The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-04-14
TEMPERATE NAVAL OFFICERS.
stupid. Prasmaticai. Provincial. Futile
JOsepiusism.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SuN-Sir: Naval
officers do not like to be drowned. blown
up or poisoned. Being parts Of highly
organized machine. they DO not like other
parts to break down and cause smash
ups. They dislike having their pay. ac-
counts muddled because they have wives
and children dependent on them. Where
fore. and whether adm!rals. captains.
lieutenants. paymasters. doctors, chap
lains boatswains. gunners or carpenters,
they do not let one another get drunk on
board ship. II lie not that an inebriate
on the bridge may wreck fifteen million
dollar battleship. or that another in the
engine room may blow her UP. or that an
other In the sick bay may confuse bchlo-
ride with sedlitx powders. or that another
may entanglc their pay In Treasury red
tape, but Just simply that when they per-
ceive that somebody's taste for alcohol Is
interfering with their safety. they 80
straight to bottom principles. observe that
self.preservation 10 the Mst law of nature,
and IRE him out That is tho reason why
total abstinence orders are fundamentally
needless In the officers mess.
Another reason Is that drinking 10 too
expensive. Most officers have to keep up
two establishments. one afioat. the other
ashore On board ship the Government
gives him a place to sleep. some furniture
and some crockery. on shore he finds
himself. together with dressmaker's and
school bills. Hard liquor has been con-
traband on shipboard for half q century !:
champagne and fine vintases are miles
out OF his reach. and even II he wanted
to be victim of light wines and beer.
Cd he couldn't afford to buy enough of
either. CD the wine mess caterer
wouldn't let him have 1t II he could, and
$50 he couldn't get the time to drink It
long enough to produce really satisfactory
obfuscation.
As he can go ashore az he likes when
or duty. II would seem that even II his
glass Of beer were stopped on board
ship still there might be opportunities. at
least In the larger cities. for his obtaining
that first and fatal dram which the late
T. 8. Arthur used to say starts many "A
fair youth down the awful decl'vity to
perditon. How does Secretary Daniels
propose to head him off7
or course. as we are now converting
the battleships into primary public
schools. we might go little further and
make them into monasteries. But what
10 TO be done with Lieutenant Smith. liv-
Ing In the navy yard, who has merely TO
step out OF the gates? Or what is far
more serious and menacing and difficult
what 10 to be done with Mrs. Lieutenant
Smith. who not only cannot offer her
guests a glass OF weak punch, but II the
about alcohol are to be needed must de-
prive her doubled up offspring of Its
soothing paregoric?
The service is thinking deeply about
this and saying little beyond what Is
submissive. Ii was stunned not long ago
by the proposition TO make officers and
enlisted men mess together. and hasn't
got over II and besides. the admirals and
captains are much bothered over the re-
port that they are to be made agents for
correspondence school" 1t is unfor-
tunate that many officers regard this
dangerous and silly monkeying with a
great arm OF the national defence as
somehow mixed with its discipline :
whereas II is only cheap socialism and
peanut politics.
Not long agp there was a Rear Admiral
In the United states navy named John
G. Walker. whose views as to the dignity
or his calling and the ownership, of his
own soul always found vigorous and
adequate expression. lie has never been
more missed than now.
Park BENJAMIN.
NEW YORK April -