The Irish standard., 1913-11-08
Her husband told me the same; two
days later she walked alone (unaided)
to the station and left for home.
A. FISETTE, c. IS. R.,
Rector.
FOR INCREASE IN NAVY CHAP.
LAIN CORPS.

time Tor the increase IN the number
of chaplains in the United States
Navy, and the Navy Department is
comforting with every chaplain in the
naval service for suggestions and rec.
concentrations in the hope that no
forceful argument for improving and
increasing the number of chaplains
to minister to the religious, spiritual
and moral welfare Of the personnel Of
the navy may be omitted at this par
ticular time, when every indication
is favorable to the fulfllment of con-
stant prayers and long continued of.
fort.
1t has been stated to the Committee
on Naval Affairs by an officer, that
one chaplain is sufficient for divis.
ion of feet. and arguments in rebut-
tai are what the department wishes
to bring before this committee.
One of our six Catholic chaplains of
the navy, Father Edmund A. Brod-
mann. who Is now on duty at tho
United States Naval Training Station,
Great Lakes, Illinois, is a strong advo-
cate for an immediate increase in the
number Of chaplains. AS he has
served aboard ship at naval stations
and at naval training station, thus
covering the entire field, and as he
has studied the needs at first hand,
he Is we'll qualified to express his
views on this important subject.
According to Father Brodmann, the
necessity of a chaplain at every train.
ing station is at once paramount, ow-
ing to the fact that there is every.
thing in getting the men started
right: the necessity Of one aboard ev-
cry ship in fleet Is evident from
few facts, viz: the difficulty of get
ting the men from other ships in
feet to attend divine service aboard
other ships than their own the i'm
possibility Of so doing many times
especially when under way" when
a division is divided, and in bad
weather, etc.; space for holding di.
vine service for all men in q division
Is not to be had aboard any one ship;
in many cases of death (relative to
the last sacraments) are often neg
lected. If a chaplain is not aboard the
ship on which the man is dying.
Chaplain Brodmann states that his
experience has taught him that a
''once week" service, /. Q. Sunday
service. does not benefit the men mo.
rally as much as it should. A chap.
lain must know the men, get person
ally ih touch with them, learn their
evil inclinations. etc., in order to BEN
eft them very substantially.
1t Is well known that the average
sailor is very skeptical and does not
readily give his confidence, and un-
less you gain the latter very little
can be accomplished with or for him.
All this means living with him on the
same ship and interesting oneself in
! the sailors work, his games, his trou-
bles, etc. All this is impossible un-
less the chaplain is attached to the
same ship.
Again, the matter of correspond
ence of men with their parents Ia i'm
portant-men neglect it often. and
when these ties are neglected the en-
listed men begin to go wrong. A
word from the chaplain or a letter
to him from the parents keeps the
correspondence up. Again, it Ia obvi-
ously necessary to have someone
aboard ship to whom the men may 60
In confidence-to whom they may
communicate their troubles, COM
plants, ETC.. in an unofficial manner.
These, and other, arguments may be
advanced for the necessity Of as many
chaplains as possible in the service.
One chaplain to division can do lit
tie or no effectual work for any ship
of that division, except for the one
to which he is attached. 4s
Secretary of the Navy Daniels in
tends to ask Congress for an increase
of ten chaplains, but also for big
lump sum to put welfare workers
aboard every ship in the United
States Navy. These will be laymen,
NOT CHAPLAINS, and receive com.
pensation for their services. Rumor
has it that this body Of men will be
recruited largely from the Y. M. C.. "A.
''The Living Church." an Episcopa-
lian weekly, pays fine compliment
to our Catholic Chaplain Corps. viz;
"The greater efficiency Of the Roman
Catholic chaplains over many others
in the service, Of which we have often
heard, is due to the fact that no ap
pointment is made from among the
d Roman clergy without first securing
j. the Endorsement Of Cardinal Gibbons:ss