Milford chronicle., 1915-07-23

SSAfS III luelE respective ulSLr1ctS ana
keep in touch with them.
Orders and other correspondence be-
tween the bureau and members Of the
reserve pass through the recruiting Off
Ger.
BY this organization the department
can on short notice and with a mini
mum of correspondence mobilize the
reserves at any place on either coast.
May Transfer to the Reserve.
Another feature of the law which is
Of great Importance in increasing the
efficiency of the navy is that which
permits a man to transfer to the re-
serve after sixteen or twenty years
service on one-third and One-half, re-
spectively, of the total pay he was re-
ceiving at the time. This is a great
inducement to retain many desirable
men in the service.
The most Of our men enter as boys
at an average age Of eighteen or nine
teen. Sixteen or twenty years later.
If they so elect. they may transfer
from active service to the reserve.
A Fine Annuity.
At this time. at an age Of thirty-four
or thirty-eight years. for the service
they have already given the govern
ment and for that which they stand
ready to give in case of war they will
receive from $33 to $50 a month for
the rest of their lives. The amount
y,oantfopnd 80 fboA ,,-t,foI, zbo,,l5 ,o.,,s
TO a chief petty officer a rate which
any worthy man is able 20 obtain in
much less time than sixteen years.
If there is any civil occupation in
this country that will insure to the av-
erage young man after sixteen or TWEEN
ty years so great an annuity for life it
does not appear obvious to the casual |
observer.
For many years Uncle Sam has been I
paying more attention to the material !
part of the navy than TO the personnel. /
Lately, however. he has been taking |
stock of things and realized that a
trained and efficient personnel is equal
" as important as DreadnOughts. and.
it comes high, he has decid-
ed to go down in his pockets and pay
he price.
The wisdom shown by Uncle Sam in
arriving at this conclusion will be
made clear when we review with him
he situation in regard to the enlisted
personnel which has existed for many
ears.
Not Vicious and Unruly.
The first thing that impresses us is
he fact that twO-thirds of the entire
nlisted force is composed of men serv-
ng in their first enlistment.
Less than one-half Of these terminate
heir period of enlistment with an hon.
rable discharge. which entities them to
e-enlist in the service. OF those en-
tiled to remain in the service 5S per
ent avail themselves Of the opportu-
ity. The remaining 42 per cent go
ltO civil life. Those who fall by the
'ayside are not all by any means
iciOus and unruly men. All are spe-
ially selected by the recruiting Off
ers, which is obvious from the fact
] ,
lken. The natural question is. Why
0 so many selected men fail to con- I
nue. through their first four year pc
cd and qualify for re-enlistment? OF !
purse some are found to be undesira- !
e characters whom the navy will not I
ave at any price A great majority
the others, however are really good =
en-, but the navy has heretofore Of a
red little inducement for a future O
lTeer, while it demands much in the J
ay Of hardships and separation from n
)me. In consequence many of these
'ung men become disheartened and r
ave the service by desertion, by dis n
nrge, by purchase or by sentences of Il
urts martial for Offenses against mill s
ry discipline. -
Something to Strive For. u
Now that the law places a substan- n
Il value upon the honorable discharge ii
providing that men who are en- u
led to such may at stated intervals W
,ct to leave active service for the tC
serve on practically a pension basis
tn a substantial rate of pay graded
cording to length Of service in the =,
Wy, we may hope to see a great :.
ange in the unfavorable conditions a.
'erred to. There is something to -.
i've fora reward for every one who y
)ves faithful to his trust We can a.
k forward to an improvement in dis =,
line, a higher standard of morale ~
i a resulting increase in efficiency a..
e to a greater number of men striv- g. g
for and receiving an honorable dis -
irOe and to a greater number Of
se re-enlisting for longer periods in -.,
navy. For every re-enlisted expert 70
ed man in the quota the govern -,
Mt saves the expense Of enlisting -
/ training a recruit, and the navy -,
ms in efficiency in due proportion. -
he law has been on the statute -
ks only a few months and can hard =,
be said to be fully understood, yet -,
reports Of enlistments indicate that -.
is bringing the expected results.
linarily recruits on first enlistment =
the re-enlistments of ex-