Carson City daily appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1907-1930, 1916-08-26
Continued from First Page.1

ditions as we find them, although
we are not to give up hope of chang
ing the conditions.
Given this increase" he declar-
ed, given the ships and men that
this bill provides, and the United
Estates. as never before, will be a
peace power, able at all times to pro-
tect and to advance its standards.
Every cent appropriated by this bill
is payment on an insurance policy"
How about men"
"We now have $1,000 and the bill
authorizes 74.50O."
Can you get them?"
81 don't think there is a doubt OF
it. The navy today offers as fire a
chance for the American youth to fit
himself for life as any other depart
ment of endeavor."
Tell me, Admiral Dewey" and I
question: Has Secretary Daniels
demoralized the navy?"
"Bosh!" The exclamation was one
OF disgust and indignation. Facts
and figures tell their own story. The
navy was 5000 short of the number
of enlisted men allowed by law; over
o,oOo law bCSh dNuSu, dftiouSi
more rigid examinations have forced
the rejection OF FIVE out of every six.
Only 81 per cent Of honorably dis
charged sealnen were re-enllstlng.
For more than a year about 90 per
cent have re-enlisted. Descrtions
have been cut in halt and discipline
has been improved to all extent that
has permitted the restoration of a
prison ship and a disciplinary bar
racks to normal uses. No sir, the
navy is not delnoraliZed, and those
who make the charge are guilty of
falSchcod and misrepresentation"
Did Secretary Daniels ever issue
an order for officers and men to
mess together, only withdrawing the
order when informed that it might
bring whites and blacks to the same
table,"
"Slanderous! No such 'order was
ever heard of"
How about officers?" I asked.
"Otficers, like ~navies, are not made
in a day When the present admin
istration took charge it found that
the law providing for the appoint
ment of two midshipmen at Annapo-
lis by each membe1 of congress had
been permitted to lapse. This law
was EXTENDED and the present con-
gress. upon the recommendation OF
the secretary. has provided Tor three
additional midshlpmen to each con-
gresham. This makes 53l additional
appointments Immediately available.
There is also the law hat opens the
naval academy to fifteen enlisted men
each year, provided, of course, they
measure up to the mental. moral and
physical Standards"
Is that a good idea?'
1T is more than a good idea. 1t
IS democracy. Eighteen years ago.
when this matter first came up, l
took a stand that has never changed.
| said then that the navy could not
afford to be the one department Of
American activity in which d boy
could not rise from the bottom to
the top. | say it now. This is the
United States, not an Old World
monarchy"
The same thing goes for the ship
schools" he continued emphatically.
Education is our solid rock. Not
only do the schools make better cit
izens but they make better sailors.
We want more youngsters trained
in intelligence as we'll as in hands. SO
that if officers go, the ship can still
be fought. No sir!' he exclaimed.
Opening the door to promotion to
the enlisted m~an-giving him an ele.
mentary, technical or industrial edu-
cation, as maye be deemed fittest-
are American policies"
What about the famous drinking
order?'
"a good thing" His answer was
instant. SThere was some feeling
at first because the papers made
fun Of it. and there was also an at
tempt to make it appear that Secre-
tary Daniels was charging officers
with intemperance. l think that the |
feeling has disappeared completely.
Every railroad. every great corpora
ton, has long had an iror-clad rule
forbidding men to drink while on