The times., 1899-12-22

The discipline of the Royal Navy Is iron
in its severity but an that human effort
can effect is tried 10 insure that impartial
Justice shah be done The bulk Of The
punishments awarded are headed sum
mary i'm order To distinguish them from
those 1avrded by courts-martial, but
strictly speaking there are no cases of
summary punishments in the navy.
By onc OF the wIsest rules possible
period az twenty-four hours must elapse
between the report Of an offence and the
awarding cl punishment therefor. 50 that
The officer passing sentence OwhO may
have been personally aggrieved). has time
10 think the matter over. and has no eX-
cuse To- inaicunE punishment in spirit
Of revenge.
Only the most minor offences are allowed
10 Dc thus dealt with. offences which, it is
safe re say. are in the majority OF cases
peculiar 10 the navy, and would not be
considered offences at all in private life
Trivial as they may be regarded, a hssty
word forEetfulness of duty. want OF Jidi-
ness, or cleanliness. il is on the rigid
suppression OF such -trifies' as these. tn8t
The beautiful condition Of q ship OF war
depeEds.
For we need discipline We Britons being
prone to take full advantage OF any slack
ness On the part OF those bearing rule. l.
is true that We love to choose for ourselves
these latter, and are quick 10 resent the
exercise Of disciplinary powers by them
Il they fail TO realize our ideal of manli-
ness but 81 they be men hey may 90 far
in severity toward Us, and we viii willing
Iy obey.
The first thing that strikes one in this
report is ghe triyiality Of the total of Sc
rious offences noted-0fences such as
would be tried iu a court ashore and are
tried in the navy by courts martial. The to-
tsl number of seamer and mariners afo5t
during the year under review, 1898, was
SS25l. This number of men. all in the prime
Ct life wCuid account for the population oi
a very large Town ineed. And they are all
confined ia small spaces under conditions
that 10 say the least dc not make FOR
rightc0usness. few OF the social amenities
and reiaSalous Of ordinary life being open
he them.
Yet ont Of that army Of fun -blcodel men
-he total number tried by courts martial
for all offences during the year was les,
a percentage q the whole Of % Surely
this should afford every one OF MS matter
Cor just pride. But even this low peTceu-
tagt ~ offences for which courts mart ial
were considered necessary viii appear
higher Than he facts warrant il the nature
uf these offences IS analyzed. Owing 10 the
clarity u The tables We are easily enabled
10 do thiz
For instance. the offence OF which there
ere more cases than any othcr-tnree times
as many in facts striking and attempt
ing 90 strike q superior officer ser Gus
enough. Ho doubt. in naval or military Sc
lee. ban bound 10 occur in the very nature
ot things Oh board ship. where numbers OF
high-spiritcd men are confined to one an
Others company for long periods OF time.
and where the slight gradations Of rank
induce f0rgetulncss OF superiority.
Petty officers mix SO free.y with the men
that sve cannot wonder that al times an
angry man trips over the line that divi e.
him from his superior. and becomes q can
dliate for q c0urt-marJiaI without being q
criminal u The ordinary sense at all
NIllfui uis8beGieCce % orders accounts
foT f0Tty-siE cases. theft and embezZ- -ent ut
Tor forty-four. but. be il noted only six
Teen o. these were OF the seaman class. aud
further investigation would probably re-
veal shat most il not all. Of the offenders
were hoss who had not yet learned TO ap-
l-eciste rhe dignity oi their calling
Nuury none; We have Travelled q long
way from the awful conditions of life iU
The navy which eliminated iu the mutiHy
ac-,he Nor. using proiane language Eoac
tthe recording angel must have dropped 3.
perfect G0cr OF teaIs over these lines)s
LruUkeuress. Ten This last item IS sufi-
Giant 70 make one gasp. Ten cases OF
drunkenness calling for court-m3rtiai
among nearly ninety thousand soldiers il
. year
4e' i+ i- Only ore more proof of the hold
obtained Cser our saamau 10y temperance
principles and IL doubtless accounts f8I
yhe gratifying pauCity OF all the other OF
fences
NoH. les. it should be thought that olIy
very serious cases are entered as being
trl=G by court martial, g. may be wen u
state wlth considerable emphasis that this
ls certainly rot the case. While I was OF
board q the Mars q boy VAS found 70 b. il
possession of money for which he could
give no satisfactory account. IT must bs
remembered that the leading seaman OF
petty officer ai the head of each mess eTer-
J.ses quite parental supervision over rhf
boys iH his mess which explains how such
"a clrcuulst tsEC= came 20 Light. The boy Wa.
suspected. rCo. Cf other laps-s from virtue
Upon the matter being reported In m,
usual way a sort OF preliminary enQujEs
was held at which the boy stubbOrnly Te-
FUSED To say how ne became possessed C
the money. So be matter was held foi
court-mar-l8l. The same fun dread 8rra5
that would have triad q man for any crime
The prisoners friend" his counsel for ha
defence. Was our torpedo lieutenant. al.
mas accuser. of course. was the captain
Sc well did the lieutenant do his par
that he boy was acquitted and returned %
board with q grin OF triumph. which we
soon changed into quite another sort o.
Fr5usre bv he cane 0f .ae mlsrar-a--aIaa=
who proceeded 70 carry Cut summary sen
1ence lf six strokes. awarded the day boz
fore fGI another offence.
MANY courts martial are Of this kind bu
10 distinction is made il the report ar.
since the number ol summary punishment
awarded mount into q considerable total
Hell-iEteutioned bur ignorant Member o
PaFiiamelt might arrive an an cntirci
wrong conclusion from its peTusal. II
might ICsp sight Of the great comforting
fact that The standard ~ conduct il ID
u8Er IS higher than that of amy aimla
body ar meG .n the world London Leader
The Democracy Of Art.
Fru taa Cliesl5 Ilmg. IIa.4IG1
Ia American cities ze laH4t seek rr nara,arfz
sr Enr EarupraI IDEA sf art IS qsmvthiug j
WIE.. uH.t She aris;nar-tfa classes aTe suppose
T. BE interested Iu tlf- country j is t.sa irsI
1ess z fl.e a.l la.grcs tg promote Tire democrat
s-F