Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-08-24
CIVILIAN navy SAILS
$500 Men Training as Naval Re-
serve Force for Country.
Five Weeks Cruise on BattIcships
submarines and Naval A~uxiIinrics-
Country's First important Step -.
In This Direction.

Tuesday. August Is, nine battleships.
all units of the United States reserve
fleet. proceeded to sea from sever At
lantic ports, with more than $500 civil
lians on board. The latter are all
citizens of the United States who have
significd to the navy department that
they desire to gain by close contact with
naval life and naval duties some eXpe-
ricncc and understanding which will
help them to perceive the way in which
they may best fit themselves to render
efficient and patriotic service to the
naval arm of the national defense in
the event the navy is ever called to
war.
The naval cruise will last five
weeks. During that time these
picked men from all walk of life will
undergo, under the direction of Off
GERS of the navy. n system of training.
the details of which have been care
fully worked out. 1t will be the first
time in the history of the country that
such an opportunity has ever been Of
fercd to the ordinary citizen. In the
opinion of Secretary of the Navy Dam
iels, Admiral Mayo, the commander in
chief of the Atlantic fleet; Admiral
Dewey. admiral Fletcher. and other
''o 49, VI tli' Y l''s
the experiment marks one of the most
important steps yet taken for the Gre
alton of an adequate and efficient re-
serve to back up the regular navy in
the event of a national crisis. Presi-
dent Wilson has enthusiastically in
dorsed the training cruise and hopes.
himself. to inspect the ships of the re-
serve fleet while the "rookies' are on
board.
Credit for the success of recruiting
1900 picked men, representing more
than 300 cities and towns in 80 States.
must go to n committee of w~ell-known
New York citizens who. for more than
four months, have given practically all
of their time to it.
This committee includes former As
~sistant Secretary of the Navy Beck
man Winthrop. William Butler Dun
can, George f. Baker. Jr.. Thomas w.
Slocum. William Greenough. f. II.
McAdoo. and Pau l.. Hammond. The
idea of a naval pl~attsburg" originated
with these men, and when they broach-
ed the subject to Secretary Daniels and
officers of the service they were told
to &c ahead and given the assurance
that the IVY department would back
them to the limit.
30 the committee started to work.
The navy department announced that
the maximum enlistment that could be
cared for this summer was $500, and
that for the purpose of the cruise nine
battlcships of the reserve fleet. two
flotillas of submarines and various
naval auXiliaries would be assigned to
the training fleet. 1t is to be COM
manded by Rear-Admiral John NJ
Helm l. = n ono of the payy's hast
known flag officers. The battleships
on board of which the "rookies' will
go to sea are the Kentucky. KearsarGe,
Maine, Illinois, Alabama, Virginia Rhode
Island. Louisiana and New Jersey. with
the Alabama flying the pennant of Ad-
miral Helm.
The New Workers and Jerseymen
will go on the Kentucky and Maine.
the New Englanders on the Virginia,
Kearsarge and Illinois, the pennsyl-
| vanianS and the Wcsterners on the
Rhode Island and Alabama, and the
Southerners and Southwesterners on
the Louisiana and New Jersey. The
ports of embarkation were Portland, Bos-
ton. New port and Charleston.
As to the object of the cruise. 1t is.
as officially stated by Secretary Dan
iels. thrcefold:
First.-To help equip properly quail
fled men to act as reserves in time of
war on national emergency by giving
| them "A course of training on warships
under naval officers and naval discipline,
t line.
ScCond.-To foster a patriotic spirit
and give to civilians some knowledge
of the navy and the naval require
| mcntS of the country.