The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1912-11-23
TURRETCAPTAIN
HERE FOR FIRST
TIMESINCE 1903
LEONARD =. WELTY. Of THE
BATTLEsHtP KANSAS, on a
VISIT TO PENSACOLA AND re.
CALLS RIOT HERE NEARLY TEN
YEARS AGO.

Leonard A. Welty. chief tar,I
captain 81 the hattiesaip kansas, Iu
port here with the second division 81
The Atlantic fleet. u Del Pensacola f0r
he nrst time since 1898. when De- was
here for target practice and helped
bis ship win the championship 20 thl
navy On a CLOSE contest
ite vas here on the Night On thIt
year when "a uumh her ~ sailors Hr-
came rlofous and engaged member
90 the police force iu a scrap end
hr ckhafs were thrown and shots fired
with loss of Hlo and the woundinE
~ several BE was then Ca che oI1
HsursarEe. flagship 81 Admiral Rob
ley 2. Evans. and was On board when
The riot call anne In.
With the .eutenant who pa tre
ensuing charge up PalafoK street and
another CHIEF summers mate Nfify
who vas then a mate. was one ~ tha
leaders of the column which swept
Paiafox. ZaraEossa and Baylen street
clean in a rush with fixed bayonsts
and ended the riot
Tie ia a cousin az Hubert r. Kr0h.
% iio West Chase street. and was
the Euest at supper last evening ~
ar. and Mrs. Kroh az their home See
E
I host during the evening and talked tn
I tcrcstingiy % the Ereat changes Oh
1 Pensacola and Interestingly ~ the
great changes In the navy wrought
1 ~ nine years.
Az one q the very few non-com-
/ missioned officers that have been aa.
/ sisned 90 instruct al Annapolis and
az the naval sclool In WASHINGTON be
/ is in position 20 b. close 90 nearly
4, every factor in tho Improvement o.
/ the navy.
De has not only seen his SHIPS win
/ o. national contests and his Eunnera
win % crew practice with big rlna
lut has almost yearly been a member
~ or head % the turret team which
{ AIDED most 90 the score q his ship
He says that tho great changes IN
E The navy has been the direct result
81 the way ~ banding tho men. COM
hined with Ereater care On choosing
/ trfm.
While there IL always more o. less
/ ~ the nghtinE spirit IN men ~ the
navy hs said. and n o. weren't
That way the navy would not Do 81
much probable rood. stiii the say of
handiinE the recruits quickly shows
TIE men that they are better off m
they reserve their nrht FOR time
u hen 10 IL needed
IL r. very doubtful ia crowd of
men from any % the ships nov here
/ would come into the city ready and
eager Tor a fight today.
The reason becomes apparent n
/ you notice that most % the men you
see about the streets now In blouse
Uniform are bat boys. They are not
put on the trainiaE ship. then trans
/ fcrred 20 some old cruiser. but from
I the traininE ship they 60 directly 10
/ one % the largest hattlsshfus and
/ placed under the strictor discipline
LAT obtains there 80 that they are
made or broken within a very short
\ tine
But beyond that ths most of the
men recruited today are American
born. Ninety per cent of an the men
~ the navy today are American horn
and the former large percentage Of
foreign born sailors decreases every
/ rsDnth7
Turret Captain weitv has been On
| the hearsarre. Vermont and other
ships. bot ~ late wears has spens
most - his time on the water IN the
forward turret 81 the chip ~ q now
on. Recognized az one on ths mas
tiers % the hig sun. however he is
\ generally sent % Annapolis when the
middiea are given practical work with
the twslse-inch guns there and ~ a.
nov nreparinE o. 30 % the naval
school 90 Washington 70 direct bic
gun work there Cor two months un-
der special assignment tie has been
In the navy twelve years