Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-02
SHORE DUTY FOR sEAMEN.
Right Of American Sailorman to Live
Normal Life.

From Our Navy.
A solution for the .reatest problem
confronting the enlisted personnel Of the
navy has been called Revolutionary" and
fear has beer expressed that it will meet
rabid opposition from political moss
backs" its logic. but its plausibility has
been admitted by both the naval and
civilian public.
Our navy believes that the naval pro-
fessiOn Is good business, and that the
majority Of the enlisted men would make
1t life business. as do the officers, If
the country would only meet them half
way. Natural men like to live natural
lives and the majority of American men,
of-warsmen enforce their demands to be
allowed to live normal lives by refusing
to ship over. This is inevitable under
the present system of assigning men to
duty. and it hurts the service. 1t also
costs the taxpayers vast sums Of money
to maintain recruiting stations and train
new men.
And the ideas of the men for a better
ment of this condition are not at all un-
reasonable or impracticable. All they
ask is fair shake. One cruise ashore
to one at sea In time of peace. with a
reforms tending to render their daily
routine life more comfortable would hold
a vast number of honorable, well trained
men who now count the hours and watch
the timeball.
The twenty-dve-year retirement bill
which is certain to pass the next Con-
gress Will be great thing for the men
who have served long and faithfully, but
1t makes no provision for the present.
Men live In the present. It Is today that
should be made attractive as we'll as the
far future. Why should men be subjected
to avoidable hardships and be forced to
live q hy-by-nfght existence and be ex-
pected to be satisfied because it will only
last q mere matter of twenty-five years!
Sailormen have no kick about going to
sea; II a man wanted to live ashore he
certainly wouldn't ship in the first place.
But there are more men employed by the
naval institutions ashore than af1oat and
the enlisted man is certainly entitled to
his bit on the beach. He is also entitled
to every possible consideration to make
for more comfort in his daily life. More
good men will stay and be satisfied If the
following plan set forth by Our Navy be
adopted:
Let the enlisted men build, sail, fight
and repair their own ships.
Increase the enlisted strength Of the
navy up to the full number of civilian
workmen employed in or about the naval
institution, including the clerks In the
storekeepers' departments, navy pay
Offices, ETC.. and have all this work per-
formed by enlisted men.
Half the men to be employed at repair
and construction work and the other half
on u OiSiHS Ouly. IHlS WOulu assure oil
men one cruise ashore to one at sea.
Send every man to sea on his first
cruise and on re-enlistment assign him to
duty In q navy yard.
When a cruising ship puts into a yard
for repairs, allow all her crew to go
ashore on leave. Turn the ship over to
the yard force until she is ready for sea.
There Is nothing to be gained by keeping
800 men In misery aboard vessel in dry
dock, her decks swarming with workmen
with red-lead and air-hammers.
The enlisted men want more considerable
plans for comfort in their daily routine
life. They want to make life business
Of the navy and have reasonable knowl-
edge Of the time they may expect to
spend with family and friends.