The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-04-10

opinion, the most valuable part OF the
training"
"How long does the training continue be-
fore results are shown?" the lieutenant was
asked.
After spending from four to six months
on the training ship the apprentice is given
a rating that is, a promotion to appren-
tice frst-class. He then goes aboard a
regular cruising vessel, after a leave of
absence of from fifteen to twenty days.
Then comes his opportunity to advance
himself in the service. In a few months
he may be made a coxswain or a gunner's
mate third class. / have heard people say
that the men are poorly fed aboard ship.
This may be true in some particular in
stances, due to bad management. but on
the last three ships on which / served,
the Oregon, Kentucky and Alert the food
was excellent and il was a pleasure 10
hear. on the day the draft was transferred
from the ship after their five months
service. the rousing cheer they gave the
cook"
How about the landsmen?" asked.
THE work and opportunity of the lands
men for training are very much the same
that for the apprentices, with the ex-
ception of the instruction in the elemen-
sent to the training station at the League
Island navy yard Philadelphia. Pa. Their
period of instruction at the training sta
ton and aboard ship is about of the same
duration. and their opportunities aboard
ship afterward are much the same.
CHANCE FOR ADVANCEMENT
THE opportunities of the enlisted man?
Take the case of an apprentice enlisting at
sixteen years of age. BY the time he has
reached his majority (the expiration of his
enlistmenD, it is possible for him to be
paid off as chief petty officer at $40 month
tclear.) Suppose he re-enlists at once. He
is given four months leave, by contract
and paid four months wages gratis. Then
he spends year at sea-, as a chief petty
officer. In army parlance one would say,
first sergeant Then he can come up for
examination for warrant officer In this
grade he receives a salary of from 81 200 to
$500 year, depending upon length of
service. After spending six years in the
warrant officers grade, he can come take
examination for the regular line of the
navy, upon passing which ne is in regular
line OF promotion, on an equal footing with
the Annapolis graduate. Twelve such APP
pointments are made a year If the exami-
nations are passed. This would make him
tWenty-eight years old and an ensign in
the navy. A bill is being pushed in Con-
gresS at present TO change the time limit
OF six years to two; this would make the
ensign twenty-four years old, which is
about the age at which the Annapolis grad
uate gets his commission. OF course I
am taxing the case of a very energetic.
bright. ambitious man. But the conditions
L have given are possible, and in cases with
which am acquainted have been fulfilled.
The iandsman for training has all these
opportunities afforded him with the ex-
ception of the privilege of taking an ex-
animation to enter the regular line of the
service. but efforts are being made at pres
ent to give the landsman for training the
same privilege. and / have no doubt, in
view of the present tendency to advance
the enlisted men in all departments that
they will be placed on the same footing in
a year or two
But. lieutenant" the interviewer asked,
are not the recruits of the superior class
you mention rather scarce?'
1T is hard TO persuade the people of
the interior that the class of men wanted
In the navy is other than the riffraff and
ne'er-to-do-well type" the officer replied
I'm the old days of tack and sheets and
halliards and bowlines, the navy had a
large percentage of foreigners of poor
stamp, but In these days of tin ships, there
Is so much machinery. so many mechanical
appliances and electrical devices, that the
man behind the gun must be of a better
mental calibre, able to do number of
things that require a mechanics knowl-
edge. | must say for the men that COM
pose the big majority of our navy at pres
ent, that they are men of good mental and
moral stamp, high ideals and self-respect;
they feel that they in legitimate pro-
fession. and are entitled to the considera-
ton of their Superiors, which, / am happy
is given them for study and advancement
and the officers throughout the service will
aaxiously support an energetic man of
promise
n GOOD CLASS OF MEN
II am very desirous," the speaker con-
tinued, "of impressing upon the public the
fact that the status and morale of the en-
listed man is excellent. because most peo-
pie think that the only excuse for man
taking up the life is the hope of going
through the communicating stage of enlist
ment and getting commission. That is
not the spirit desired. We cannot all be
officers, and l wish TO make the public un-
derstand that the men who do the work
live under very satisfactory, self-respect-
ing conditions
Then the service is really attractive of
itself. apart from possible promotions?"
Yes, and educational. To show the adj
Vancement that boys under instruction may
make In the navy l will cite an instance
from my own experience. Upon my return
from emma, two years ago, / was assigned
TO a little training ship. the Alert. We had
10 boys aboard. besides a small crew of
about thirty men on deck. Some of the
boys, when they came aboard, could not
tell starboard from port. or forward from
aft; found one boy who didn't know how
TO tell time We had them aboard for five
months Most OF our success i'm the train
ing of these youngsters was due TO the fact
that our executive officer. Lieut.. Condo
Blish Ga Hoosier by the way, from Sey-
mour Ind, was postmaster in the art
of handling men. besides being of the
best officers in the service. Before they left
the ship they had acquired all of the ordi-
nary attributes of modern memo -warsmen
and besides. we had class among them
OF about twelve who were being taught the
rudiments of navigation. / had a class of
ten who were given instruction in going
down in diving suit They were a little
wary at first. but after | had gone down
10 show them the safety of il, / had dozens
OF volunteers. These boys were mostly
from Texas. and have no doubt that nine
tenths OF them will stay in the service. and
i shall not be surprised TO meet some OF
them ore day with gold stripes on their
sleeves. / hope 1 may