Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1912-10-25
IS OUR NAVY REALLY
UNCHURCHED?
Facts Concerning the Problem Of
plains in the Navy.
NOT ENOUGH TO co AROUND.
Seamen Have No Religious Services
on Ships in -Four Years or
Longer.

lBy stuart Maclean In the Churchm0n'
N.Y.
(CJncluded.)
The chaplain corps is the only corps
in the American navy in which an Off
Ger does not draw the salary of hi:
rank, and the explanation Of thi:
state of affairs is the same as the ex.
PLANTATION Of the greater oversight.
There are few chaplains in the navy
and these few receive smaller pecu.
MARY reward than their fellow-of1i.
GERS because the American people have
not yet made it their business to
effect a change in conditions.
British naval chaplains, being des-
ignated by one authority, probably
are a more unified and standardized
corps, but the chaplains in the Amer
lean navy appear to be men of more
than average attainments, nor is it
possible, as once was the fashion, TO
hold them up as a body of scalawags.
They represent all branches of the
Christian Church, and at some of the
more important land stations care is
taken to provide both a Protestant
and a Roman Catholic representative.
On board ship the American daval
chaplain's position is dignified. and
he may look forward to retire ment at
the age of 62 on a salary of $1,000
Of the twenty three chaplains now on
the active list, six rank as junior
lieutenants, two as lieutenants, five
as lieutenant commanders, six as
commander and four as captains.
Several on the retired list rank as
rear admirals, distinction given for
service in the Civil War. There is
no lack of applicants. The one va
cancy existing is due only to the fail
ure of the designated Presbyterian
candidate to pass an examination.
Attention at divine service IS not
compulsory on American warships, as
il is in the British navy. What re-
ligious exercises there are must of
necessity dovetai into a rigid mill
tary system. The chaplains, how
ever, prefer the optional attendance.
In addition to the regular Sunday
morning service, Mr.. CasJard reads
prayers at quarters four times a
week. Being at attention, the men
remain. The service may last five
minutes.
The gray launches trailed on up and
down the river.
eff we are going to attempt to
make any religious impression on the
men of the navy" said the chaplain
of the Kansas, summarizing, "surely
we must at least see that our corps
is doubled. Under present conditions,
it is only now and then that one of us
is at hand even in cases of emer-
gency. When the accident occurred
recently on the torpedo boat destroy
err Wake and'the dying gunner's mate
was carried to the Solace, it was only
by chance that | was where ] could
go to him. Here is a pathetic and
grateful letter from his wife:
1.-THE situation as it exists is due
only to oversight. 1t can be cured.
IL will be cured, of course, as soon as
Christian people in America make il
their business"
That was all Mr.. Cassard had to
say sabout our unchurched navy, al.
though he did not call it that. He
added, however. something else OF
another sort. he said it gently, but
one hesitates to give it expression.
1t turned the spotlight suddenly away
from the Government and flashed il
upon the church.
'In sixteen years of service as q
chaplain in the United States navy,
he remarked, casually, 81 have been
in every eastern American port from
Key West to Bar Harbor. Never,
except on ons occasion, has a clergy.
man come to see me or communicated
with me of his own volition. The one
exception was on a visit to New
Orleans, when Bishop Sessums and
a number of his clergy came on board.
1t was very happy experience"
He smiled.
The church, perhaps, forgets US
just as the American people forget
US. We are looking forward to better
things By the way have accepted
an invitation to preach tonight in a