Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1912-10-24
IS OUR NAVY REALLY
UNCHURCHED?
Facts Concerning the Problem Of
Chaplains in the Navy.
NOT ENOUGH TO co AROUND.
Seamen Have No Religious Services
on Ships in Four Years or
Longer,
NOT ENOUGH TO co AROUND.

- \ -
The British navy doomed up in sharp
contrast. There. one understood, every
ship of consequence had its chaplain
just as it had its crew, its engine and
its guns. How did il hppen that the
country with I'm God We Trust" on
every one of its silver dollars, bad
overlooked the possibility of religion
being at least as valuable for seamen
as for congressman?
The chaplain of the Kansas was
ready to answer questions. He had
everything at the ends of his fingers.
He and his fellow-chaplains have not
put in all these years without learn
ing good deal about their job aud
coming to some pretty definite con.
illusions.
Ia 1S4l, which as seventy-one years
ago. il was decided that what there
was then of the American navy need
ed twenty-four chapsins Provision
was accordingly made for twenty
four chaplains.
In the seventy-one years since then,
the American navy has grown from
nothing to world fleet The arm
ored warship has been born, along
with terrible explosives end modern
guns. An IRE sistible tide has swept
the nation into far seas. Whether as
menace to the peace of the world or
as a guarantee of happiness and pros
perity at home and abroad, the navy
is giant now to a pygmy then, with
it's quarter of hundred land bases,
its flotilla of geat ships its fighting
force of $4,000 men. The provision
or navy chaplains stands today just
as it was enacted in 1871.
There being one vacancy, the Unit
ed States navy has twenty-three
chaplains. Six are on sea service.
Part III
(Continued.)
Th1 majority of the active chaplains
are on shore ministering to a minority
of the men. There are two at the
Great Lakes training station, one
at the Mare Island navy yard, two
at the New York navy yard, three
detailed to the Asiatic station, one
at the Boston navy yard, one at the
Norfolk navy yard, one at the
Washington navy yard, one at the
Navl Academy, two at the Newport
Training Station, one at the Phila-
delphia Naval Home, one at the San
Francisco Training Station, and ode
awaiting orders.
Almost evey American navy yard
and training station has it's chap
lain or two, but upwards of fifty
battleships and cruisers, the homes
of some $4,000 or $4,000 officers
and men are without the services,
the help, the guidance, the example
of any ordained representative of any
Christian church.
1.-The situation now is absolutely
hopeless" said Mr.. Cassard, and the
corps of chaplains stands behind him
to man. During eighteen months
of the more than two years spent al
Cavite, was the only American ma
val chaplain in the eastern hemis-
phere. Now | am a division chap
lain. There are four ships in the
division. l am not an angel or a
supernatural being | have no flying
machine to go from ship to ship. =
He spread out his hands, hopeIessly
This is not the only strange thing
as regards religion in its official re.
lation to the United States navy.
After passing his physical exami
nation and a simple literary anc
theological examination, a newly ap
| pointed chaplain ranks as junior
lieutenant on a base pay of $4,000.
The minimum length of service re-
quired of junior lieutenants in other
corps is three years, but a chaplain
may not advance in grade until after
seven years. This is the first dis.
elimination the American naval chap
lain finds against him. There is &
| second.
Upon serving his seven years, q
naval chaplain, as his corps superior:
die or retire, advances to the rank OF
lieutenant at base of $4,000, and
lieutenant-commander at SO, 600. To
| this point the amount of his remuner
alton, although delayed, is on a par
with that of officers in other corps
He may now, like them, go on to the
grade of commander and that of cap
tain, but he will not draw the SALARY
of these higher grades. The chaplain
| of the Kansas is a commander, thu
chaplain of the Utah is capCain; bu
their salaries are the salaries pait
Observation-Disclosures.
(Contiuued.l