The Irish standard., 1914-03-21
Chaplain McDonald's New Duty.

orders nave just issued from the
Navy Department, detaching Chaplain
Eugene Edward Mcdonald, United
States Navy, from duty at the Navy
Yard, New York, and assigning him
to duty on the armored cruiser Ten.
nessee," the flag ship of the special
service squadron, now being held in
reserve at the League Island Navy
Yard, at Philadelphia.
While on duty at the Brooklyn Navy
Yard, Chaplain Mcdonald did excel
lent work and endeared himself to
the officers and men on duty at the
big station. Numerous requests have
been made to the Navy Department
to have the orders revoked, and the
Commandant of the Navy Yard at
New York has made special request
that Chaplain Mcdonald be retained
on duty there, that he may continue
the good work he has done.
However, Chaplain Mcdonald will
be most welcome on the Tennessee at
the Philadelphia Yard, because League
Island is also very large naval sta
ton, and has no other Catholic Chap.
lain.
Father Mcdonald is the senior of
the Navy Chaplains, having the rank
of lieutenant commander, and has
been in the service since Dec. IL, 1902,
when he was appointed from New Jer-
sey. He is a native of that state, and
was born on July II, 1869.
Declares Wage Too Low.
Eighteen cents an hour for digging
in a ditch is too low wages for good
Irishmen, according to Representative
Denis O'Leary of New York, a men,
Der of the Crosser subcommittee,
which had before it last week l. H.
Fisher, superintendent for the firm
which built some of the Washington
railway lines.
Mr.. Fisher said he had built sixty
four miles of road in London and be-
gan telling about the character of la
Dor and the cost.
I'VE pay eight pence and nine pence
an hour for good Irishmen there" he
salo. ,Ss.
"The question is-What constitutes
a good Irishman?" asked Mr.. Reed of
Now Hompchiro
"They are all good" said Represen-
tative O'Leary, coming to the defense
of his friends, "only some are better
than others. The only thing re-
greet is the outrage of paying these
good Irishmen eighteen cents an hour
to build English street-car lines"
Age Limit for Navy chaplains.
There is a movement on foot to con-
fine the maximum age limit of chap
lains entering the United States Navy
to thirty years, which, according to
present regulations, is thirty-five.
Should this become law, it is fear
ed it will seriously hinder the Catho-
lie Church authorities in obtaining
suitable candidates.
Owing to the long course of studies
required in all Catholic seminaries,
the average priest is we'll on toward
thirty years Of age when ordained, and
according to the present system, Cath
olic candidates are not presented for
appointment, until they have had sew
eral years experience, and have al
ready demonstrated a special fitness
for this line of work.
The new law would necessitate the
appointing of men just out of the semi
nary, who would lack experience in
dealing with souls.
Undoubtedly the recognized efllcien-
cy Of the present Catholic Chaplain
Corps is due to the wise supervision
exercised over the appointment of all
candidates.
Pension for Mother of the Late Chap.
lain Chase.
Honorable James A. O'Gorman of
New York has introduced in the SEN
ate two bills for the relief of Mrs.
Phoebe w. Chase, the aged mother of
the late Edward Russell Chase, Chap
lain, 18th Regiment, U. S. Infantry.
One provides that Mrs. Chase be grant
ed a pension by a special act of Con-
gress, and the other bill provides that
she shall be regarded as the duly de-
signated beneficiary of her son, under
the act approved May IL, 1908, which
gave to beneficiaries named, six
months annual salary of the deceased
officer.
Father Chase died at sea, aboard the
United States transport Sherman" on
December 26, 1912, and had named nc
beneficiary, although his mother was
designated as his nearest relative
Both bills have been reported by theil
respective committees as being most
meritorious.
Chaplain Chase, who had the church
title Of "Monsignor," was born IL
Portland, Me-, on August 10, 1872. HI
entered the Chaplain Corps of thu
army on June 9, 1908, and served il
the 9Th and 14th Cavalry and 18th In
fantry respectively, and had two diff