The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-09-05
Officers Over Jealous in Disre-
gard of Regulations.
Sailors Deny They Tried to
Wreck Crafts.
YOUNGSTERS IN COMMAND
Half of Navy's Highest Enlist
ed Men Seek Transfer.
OverwOrked and OvercOm-
manded, They Declare.

Boston, Sept. 5.-Because of a des-
perate attempt to wreck the rnachin-
cry of submarine torpedo boat D-s all
of the sailors of the second group, sub
marine fotilla, now at Cape Cod, and
including the boats Ell, E-2 and d.,
d. and D-3. are now serving extra
anchor watches as punishment for
concealing the guilty man.
That United States sailors should be
guilty of trying to destroy one of their
own warships seems incredible, but 1t
is true that month ago ground glass
was thrown into the bearings of the
spray of the gasoline engine was de-
stroyed. A timely discovery saved the
boats machinery.
The crews of all five boats are dis
anected. They have sent a round
robin to the naval committees of the
house and senate, asking that a
searching examination be made.
Charges Against the Ohicers.
Complete disregard of the naval reg
ulations relating to the treatment Of
enlisted men, abuse, injustice and con-
duct unbecoming officers is charged
by the men against their commanders.
These officers are Group Commander
Lieutenant w. G.. Childs D-3; Junior
Lieutenant Hyatt, Ell; Junior Lieu
tenant Lejour, E-2: Ensign L. p. War
ren, D-1; Ensign r. A. Burg, Dr.
The officers are all young '1en, not
long out of the academy. md, the
sailors assert, are intoxicated with au-
thority.
1t is specifically charged by the men
that at Newport on August II four
women were received on the Tonopah,
the monitor which is being used as the
tender of the second grJUp. who
changed their dress in the officers
quarters and appeared on the quarter
deck in bathing suits. rhey were
=.
ing attire, and went in swimming on
the monitor The officers accused
are Ensigns Burg, Warren, Bensen and
Ballinger and Lieutenant Jensen.
Enlisted Men of High Grade.
one officer, whose name is known
boarded his vessel in an intoxicated
and while upbraiding the
watch on deck fell overheard and was
rescued with difficulty.
Every enlisted man on a submarine
boat is a petty officer and ranks either
as a gunner's mate, electrician or ma
cbinist Their pay averages from $50
to $50 per month. All have served IN
the navy several years. Their average
age is greater than that of their ofh-
GERS. Half of the men have applied
in vain for a transfer.
1--WE are desperate" declared recent
Iy one of the men who had served
many years in the navy. Most Of us
in the submarines are married. We
are expert Workmen and we take the
extra risks for the extra pay. We earn
good money and we don't want to leave
the navy. We do not want to desert
But no human being could stand wnat
we get handed to us.
"Victims of Unnecessary Zeal"
1--WE are victims of unnecessary zeat
and intense rivalry between the boy COIL
of these submarines They haFe
no consideration for their men and they
treat the regulations as though they olu
not exist.
Take the ground glass incident. An
electrician named S. l.. Saunders was sus-
pected and he was confined for a month.
every enlisted man in the second group
was compelled to stand extra anchor
watch. There are now seven men stand
ing anchor watch each night as punish
ment and Commodore Childs says this
will continue until the guilty man IL
found. On the first group of submarines
across the harbor one man is standing the
watch which we are doing with seven
Poor SaIsaders' time OF enlistment e2-
pired the ether day. and since they couiG
not convict him they let him go, but gave
him a dishonorable discharge and wrote
across his discharge: Suspected OF trying
to destroy the machinery of D-3.' Ana
though they have let Saunders go in tfs5
way, the rest of US are still paying the
piper
NAVAL custom is that no man shall do
more than eight nours continuous duty.
On the submarine we arise at 5:30 O'Clock,
go on duty at $40 and continue, with brief
for lunch, until $50 at night.
After supper we continue to work three
or four nights a week until 2 o'clock IN
the morning, or even until reveille."