Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-04-04
Obstacle to Naval Recruiting.

An obstruction to obtaining recruits for
the navy has confronted recruiting off,
| GERS Hereafter recruiting officers must
| exact from recruits a certificate Of birth
| or verified written statement by the par
| ents, or either of them, or in the case of
| the parents being dead, verified written
statement by the legal guardian showing
| the applicant to be of age. The DISPOSE
| ton manifested in the House of RepreSen-
! tatives during the debate on the subject
| at the last session was to enact a statute
which would prevent the enlistment of
| minors unless 1t could be shown that such
enlistment was with the consent of the
parents or guardian. The bureau Of navi-
cation discovered that the wording of the
law as 1t passed the House would prevent
the enlistment of any applicant without
the proper proof of age regardless OF the
obvious age of the candidate. The de-
partment prevailed upon the Senate to
make a change which limits the restric-
| ton to minors. and the instructions to re-
cruiting officers will be to exercise their
judgment in the case of each applicant as
to whether or not he Is minor. 1t is
appreciated by the department officials
that even this concession made by Con-
gress will interfere in great degree with
recruiting. They are inclined to regard
the rest lotions as unjust inasmuch as the
same rule is not applied by law to ap-
plicants who present themselves at the re-
cruiting stations of the army and the Ma
rlne Corps.
Rulings Affecting Enlisted Men.
Judge Advocate General Davis Of the
army has given an opin on that the case
Of an enlisted man who deserted and
who, when apprehended, was found to
be unfit for service because Of insanity.
is not one In which the Secretary Of
War, in the exercise of a reasonable
discretion. should direct the commit
ment Of he man to the Government
Hospital for the Insane.
In another case the judge advocate
general held that where an enlisted man
was undergoing trial for fraudulent en-
listment 1T Was proper and legal to In
| troduce medical testimony as to Ger ain
marks and scars which were noted upon
the outlying figure card of the accused
at the time Of his enlistment When a
person enliSts in the military service
the judge advocate general says. he
| valves or surrenders, during the period
of his enlis .ment. some of the rights
which he possessed as a citizen. He
does this without compulsion. the sur
| render resulting from his voluntary en-
listment in the military service. Among
other incidents Of the military status
to which he voluntarily submit himself
is that of physical examination by prop
er military authority. such. for example
as is required by regulation when he
enliStS in the military establishment, at
which time his finger and thumb prints
are taken, and any marks or scars which
appear on any par of his body are made
the subject Of official record on a card
provided for that purpose, and the right
to impose. and the corresponding duty to
submit to, Il proper physical eXamina-
ton, at the discret ton and upon the order
of d competent mill airy superior. con-
tinues to exist so long as he remains in
the military service in the operation Of
| his contract of enlistment
81, 30 Na,,
| Gen. Wood. commanding the Depart
ment of the East. has acted on the cases
of number Of enlisted men at nearby
posts convicted Of various infractions OF
the regulations
| Private Alonzo Gilbert. Troop A. 18th
Cavalry, at Fort Myer, was convicted of
being absent without leave and losing
| clothing. Evidence of six previous con-
| victions was considered by the court and
/ he was sentenced to be dishonorably dis
charged and to be confined at hard labor
! for three months. A similar sentence was
| imposed in the case of private John a.
/ Hardy. Troop B, 10Th Cavalry, who was
convicted of drunkenness and disorderly
| conduct. Evidence of seven previous con-
| victions was considered by the court in
| this case.
| mill, Company II. I'd Battalion of Engi-
neers, at Washington barracks, was con-
victed of conduct to the prejudice of good
| order and military discipline and was SEN
/ fenced to confinement at hard labor for
| five months and to forfeit $50 Of his pay.
/ Seconded Private George w. Brown
| was convicted of losing clothing, ETC.. and
| sentenced to confinement at hard labor
| for four months and to forfeit $40 of his
| pay Second-class Private Charles Davis,
| Company II, I'd Battalion of Engineers.
| at Washington barracks, was convicted
/ of breaking arrest and absence without
/ leave and sentenced to three months
| CONTINENT and to forfeit his pay during
/ that period
Rejuvenated New York.
| After three years work the armored
J cruiser New York is now practically
| ready for sea at the Boston navy yard.
About $l.25O.OOO has been spent on the
| craft which formerly served Rear Ad
miral Sampson flagship. Besides ex-
| tensive changes in the construction and
| fittings of the cruiser new guns have been
| installed. They are of the latest type
and more powerful than the ones which
| they replace. The New York does not in
| the least resemble the cruiser of the
| Spanish war. In fact. about al that re-
mains Of the old ship is the hull
Examination of Naval Machinists.
| The Navy Department is arranging for
the examination of about ninety machin-
| lists who are eligible by virtue of six
years service to take the examination