Evening star., 1915-11-15
Making Civilian Sailors.
By Frederic J. Haskin.


The Navy Department has just given
examinations to $50 men of the naval
militia, who were applicants for COM
missions in the fleet in case of war.
This was the last of series of events
which have federalized the naval mill
tia and put it in a position where it
will automatically become a part of
the navy if an emergency should arise.
Thus the Navy Department has obtain
ed the naturalization of the .organiza-
ton, which is to it what the National
Guard is to the army. The War De-
partment has not yet been able to get
the legislation it wants to produce the
same result with the National Guard.
If it had it would worry less about its
ability to raise an effective army on
short notice, and would not be resort
ing to so many expedients to interest
citizens in military araining.
II was in February, 1914, that Con-
gress passed the law which placed the
naval militia under federal direction
and gave the Navy Department the
authority to directly coordinate it with
the fighting fleet. Nearly two years have
elapsed. The needed authority came in
advance of a troublous year and every
effort has been put forth to get results
There are now 606 officers and 1906
men of the naval militia, all with GER
tain degree of training and proficiency.
who might be called upon tomorrow to
fill that number of places in the fleet
If they were needed for fighting. They
would not be asked to volunteer; they
would be ordered into the service and
would be court-martialed if they did
not report.
Eight thousand men mean vastly
more to the navy than to the army. A
navy of 100000 men would come nearer
emy than an army of million. So the
navy feels itself somewhat bolstered up
and is not going in for citizen camps
and experimental cavalry troops. 1t is
depending entirely upon its militia.
Until the militia act OF 1914 was
passed the Navy Depa "tn'err --ns on
Navy Once on Basis satisfactory as
Like Army Now Is. ta, ~. now
finds itself. The naval militia was
state organization over which the fed
eral government had no authority. 1t
had no power to standardize in differ
ent states nor to enforce it's rules of
efficiency and training.
Massac achusetts organized the first
state militia in 1890 A year later New
York created similar organization,
and was quickly followed by California.
One state after another has aligned
itself until today there are naval
nlilitias in twenty-five states, while
n.w organizations are being formed in
Texas and Hawaii.
BY the time of the Spanish American
war the naval militias of the various
states had grown to a strength of
about 1000. When volunteers were
called for from among these organiza-
tions there were more than 1000 men
who responded. this being possible on
account of the return of many men
who had left the service.
There were S56 volunteer naval Of
who had been trained in the naval
militia. These officers and men per-
formed very important service. Many
of them went direct to the hghtlng
in the coast guard and Signal Corps.
Numbers of yachts and other vessels
were converted into war craft and
cruised up and down the coasts. These
vessels were usually manned oy naVai
militiamen, with a single officer from
the regular service. There were ten
monitors in this auxiliary naval force,
besides ten yachts, five tugs and forty
coasts and mine fields was an effective
protection.
This showing in the Spanish-Amer-
lean war placed the naval militia on its
feet. The fol-
Work in Spanish War lowing year
Boosts Navy Militia. shont ZOO
officers and men in this service. The
federal government was loaning naval
officers for their drilling, and asking
appropriations from which to provide
them with uniforms, guns and ammuni-
tion.
The proposal to put the naval militia
under the federal government had been
steadily advocated since the Spanish
American war. While Congress was
brought gradually to feel more and
more kindly to the proposal. and was
induced to appropriate sums as large
IS s1s5.ooo a year toward the support
of this branch of the milit Il, 1t was
not until 1914 that the Navy Depart
ment's idea of placing it under federal
authority was made a law.
AS soon as the law passed d division
of the Navy Department was created
end the work began of Transforming g
the naval militia from a series OF un-
associated state organizations to one
body directed from Washington. The
examina ton of officers of the old Or
ganiZations is the final step. The re-
oUirements of the Navy Department are
different. and generally more strict,
ha1 those of the states. AS these men
would automatically receive commits
sions in the navy in time of war, the
matter OF their fitness is carefully
looked after.
This year the Navy Department has a
total Of s450.000 that 1t is authorized to
spend On the naval militia. This is
cansideHably augmented by state funds,
which are still appropriated for the aid
of these establishments.
Federal money is used. in the first
place. for the purchase of uniforms.
Z h
Drills in Armories man is
With Big Naval Guns" i,S pfoS'aea a
regular army rife and 100 rounds of
ammunition. Officers are given reyoly-
nd = in, r-f.o