Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1906-06-03
TRICKS IN THE NAVY
HOW THE MEN CoNTRlvE TO PUNISH
UNPOPULAR OFFICERS.

clay Down" and Il Mutfny.
American men-o-war's men don't mu-
Tiny these days. They know the pun
tshment that would be meted out for
that sort OF thing aud their average Of
Intelligence and Of esprit dc corps is
Infinitely higher than that Of the crews
of the old time frigates who really did
mutiny, much as is talked about the
glorles of the old navy by the ancient
fiat feet of the wooden navy, still in
the service. ~ genuine mutiny on
board any kind Of ship is good deal
like what General Sherman termed
war. The entire British navy in every
part of the world upon Il preconccrted
and passed around word once mutined
r-tt was IN the latter part OF the eight
zenith ccntury-ata certain hour. There
were doings then and afterward Tho
dotngs afterward arranged matters so
that there has never been genuine
mutiny on board one British mnn-o'-
war since. The yartlarms wcro busy
standing the strain OF the swung men
for long months after that mutiny, and
1t wns salutary lesson for naval mari
ners the world over.
But discontinued men-of- war's men
in the American navy, suffering under
whit they deem imposition OF O with
holding of their rights, can. and some
times do, make it mighty unpleasant
on board their ship for the commander
thereof and for the officers directly con
cerned with their grievances.
Such nets MS hcnvlng missiles at dis
liked officers arc not done In the navy
today, but tile blueiackets have little
methods OF their own Of getting back
Mt severe or lmpcrious officers "Lny-
Ing down" is one Of their schemes, ana
1T is mn eflcaoions method. The men
of ships company cannot be punish
ell In n bunch for not coming up to n
set standard in the performance Of
work, and they know how to take nd
vantage Of that knowledge. The
amount of work that Il disaffcctcd
ships company can't do In given
space OF time is something immense.
In the matter of conling ship. for cx-
ample, they can either make life mis-
cradle for the commanding officer, IL
he is the man they have 1t in for, by
ioaflng on their job through all the
watches and dragging the dirty and
unpleasant conling task through an in
ferminnblc length of time. or they can
punish any watch officer for whom they
have got 1t III by Showing him up"
In the latter case they calmly walt
TIL the watch officer who has incurred
their dispcasure takes the deck and
assumes direct command OF tile work
OF conling, and then they proceed to
nf l,ny fro, ti,,n
ships company of naval sailor men
can work without doing anything.
They shovel away furiously, but some
how or another very little coal seems
to find its way over the ships side and
Into the bunkcrs. Tho bluciackets in
the coal lighters pant md pcrsplre un.
der the strain of labor that looks quite
terrific, but there is Il monumental lack
of Roadway in the conlng of the ship.
The disliked officer of the deck may
chafe and muttcr deep and dark things
under his breath, but this doesn't get
coal into the bunkers. When he makes
his report to "tle old man. of the
amount of coal that has been got
aboard during his watch 1t is found by
comparison that it Is only about one.
third the amount that was hoiste1 over
the side during the watch of the pre-.
ceding officer of the deck. who happen
ed to be popular with the men, A mat.
ter Of this sort always sets commando
Ing officer to thinking. for mon who are
lold enough to be commanders Of Ameri.
can mcn-of-war have learned by OK.
perience that 1t Is rs easy as launching
dIngey for naval officer to acquire
and hold the good will Of enlisted men
and that the usefulness on board Of
ship Of an officer who has sacrificed the
confidence and good will Of the men
for'ard is just rs good ms gone.
And 80 1t comes to pass that nova
days few officers of the United States
navy fail to apprchcnd how we'll 1t
pays them to make themselves popular
with the men for'ard. In the old navy
1t often happened that officers who had
earned the Ill will Of the bluejackets
actually feared to go forard at night
after lights were out, and there was a
reason. Such officers, taking the chance.
would no sooner set foot under the
Ifo'c'sle, where, after lights out, there
was only the dim illumination of n
single standing light. than they would
have to dodge all manner of missiles
soup and bully" cans. checking
blocks, mess gear boots. anything and
everything throwable that tic sailors
and marines, in and out Of their ham
lmocks, first laid their hands upon. On
such an occasion the officer who was
the target had but ono thing to do, and
TINT was to scoot aft as fast rs his
legs would carry him. He could make