The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-01-20
French Newspaper Pays Trl-
butte to Personnel of Navy
Thomas {. Orr, of the U. S. S.
Utah. Bears Testimony To
Value Educational Plans OF
Secretary of Navy Daniels.

Wilmington, Ian. 17.-Mr. Thomas
y. Or, whose third term OF enlist
mot, which embraces a term OF
~ I've years, in the United States
navy, has just expired, was in the
lIy this week. M Orr is a nephew
Il Mr.. +. f.. Britton. editor OF the
News and Observer. Before he takes
out his fourth enlistment papers, he
will visit in Raleigh relatives at At
lanta n other points in the South.
Mr.. Orr is one Of the highest types
OF the splendid young men who are
now enlisting by the thousands in the
American navy and which. by the way
Is about 95 per cent American. Be-
fore the Spanish-American war there
was a very large admixture of foreign
ers in our navy. but the country's call
to the colors at that time changed
the situation materially. In the very
early days Of our navy the bulk OF
the sailors were foreign born. Mr..
Orr's ship was the Utah which took
part In the Mediterranean trip and
he was high in his praise Of the value
Of this cruise.
He said that when the men learned
that it was the wish Of the Secretary
Of the Navy that they should lave
this cruise In order that they might
a the educational advantages Of
travel to Mediterranean shores, they
ransacked the ships libraries for the
histories of the countries they were to
touch; and more than that, they made
requisition upon the libraries of the
ports where their ships lay before they
sailed, and scores and hundreds OF
them thoroughly informed themselves
about the points which they were
TO visit. 1t is little wonder, therefore,
that when the cruise was completed
1t was the testimony Of officers of the
fleet, of many tourists aboard, and OF
the foreign press. that the men Of our
navy were of an unusually high type,
The blue-jacke t tourist was a famil-
lar sight. climbing VeSuvius, visiting
herculaneum and Pompeii, standing
before the masterpieces of the art gal
leries, visiting St. Peters and the Ca.
tacombs, and studying the ruins OF
the coliseum.
The newspaper L'eclaireur de Nice
says:
Now that the fine American nava
division is leaving us. we should like
to place on record our admiration fol
the remarkably good behavior of thu
crews, not only hoard their ships
where discipline Is strict, but ashore
Altogether they behaved like rea
gentlemen.
Their bearing was ir~reproachable
their name showed good education
and frequently rose above mere ba
nal politeness. They taught w
French. who pay no heed to tn
Marseillaise,' a lesson when the
stood rightly at attention during tn
rendition of the Star Spangled Ban
ner.'
Secretary Daniels, when he order
ed the cruise, did more than he fore
saw. He intended to educate tn
crews, but he also educated us b
showing us such splendid ships an
men"
Mr.. Orr was enthusiastic over III
educational system which went il
10 effect at all shore stations and q
all ships OF the navy on the first Of tn
year II he says that the men AL
greatly pleased about it and he b.
ieves that 1T will materially increas
the efficiency OF the enlisted person
mel. Take myself, for instance,
the turret," he said, If a.
thoroughly instructed in why the gu
is elevated TO such and such a poll
and as to the why OF every poi,
is gunnery, 1 believe it will make
better gunner than il | merely ODE,
ed orders and never thoroughly u,
derstool the reasons for each NOV
ment OF the turret. ! believe bo
the officers and men OF the navy W
do their best to make the educ
tonal system a success. Several yea
ago when / was on the New Jers
one of the officers said TO me tn
he wished he could give the men i
struction in mathematics and En-
lish and other branches. as it wou
be a delight to him and that he
1ieved II would make for eficienc,
Mr.. Orr was told that it was s
gued in some quarters that one re
son boys enlisted in the navy v
because they wished to avoid going
school. He answered.: No doubt tn
is a small class OF young men W
feel that way, but l believe a
Of them VI from small towns a
country districts and that when tt
get into the navy n come in CO
tact with ambitious young men II