Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1912-01-16
January
BAD FOR THE NAVY.

Discipline in the navy is being seri-
ously impaired these days by "absence
over leave" In a period Of five
months recently there were'no Iess than
7.l50 cases in that battleship fleet
which Americans are justly proud
chiefly because the men are so prof.
cient in target practice. We undertake
to say that if there is any other service
in which the enlisted force shoots
about as we'll but has not fallen into
the habit Of regarding absence over
leave as a trivial matter that service is
more efficient than the American be-
cause the discipline must be superior
If there is any foreign navy in which
the pay is better, the rations more
wholesome and abundant, and treat
ment Of the men so generous and indul
gent we don't know what flag it flies.
All the more reason why abuses Of
leave should be reduced to a minimum.
Stopped altogether they cannot be IN
the nature of things.
10 spare the feelings of officers who
commanded certain battleships in the
preiod of Eve months referred to we
shall not give the name of the ship
against which 774 absences "over leave
and liberty" were recorded, or the
name of the ship second on the list
with 70l. or the name of the ship third
with G23. In dealing with absences
over leave in the Naval institute Pro-
ceedings for December Captain w. f.
Pullman says:
IAN instance is on record, more than
one. in fact, of fifty men being absent
over leave at one time from a ship at
navy yard. In another case, during
"A stay of less than two months, eighty
men overstayed from one to five days !:
thirty two men for five days or over:
twenty seven men one day or less, and
seven left the ship without permission,
lac men in all. or about one-ffth of the
whole crew.
This Is not pleasant reading for adj
mircrs of the navy who submit to taxa
tioH cheCrfully to maintain 1t in a high
state Of efficiency. IL is obvious that
such breaches of discipline cannot be
punished as they should be in the SER
vice as a whole Captain Fullam illus
tratcs.
"A man recently overstayed leave
nine days. and the court (martiaD SEN
fenced him TO ten days confinement and
TO lose $50. The commanding officer
rcmitted the confinement, because the
mans services were needed. > In
agine what would have happened to
the employee of a bank. commercial
house or factory who absented himself
for nine days without any cause at
the end of holiday.
Captain Fullam is a modest man. but
in order to outline his remedy for alb
sences over leave we mention the fact
that during the FIVE months under con-
sideration the ship he commanded. the
Mississippi, had the best record, by far
the best IN the fleet, for getting her
men on board upon the expiration of
leave. The number who overstayed it
was LAP, or less than one man a day
during the whole period. Captain
Fullam gave his crew to understand
that abence without leave" would be
punished ito the limit of the law in
every case" Men absent twenty-rour
hours ''oyer leave were court-mar-
tailed if absent more than three and
less than twenty-four hours they were
examined by deck COURT if absent
not more than three hours they got
three hours extra duty under arms
from s TO II O'Clock at night. The
system of punishments was vigorously
enforced. On the other hand, every
effort was made Ito remove petty.
harassing and irritating delays in get
ting liberty parties out of the ship"
All enlisted men appreciate this consid-
Grafton for them. The sailors of the
Mississippi gos a square deal, but they
were required to give the Government
that employed them a square deal.
Did the high state of discipline on this
battleship drive men TO desertion On
the contrary, Of twenty-four battle
ships and armored cruisers in commits |
sion during the year ended June so, |
1911, the Mississippi had the smallest :
number of assertions. Some ships had |.
more than three times as many.
The enlisted "men" in the United |
States navy are mere boys as a rule:
Just as the twig is bent the tres's IN
clined." Captain W. f. Fullam rem
ders a service to the country and de-
serves the thanks of the navy for d.
rectinhg public attention 70 the grave
abuse of overstaying sleavs and liberty.
New York Sun.