New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-07-11
By Ernestine Evans.

rFI WERE the average mother and
saw my boy this summer Just fin
ishing his high school work, lank'
undeveloped not at all sure what he
wanted to do, and myself not able to
send him to college, there is place to
which l should straightaway send him.
For the United States naval training
schools that fit for the bluejacket ser
vice Of the United States Navy are
open TO him.
Against the alternative Of seeing him
swung into industrial life too soon to
learn a trade for the most part through
a long and exploited apprenticeship,
should hardly weigh the disadvantages
Of naval training. But l would know
them and do my part at home to see
that he did not suffer from them.
One knows first Of all that there is
2 fascinating something about the sea
that has almost never failed to hold the
heart of boy. Steam" people say,
"has put the pull of the sea" Talk
TO any man that follows the water
for his livelihood, and he will tell
YOU that the passing Of the sailing
shin is the passing of certain pct
uresoueness that was tied up with
hardship. and that after all the sea is
the sea. the same always and forever in
its expanses, its great lessons and It's
thral
It's Just as well for land lubbing
mother 10 understand these things.
Good things. I call them, because whole
hearted enterprises are the ones that
build your boys character and life, and
10 me- one Of the distinct advantages
of naval training schools is that they
introduce the boy to hard, practical
work. dirty work sometimes, strenuous
work at others, but with the sea a
great romantic strand in the maturing
experience something that does not
always lie in land apprenticeships.
Before giving brief account Of the
conditions of enlistment, length Of ser
vice. terms Of payment, and an outline
of the branches Of the service, all feat
ures Of the ship life which viii replace
the boys home life, it is just as well
to regard the service a moment as one
part of the security has to maintain
itself in peace. We are not nation
that wants war, nor a nation that is
likely 10 get into war, but our sure
ness Of ourselves remains always bal
anced on our faith in ability to protect
ourselves That is a thing we cannot do
without men trained TO naval service
II demands a hardness that is more
than average under present conditions.
You don't think the men who had the
sham battle for two weeks up in Con-
nectlcut lately and came home, so many
Of them, almost unable TO walk for
fortnight afterward because they were
citv-soft to about one-hundredth Of
what any soldier on active service has
to stand. have any doubt about its be
ing a good thing to have men trained
to a standard Of war efficiency. And
YOU as a mother who knows that peace
must be kept by strong mon and not
weaklngs. too, must have at heart some
patriotic obligation toward building up
a body of hale sea trained men for ma
tional defence.
Against that background Of national
obligation it is definitely worth while
before you lend a mather's 'yes" TO the
direction of your boys job hunting to
examine just what chances the navy
does offer, as a school for trades, an
institution that builds up seamen, and
men fit for national defence.
Minors under twenty one are enlisted
only for the term Of their minority.
For IL others the term is four years.
Boys under seventeen are not admitted
TO the service, and boys under eighteen
must, of course, have their parents
written permission before accepted by
the recruiting officers.
A medical and physical test follows.
The general scale Of stature required
follows:
Hsight ,.,. wsisht Chest; mean