The Washington times., 1913-09-08
ENLISTED SAILOR
TO CONE INTO own
Jack Tars Assured Of Real.
Democracy From Present
Head of Department.

During the next four years, the en-
listed man in the United States navy is
coming into his own. Without any fixed
lines or definite policy laid out to that
end. Secretary Daniels has made up his
mind to improve the status of the jack
tar In every way consistent with what
the present eystem.
II respect, "She said, the traditions of
tire American navy. and have no in
t.ntion Of tearing down those essen
tial distinctions between the commits
stoned ranks which make for discipline.
What I aim to -. however, Ii to attract
tie better class Of men to enlist by
opening the avenues Of advancement to
men already in the navy. That 10 the
one end for which I strive.
For example. the department nexf
month will hold an examinations for
appointment to the grade Of assistant
paymaster. In which there are twelve
vacancies. Heretofore persons permitted
to take these examinations have been
from civil life, and owed their opp0r-
tunity to the favor Of members Of Con-
gross or the President.
Limited to Sailors.
This time. however under . policy
which / have inaugurated. the list OF
candidates will be limited entirely to
enlisted men. and the examinations will
be 30 modified as to include only those
essentials necessary to the average
cashier in mercantile establishment.
do not mean that all enlisted men will
have the opportunity to take this ex-
animation. but only those whose in
tegrity can be vouched for by their
Il believe, too. that the enlisted man
who, by persistent attention to his du-
ties. and hard study, fits himself to
stand examinations for commission,
down BY senseless barriers Of class
prejudice. II insist upon democracy
in the navy to this extent, I am not an
enemy of necessary distinctions between
commissioned and noncommissioned
men.
Has Improved.
II meant what said, when. In address,
ing the graduates at the Naval Acad-
emy last June, told them that they
would command men Of higher morals
and more intelligence than had ever be-
fore served In the ranks. The tone Of
tn the enlist enlisted ranks has been gradually
war, when the sailor. brave as he was.
was regarded as little above the brute
In the treatment accorded him. This
tendency Is to be encouraged, and men
VI DTosuS IN lHe navy nave Occn tryInB
for years to devise means of attracting
good men to the navy and keeping them
there.
when 1 became Secretary of the
Navy i found the enlisted ranks sadly
recruiting was slow. / hunted about for
the cause. and found 1t. believe, In the
discomfort of men who found them
selves, once In the Navy, shut OF from
advancement. Obviously, however. these
hA hA hoN ~ ~ al Nt<,vs
before they can aspire to advancement,
and all that have been doing with the
Naval Training Schools. In which the
rudiments of education supplied. has
been based on desire to give the men
a foundation upon which they could
build their opportunities for promotion.
Disguised By Courts.
Whatever is ,done for the advance
ment Of the enlisted man, however, is
predicated on the respect which the na-
tion-at-large is willing to give to its
fighters in the ranks. That is why 1t
has disguised me so that prosecuting
still persist in offering to men accused
OF crime the alternative Of punishment
or enlistment in the navy.
How can We improve the position OF
the enlisted man unless the enlisted man
has self respect. and how can self re.
spect exist among men who are forced
to associate with criminals and the rim
raf Of the country?"
Secretary Daniels ideas have not been
advanced in the department without op-
position. The old class distinctions are
alost as strong as ever in the commits
stoned rtnks, and only recently did the
Secretary find II necessary to override
an examining board which had
placed low on the list Of successful can
didates for commissions In the Marine
Corps, an enlisted man whose written |
examination was next to the best turned |
In by more tran fifty candidates, many |
of whom were drawn from colleges and
univei stiles. !