The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-11-14
CAUSING MUCH ANXIETY
Before he Was King, George Took an
Active Interest in the Enlisted
Men and Brought About
Changes.
,lBy Ed L. Keen. London Correspond
ent of the United Press

N0NDON, Nov. 14.--The growing
discomfort among the enlisted men Of
the British navy is causing King
George considerable anxiety.
Recently his majesty has had a
number of personal conferences with
First Lord of the Admiralty, Winston
Churchill, for the purpose o. getting
at the real causes of the 'alarmingly
increased number of assertions and
decreasing proportion of re.enlisr.
ments, and of deyising remedies there
for.
When the king was an active officer
of the fleet he took a lively interest
in the welfare of his men and the
conditions under which they worked
and at the time he urged upon the
authorities a number of improvements
some of which have since been put in
to effect. His renewed study of the
subject has already produced results,
mainly in the direction of abolishing
harsh and senseless forms Of punish
ment that We're a relic Of the old
wooden ship days.
But, thus far only the fringe of the
problem has been touched. 1t is
doubtful if even the king himself full.
ly appreciates the extent Of the re-
sentiment peryading the lower deck
against modern conditions of sea life
and work. Admiralty officials gener-
ally recognize it, however, and ad-
mittedly view the situation with
grave concern. In a navy less rigidly
disciplined, or whose men are less se-
curely anchored by the chains of ira.
dition. the present disaffection might
readily develop into open revolt.
The question of pay is only one of
the numerous causes. The wage OF
the ordinary British seaman nowadays
is very little more than it was in Mel.
sons time. and has not been changed
at all in the past fifty years, despite
the enormous increase in the cost OF
living. After man has bought the
additional food rendered necessary by
the scanty dietary-which also has
not been increased or improved in
half century-he has on the average
about 16 cents day left for himselff,
or to. provide for his family II he has
been SO unfortunate as to acquire one
The rates OF pay for the various
classes OF seamen are about half those
of the American navy, without many
of the allowances and privileges &C.
corded the Yankee bluejacket. Slight
additional pay is given for extra pro
ficiency in gunnery. but this goes to
only selected few.
There is no increased compensation
for the married man, as there is in
the British army, and no allowance
for railroad fare or reduction in the
price of his ticket, if leave is given
when the ship is at a distance from
his home. Consequently, it frequently
happens that seamen waste what little
ready money they have around the
dockyard towns because it is INSULT
cient to take them to their families.
Very few British seamen are able to
send to their wives more than $40 a
month. Even this means that they
must retain nothing for themselves,
besides resorting to "disobeying''
washing other mems clothes for a
price,, shoe-mending, hair-cntting,
shaving, etc, in order to make up the
scanty pittance.
The seaman not only buys his own
Kit, but is required to keep it up to
the regulation standard Frequent
changes OF pattern compel the pur-
chase of new articles. incidentally.
the price OF white duck has increased
20 cents yard and that Of flannel rs
cents. since the present scale Of pay
was established, It is charged. also,
that owing to the excessive rental
levied by the admiralty for running
canteens the price of provisions has
been unduly inflated.
Unnecessary rigor of discipline, and
oyerwork. due partly to insufficient
manning and partly to the constant
fear that at almost any time England
may be called upon to defend her
supremacy of the seas, are other
sources of complaint. There is also
woeful lack of ventilation on the
sleeping decks. where the men swing
within a few inches OF the deck above
giving rise to frequently recurring
cases OF pulmonary diseases. Objec-
ton Is made to the old fashioned ham
mock--the style used almost from the
time men first went to sea-which
SO cramps the occupant that he has
little opportunity for real rest
In some of the ships the stoke
holds are often only haif-manned, with
no payment for overtime or other
recognition of the extra toll entailed
The real seat of the whole trouble