The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-09-14
. NAVAL OFFICERS TALK

Indignation at the, treatment received
by the United States sailors at the
hands of the civil authorities Of Port
land, Me-, was freely expressed by the
officers in charge of the naval recruit
Ing station in athe federal building to-
day. Both Lieutenant Ivan c. Wetten-
gal and DR.. Robert A. Bachman de-
plored deeply the growing .disrespect
with which men in the uniform of the
United States are being treated by civ
their statement was affirmed By 57' tie 1 en-
listed men Of the party, that the people
Of Minneapolis have always been ex-
ceptionally courteous in their attitude
toward the naval men in uniform.
:, This Portland outbreak seems to
he a part. Of a growing spirit Of snob-
bkhness in the United States,'' said
Lieutenant Wettengel. "The only sim.
liar case 7 have ever heard of occurred
at Old Point Comfort year ago, when
one OF the hotels refused accommodate
lions to a shore party which was pre-
vented from rejoining its ship by a
sudden storm. The matter was prompt
ly taken up BY President Roosevelt and
there was no further difficulty of that
sort. -.'%aa
Commissioned officers of the navy
have not the slightest objection to en-
listed men in uniform being accorded
admission to every public place Of rest
or amusement. This impression has
arisen from the unfortunate incident
Of the young army officer who objected
to the seating Of enlisted men near him
in theater last fall. It is not typical
Of the feeling Of either branch Of the
regular service, as the officer had Just
came in from civil life. The naval
officer who subjected an enlisted man
to such humiliation would be very much
out Of favor with his fellow offcers.''
DR.. Bachman was even more emphat-
ic. America, like England, he said
lis forming the habit Of looking down
on the man. who wears the uniform of
an enlisted man in it's regular military
service. This praising man in time
of war and insulting him in time of
peace is poor patriotism Kipling, in
his Tommy Atkins, =" sums up the sit.
uation in these lines:
'''It's Tommy this and Tommy that
and "chuck i'm out, the brute, -
But it g thank you, Mr.. Atkins, when
the guns begin to shoot.
There is nothing in the personal
character Of the American man 3 wars
man which, iustifies his social ostracism.
As rule the naval sailors are q better
behaved lot than men Of similar sta.
tion in civil life. They are gentle
manly, quite and clean. Yet they are
refused admission to theaters where
civilians Of the most degraded charac-
terEare admitted without question.
Why the public should turn against
a man when he puts on the uniform of
his country is a hard question to
answer. It certainly is not right. j
trust that the prompt action taken in
the case Of this last outburst Of rowdy.
ism and imposition may have some eff:
feet. ttss: I'd
fortunately Portland is an excep.
tion to the general rule. Minneapolis
is PARTICULARLY generous in it's treatment
of naval men, The few enlisted men
attached TO this office are not required
to wear unif orm when, off duty, as are
men alta ched to a. ship, but they. appear
frequently on the streets in the pic.
turesque sailor togss without enc ounter-
ing anything, but "a few curious looks
sandshav never reported any act of dis.
courtesy done them on account Of their
clothes, which are extremely conspicu-
lis. = 81 'a