The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1908-04-07

Net a Man Lost Through Shore Leave
by Battleshp Fleet In Its Long
Cruise Around South America-Many
Letters Sent Home From Society's
Coast Stations.
That the $4,000 sailors of the United
States battleship feet were slipping
along the far coast of South America,
hale and hearty, with ever an eye to
old home folks. was reported in New
York city the other day.
From their five branch stations
along the route about the Horn the
workers of the American Seamen's
Friend society are sending to head
quarters the news of the eventful days
of shore leave in which Uncle Sans
| sailors swarIned ashore to their quar-
| tiers for sight of Il good American face
md the rare chance of quiet smoke.
4 talk and long letter to the folks
q: home. Stamps, souvenir postalS.
reading material from home and stacks
of letter paper are exhausted at these
/ branches, the society's officers declare,
and thousands of carefully scrawled
missives have left their writing rooms
for homes in every part of the United
States
At Rio de Janeiro, Montevideo,
Buenos Aires and Rosario. where
headquarters for sailors have been
maintained for years by this organiza-
ton, the navy tars have been well
coined, entertained and piloted pretty
clear of the shoals that lie particularly
foul of the course Of the sailor in for
eign ports. Human life. vice and bad
liquor are valued cheaply in some Of
these South American towns, and it
goes hard and often fatally with the
seafaring man If he gets into the
hands of the natives. Not even his
navy uniform has saved many a jackg
from bodily harm in remote quarters
of such cities, and today the workers
of the society throughout the lower
continent feel relieved and gratified
that the feet has finally stood off
toward its own shores once more with
From Rio de Janeiro q report recent
ly reached New York telling of the adj
vent Of the Yankee sailors there. With
other local organizations the American
Eeamen's Friend society's branch at
New York organized a constant enter
tainment for the men of the feet. An
information bureau was equipped to
which the sailors went on their arrival
TO have their money honestly changed
and embark Oh excursions conducted
about the place for their benefit Ev-
cry square foot of the rooms of this
station Of the society was packed each
hour of the stay of the battleships by
the American crews, smoking, EARNING
or reading and writing home letters
Before the squadron weighed anchor
a large meeting of the men was ar
ranged by the society's workers.
On the river Plata the society had
three stations ready for Admiral Evans
men. Here everything was thrown
open to the visiting sailors and their
path kept as straight as possible. The
bloody violence of the crimps of Ro-
sario and this entire region has fallen
on many a defenseless seaman in the
past, and after seven years Of hard
effort the workers Of these branches
have only just succeeded in becoming
buffer between them and the visiting
sailors. That the American jackies !
'ost Buenos Aires in good order is rec
ognized as a welcome result of the
long campaign. To the friendly offices |
Of this as we'll as the other branches |
Of the American Seamen's Friend so
ciety the navy tars had been commend |
ed long before they sailed by old !
friends In the active branches of the |
organization at the Brooklyn navy yard |
and Newport News.
Five large institutes Of the organiza-
ton will be on the lookout for the men
of the feet when they touch home soil
again at Seattle, Tacoma. Portland. AS
toria or Port Townsend. There are
some fortvfve of these branches keep
ing watch over the sailorman all over
the world. the officers of the society
say. That such close touch could have
been kept of the Pacific feet In its
continent girdling cruise Is regarded
by them a. good test Of the work. i
e