The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-07-26
UNCLE SANS
SEA FORCE


The American Jackie" is his countrys
pride. In times of peace he is the Nations
guardian; in times of war he is its great
defender. In future warfare. should the
country be so afflicted, his Importance can
not be overestimated. for the great battles
which will hereafter be fought viii be on
sea rather than on land. Approaching this
fact, the United States government is spend
ing millions of dollars annually in the main
tenance and upbuilding of this arm OF the
service. 1t constructs great floating fort
resses OF steel and arms them with great
engines of destruction, but these would be
powerless and of little or no value were it
not for the men who manage and handle
them II was the superior skill of the men
behind the guns which enabled the United
States navy to achieve it's great victories
in Manila bay and off Santiago de Cuba in
the war with Spain, and the government is
devoting much attention and large sums of
money toward the training of these men for
efficient service.
For the young man who enters the navy
there are advantages and opportunities
which the average layman never realizes.
Gen. James H. Wilson, himself an officer
of the army. in address to young men
not long ago, advised them TO enter the navy
rather than the army because the chances
are larger in the sea service than in the
land service, and General Wilson, a man of
wide experience, knew whereof he spoke.
There are, or, at least, there will be when
the quota provided for under the last naval
appropriation act is filled, thirty-one thou
sand enlisted men in the navy of all classes
and grades. Every effort is made to obtain
the very best men available for the service,
and liberal inducements are held out to the
young men to enter it. Never before has the
character of the personnel been so high as
at present, and it is improving every year,
and there is no doubt but that within few
years the United States will not only have
the strongest sea-fghting force in the world,
but will also have better men in its navy
than any other nation.
In the old navy men were largely for
eigners, and were recruited from longshore-
men On the Atlantic seaboard but in the
present establishment the vast majority of
the men are Americans, and a large per-
centage of them are enrolled from inland
States. In fact, the proportion of native
Americans to naturalized foreigners in the
service is as nine to one. Indeed, the law
now requires that in order to enter the
naval service a man must be an American,
a naturalized citizen, or have declared his
intention of becoming an American citizen.
The recruiting officers are men of expert
ence and good judges of men and character
They go from city to city and from town to
town, open temporary quarters and ex-
anime applicants for enlistment. Their
method is first to bill town several weeks
before establishing recruiting headuua rters
and inviting applications. This has been
found to be the best means of obtaining re-
cruits. Experience has taught them that
where there were a large number Of en-
listments one year that correspondingly
large number may be expected from the
same town the next year. The reason for
this is that the men who enter the service
are so pleased with it that their influence
encourages and induces their friends to en-
list. The term of enlistment is for three
years, and landsmen must be between the
ages of eighteen and twenty-five years when
first enrolled They must be men of good
character, able to read and write English,
and pass a satisfactory physical examina-
ton. The landsman, when he enlists, is
provided with an outfit of clothing to the
amount of s45. and is, of course. found in
everything. He receives pay at the rate of
SIG per month while he remains landsman.
Upon enlistment he is at first sent to a
| naval station; those enlisted east of the
Mississippi are usually sent to the Norfolk
| yard, and those west of the Mississippi go
to the training station in California At
| these stations the landsman goes through
three months of drill This is known as
taking on the sea habit and the expert