New-York tribune., 1902-12-26

Where England Trans Men for Her
BattLeszips an Newfoundland.

varship here permanently to train bluejackets
and intends TO tortify st. Johns and make 1t
( strat ategic base like Halifax and Bermuda 1t VII
+ in time become Of even greater importance thar
either Of these for the naval reserve grows anc
force of trained fishermen scattered around the
coast attaIns substantial strength the defences
can be manned in time of need should such be de-
sirabe besides providing large contngents to help
man the seagoing battleships.
Last year the British navy required 10000 men
for effective purposes 119.0o0 to actually man the
ships In commission. 5000 for the reserve and 70O0
to form coastguard. For years past as the num-
ber of ships in that navy has been increasing and
their size enlarging it has been felt that the time
was not far distant when the British Isles would
not supply a suffciency Of naval recruits Ihat
time has been accelerated by the Boer war, with
its abnormal enlistment Of soldiers, forcing the
navy go without its full quota Of recruits Large
additions to the ships accentuated the strfngency,
and new measures had to be devised without delay
England's remedy for her shortage Of bluejackets
consists in establishing a naval nursery In New
foundland the Oldest of her colonies and the great
est fishing country in the world There are seventy
thousand men and boys employed in the maritime
pursuits OF the isand-cod, seal. herring, lobster
salmon and whale fskeries-and the sailorly quail
ties Of these fisher folk it is said cannot be ex-
celed. The remoteness and isolation of the island
have kept its people these avocations for nearly
four hundred years: generation after generation
has toiled at the nets and to-day there is popu-
lation along the seaboard that in seamanship. fear
lessress and physical strength viii compare faVor-
ably with any in the world. Bred to the sea from
their early days Injured TO every hardship Of the
waves or the icefoes. familiar with every danger
that besets they ideal material for the
purposes the British Admiralty had in view.
The determination reached by the Admiralty
IN 1870 to experiment with the Newfoundland fisher
youths and g contingent Of fifty enrolled to
embark in November for a six months training
cruise in the warship Charybdis in the West Indies
This vessel is the flagship OF the squadron that
patrols the French Shore each summer. and during
the winter they go south AT that season, too, the
icehoes blockade this coast and prevent any fishing
being done, SO that it is a season when the young
men necessarily unemployed and they can
therefore undertake the Six months drill without
interfering with their regular avocatons The first
contingent proved eunently satisfactory, the COM
nlodore and officers OF the Charybdis being
'-teachableness'' OF the recruits. IN purely
sailorly work they required no instruction. They
could hand. reef and steer, make knots and spces,
bend and stow canvas, row and sail boats, mount
the spars and do everything OF sesman's work
about a ship. AS oarsnen they proved themselves
the superiors OF the whole feet winning prizes in
the annual regatta at Barbados. where they beat
even the admiraIs crack crew. But in the gunnery
and warship part of their education they were, Of
course, backward, but not much but that
fortyfour OF the fifty secured first class passes
when they examined by board of officers
finishing their cruise. The official reports to the
Admiralty and the Governor were most encourag-
ing as to the success OF the movement
Last year second contingent Of fifty
listed from different parts of the island and proved
equally satisfactory \ picked team OF oarsmen
repeated the success of the previous crew against
the feet, showing that the physical strength and
expertness not exceptional. OF this
tingent, which returned here in May last forty
gained the coveted first class distinction
This satisfied the doubling at the Ad-
rh.-r -1o
favorable outcome and this year one hundred re-
serves will be taken. fifty IN the Charybdis and
fifty in the Ariadne, the admiraIs flagship. The
cruiser Calypso was also selected to be stationed
of Sun larger force She vii enroll about tbree
hundred men at time. who will train and exercise
mentary naval knowledge and being polished off
board the seagoing ships II is hoped that when
Atlantic Squadron Of ten or twelve ships will be
able to assemble in this harbor and embark from
in the Caribbean. At the same time orphan boys
lars viii be drafted into the Calypso and after
preliminary tuition VIII be transferred TO the other
previous years who have done their sea drill viii
also assemble for months gunnery drill on her
work and their fitness 10 do duty the cruisers be
II would not be possible to imagine a greater
transformation than the new reserves exemPlify.
enjoy the advantage OF consorting with the thor
oughly Inatured Jackie: they model themselves
ercises and the prescribed drills. and they are
They return better men in every way. and In the
q aese mors & 9EFa6e pat tatS al 5 INTO nr
ment much Britain will
The movement is popular in the colony, and the
the reserve The prospect is an attractive one to
those doomed 70 & ths Sn9fony S5d and md loneliness one Of
Of seeing bit of the great world from the deck of
some degree to the patriotic Colonial revival Of the
last two or three years form the chief incentives
ing fee Of $50 year and their pay food and cloth
Ing during their term Of service amounts to about
they would probably have earned nothing at all, so
winter and dependent the people on the one
industry.
1t is noteworthy that while agreeing to establish
the naval reserve in Newfoundland. the Admiralty
refused extend it to Canada for the that
that large proportion Of the men trained join
better pay and easier times which are found in
that service. The work in the American navy is
British warshps visit American ports the greatest
have nd 70 oI be tkn I e reg RrSYsRt the amer
and the British autherues have no idea OF setting
& an seamen for Uncle m sans Ra T5e ne
argument does not apply to Newfoundland. because
line. and there is not the frequency of inter
Canada. Nor are the Canadian fisher folk regarded
as being such excellent material for the reserve
Inducements to secure the concession it would not
pc granted, The Nova Scotia fishermen are not he
are, and the naval officers not favorable to
British forces In tho future as the force grows a
second ship may be dispatched to these waters
but this viii not be for years yet, as FIVE
hundred a year is much as is expected now.
and with that number the vessel viii be
ample.
The fortifying of st. Johns will follow upon the
present programme. The advantageous geographi-
cal position of Newfoundland projecting out into
the Atlantic, and with ST Johns almost located in
midocean, enhances the desirabiitty of port
ing made naval base The road for ocean
steamers passes by St Johns. and most of the in
1rl-e he alpS hera
for repairs. The same would apply IN time OF
war: conveys, freighters and other ships would
make il shelter. and war vessels would also