Evening star., 1915-04-11

OfficiaI meetings will he held quar-
terly. when the members viii attend
for inspection and to meet the pay
master, The reservists VIII receive
distinctive badges and tie possession
of one viii indicate that for four wears
or more its owner led a clean. sober
and decent life and was faithful and
efficient in the performance of his du-
ties.
If. as may he reasonably expected. in
the course of a few years $4,000 men
are enrolled in this body IL will take a
considerable sum for their yearly paw
and their month OF active service. But
in proportion to the results the or
ganization viii prove the most eco
nomical measure that can be under
taken on behalf of good service. II Is
not the thing that costs the least that
is the cheapest
II the attractions of a naval reserve
will aid directly or indirectly TO keep
any of these young men from falling
into acts against discipline so serious
that Imprisonment and dishonorahlN
discharge follows another economy
will result for the arrest. transporta
tion, sustenance and care of such OF
tenders. nearly all in their frst enlist
ment. are now costing over 100000"
annually.
No one. wehn human nature is one
of the factors. can tell exactly what
results will follow any legislation, and
so I'll effect of this act liz to some eN
tent an uncertain estimate. But IL j.
reasona BILE to believe that the prospect
of joining the reserve will he n con
crete inducement to the men to try
for honorable discharge And il Is not
out of the way to conclude that If thls
influence grows it will bring the PEI
centage of such honorable discharges
from so per cent to 30 per cent.
Then the full ingenuity and fairness
of the bill will he apparent. for with
re-enlistment the benefits which the
man will get when he becomes a re
servist increase at such a rate that y
much larger number of these picked
men will again re-enlist. which is the
chief object to he gained for the navy.
II has been an open fact that. II this
country became involved with any first
class power. our navy would require
Immediately $4,000 men to completely
man our ships. No one has any idea
where one-fifth of that number would
come from. except from :he naval mill
tia. and they at present are not sufn-
ciently well trained and organized to
jump aboard ship and find themselves.
In view of what happened in Europe,
it is plain that such n power Eng
land could have had a feet OF fifty bat
tleships besides cruisers and destros
ers off our coast within ten days from
the declaration of war, had il been
against us instead of Germany; and
that would not give much time to train
those necessary $4,000 men. howeveT
adaptable
1t has been found a wise and eco
nomical plan not to keep all the ships
of the navy in commission. and TO-DAY
twelve battleships of great fighting
value, but too slow to serve with the
fleet and number of cruisers are
TO-, MI
number of men under suitable officers
has from 100 to $50 men aboard, where
in active service it would take 500 TO
500 to make a full crew.
If this naval reserve is established
and grows, as may be reasonably eN-
pected, IL is well within moderation to
say that from the reserves nearest
these ships full crews will be organ
ized ready to go aboard, each man with
his billet: so that in twenty-four hours
full crews of experienced men would
be on hand This means not shaken
down, but an organized and disciplined
crew; and without such a reserve there
would be no men whatever available.
and if there were, they would not ea
organized
The day has passed when courage ana
adaptability are substitute for fore
sight and preparation, many claim. The
men are at hand, the department aad
its officers are anxious and the franz
ers of the bill have made il simple and
comprehensive: it is based on the prin-
ciples of economy. they assert. and ITS
administration is in safe hands.