The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-03-08
Secretary Daniels Explains His Plan for lnsucns Sailors
in the Navy in the Common Branches of Education on
Board Ship and Teaching Them Useful Trades
THE Secretary Of the Navy has
rung the school bell for the blue.
= Jackets, and there 10 plenty to

THE Secretary Of the Navy has
rung the school bell for the blue.
= Jackets. and there 10 plenty to
learn in the navy. The activi-
ties on board q modern battleship call
for men who are skilled In many civic
occupations as well as seamanship.
To enable the men properly 10 gain
this skill on each ship Of the navy. big
and small, . school Of instruction for
the enlisted men has been established.
and general order was recently issued
making It compulsory for all enlisted
men Of the navy not we'll grounded In
the "three RS" and who have not com.
p:eted two yearS service to attend
school. So Jack IL now hard at work
Increasing his educational efficiency.
1t 10 the Secretary's aim to make the
navy q great university. with college
extension. high school extension and
primary extension all on board ship.
Secretary Daniels believes that in estab-
fishing q school on every ship the best
young men In America will be attracted
10 the navy because Of the oppOrtuni.
Ties II offers for self-improvement. and
when their time expires they will return
TO civil life better qualified to earn
money than they were when they en-.
listed and to be moro useful citizens.
Or II they reenlist in the navy every
one Of them will be able to perform his
duties better. and thus gain advance
ment. than II he had not been at school
during the years he was on battleship.
In other words. there IL no longer an
excuse for any bluejacket to be q dull.
ard. a. an opportunity is offered in the
school Of instruction to the entire body
Of enlisted men to increase their Ell.
cheney 100 per cent. As many OF these
men have less than the ordinary COM
mon school education this Is just what
= needed
"Of what use." asks the Secretary,
ARE the great guns on our fighting
ships unless the men behind the guns
IRE ready. efficient, quick and capable ?"
Not long after Mr.. Daniels accepted
the navy portfolio and settled down to
york he became strongly impressed with
the belief that Uncle Sam had not been
siving the enlisted men In the navy
quite square deal. For years he had
been sending out attractive advertise
ments In which young men were told
that II they enlisted they might be
trained In electricity, radiograp ply, cop.
permitting, boiler making, gun point
lns' biacksmithing. hospital work. book
keeping. stenography and many other
things. besides being fed. clothed and
paid. Now as a matter Of fact Uncle
Sam was not always as careful as he
should have been to keep his promises.
Frequently after the men had settled
oOwn in the service the promised
training was largely neglected and out
side OF the practice duties on board
ship they did not receive during their
term OF service the drilling and edu-
cation which should have been given
10 them In order to keep the enlistment
agreement as well as for the benefit
o. the navy. This In cases caused
discontent.
With view to supplying these dei-
ciencies Secretary Daniels has with
much care worked plan for the estab-
hshment OF schools on board ship,
which plan has recently become ef-
sective. and from It he expects splendid
results. In speaking about the matter
recently ne SAID 10 the writer:
Ihe idea OF the schooi snip. OF
coorse, 70 not new one. IL IL as old