The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-11-09
Dewey and The
Enlisted Men.

/
exclusion of enlisted men of the United
States navy from public amusement re-
sorts because of the uniform they wore
One of the admiral's many attractive
characteristics is his habit of saying ex-
actly what he thinks. 1t was inspiring
to hear him come to the support of
American bluejackets.
"They are men of whom every Ameri-
can can well be proud. To affront them
| is to insult American citizenship" The
ring in this famous sea officers voice
proved that he has not forgotten the
part he played at Manila bay by the
men behind the guns.
Then the pride of his voice turned to
scorn. He paid his respects to the men
responsible for this discrimination.
"They are unpatriotic towards" he ex-
claimed, and added: "When you quote
me make that strong. Perhaps they will
read it. 1 want it to sting! Make them
yelp!"
Admirable Dewey voiced represent
ative naval view as he talked of this
matter. He sat at his desk in the Of
flee at Washington of the general board
OF the navy, of which he is president.
As vigorous and as animated as the day
he came home from the other side of
the world, he INDUCED in his favorite
>habit of calling a spade a spade with a
big S. Said he:
"Those men who have Disseminated
against bluejackets because of their ma
val uniform have pinned upon themselves
the shameless badge of cowardice.
They are of the type whose first thought
is to cry for the protection which war
ships and armies afford in time of war,
but who are willing to let other persons
compose the enlisted force of both SER
vices and then shun all associations with
them. They are of the type which
would dodge the draft.
"The exclusion of enlisted men of the
navy from public amusement resorts is
not only an evidence Of lack of patriot
ism on the part of those who offer this
affront to the naval service, but it is
thoroughly unAmerican. l think that
Real Admirable Goodrich, as commander
n-chief of the Pacific squadron, put it
well when in writing to the mayor of
city where his men had been i'll treated
simply because they wore the uniform,
he said that such discrimination was a
sign of snobbishness.
ct was different years ago, when the
American navy was composed of all ma
tionalities and all types. But to-day the
navy is truly American. No American
need be ashamed to come into contact
with its men. More than 80 per cent
of the enlisted personnel are American
citizens and nearly as large a popu-
lation are native born. The young fell
lows who wear the bluejacket's uniform
to-day are members of respectable fam
lies In their home town they were
accustomed to mingle with the best class
of citizens which our country affords.
/ Many of them are farmer boys from the
Middle West. Few of the recruits from
that part of the country see salt water
before they reach the training stations.
They are not the rough seafaring class
of our ships.
''In the old days the man who en-
listed in the navy cut himself off from
helpful associations On shore grog
shops and worse resorts were the only
places which opened their doors to
him. But nowadays the enlisted men
of the navy do not wish to visit places
as once they did. They are a clean lot
of young men who enjoy the improved
conditions which obtain in many places
This is due in no small part to such
influences as the Naval Branch, Y. NJ
c.. A., to the splendid building of which
in Brooklyn, Miss Helen M. Gould gave
so much time and money. And now
John ID. Rockefeller has given 100000
for a Y. M. G. A. building at Norfolk
where is located one of the great naval
training stations. The work of the
Naval Y. M. c. A. at half dozen other
points has done much for the men,"
| At this point 1 handed to Admiral
Dewey newspaper clipping quoting a
letter written to New York newspa-
peer finding fault with Rear Admiral
Evans of the Atlantic fleet for resenting
i'll treatment of his men at Portland
| This letter contained the statement
that naval officers looked up on enlisted
men as SO many inferior beings, and
that the impossible abyss created be-
tween the enlisted and commissioned
personnel belied the solicitude of officers
for their men. The question was in
geniously raised: What would Admiral
Evans do if bluejackets attempted to
dine in the same room with him at
hotel? Admiral Dewey gave fair an
swer to this.