on
a warlike expedition In hurry.
Il was in Chinese waters at the close
of the Chfna-Japan war, and you will
remember that Russia served notice on
Japan that things had gone far enough
Well when that notice was served the
Russian ships began to make ready
for a fight by taking out and slowing
all sorts of wood work that might be
In the way and painting the hulls. 1t
was final notice, and the Japs accept
ed 1t that way. 1t isn't fair in mari
time warfare to disguise ships colors,
but as in old times they used to change
the rig for the purpose Of misleading
the enemy, so they nowadays do as
much as possible in a diplomatic way
before they begin using the gun. Our
ships would be the worst sort Of marks
for the foreign gunners, In white
paint
might the detail of this board be re-
garded as emergency action?" was
asked.
well, perhaps it is not an emergency
matter, but it certainlylis not common.
There are two Of these special recruit
ing boards, one Of them working in the
South and the other along the lakes.
No, I don't think the government has
ever thought it was necessary to do
anything of the kind except possibly at
the time of the Virginius incident So
1t may be regarded as an emergency
matter If you like."~gi I
The doctor asked about the Norwe-
CLANS in the Northwest r. he remarked
that they were regarded as maritime
people, and that there were plenty Of
them in the navy. He expected that a
good many Of the applicants might be
of that nationality. s,.A =,
There is plenty of demand for sea-
men, ordinary or able" he said "but
mechanics are most needed, 1t seems.
They will all be enlisted in the one
class, but if their abilities are such as
to make of them desirable first class
men it won't take long for them to get
that rating. They may become war
rant officers and their pay might run
to $1,000 or 81, 400 a year. There is al
ready a law providing for 100 warrant
officers among men Of the first class
who would draw quite as much, or even
more pay, than they can ashore.
1.-THE applicants must be sound phys
ically and between the ages of twenty
one and thirty-five years for mechanics.
For an excellent man it might be pos
sible to accept him under tWenty-one
years. Seamen under twenty-one would
be accepted in the ordinary class. The