The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-06-13
'ATInlCIIyE G0|sE Is
OFFERED 10 CIVILIANS
Four weeks On nasGlsGhip Louisiana
Offered voaunsecss Of This
8ec<10n.
TRIP PART or TRAINING PLAN.
Cost OF Oufing win BE Confined To
Beard Expcnses--Details Are Fully
Outlined In Letter from ships
Cummaxder.

Details OF the preparation made by
the Navy Department for the cruise
Of civilians to be had in August, and
of the cruise itself. are set forth in q
letter Just issued by Lieutenant-Com-
mander c. A. Abele,. U. 8. N, COM
handing u. g. 8. Louisiana, on which
the civilian sailors will cruise. This
letter, copies Of which have been re-
ceived at local recruiting stations,
reads a. follows:
The Louisiana has been designated
to take out for the summer cruise
the citizen volunteers OF the Fifth
Naval District, headquarters at Nor
| folk, Va. In order that this PROPOSE
ton hay be brought before the young
men to whom It might appeal, l am
taking the liberty Of addressing you
on this subject.
I believe that a great deal of good
can be done through the medium OF
the proposed cruise in awakening in
terest of the people in this naval dis
| trict in the defense OF the district. as
we'll as the defense Of the nation. In
| time OF war a vast reserve will be
necessary to man our ships and sup
ply deficiencies which might obtain
at the time In the active fleet. Natur-
! ally the reserve would come from the
seacost region. The opportunity IL
now offered for starting training OF
reserve and II should be as SUCCESS
full as the Plattsburg movement has
| been in starting q reserve for our land
forces. This movement II in the same
nature as the Plattsburg movement,
having in view the same object for
the navy az the Plattsburg movement
| has for the army. .
| ships Placed In Reserve Fleet.
1t 10 only OF late that our people
have begun to realize the utter In
Adequacy Of our sea defenses. the enor-
nous extent of our coast line and the
limited forces at the command of the
| navy for Its protection.
The Louisiana - first-class bat
tleship, just retired to the Reserve
| Fleet from he Aactive Fleet. She
carries a crew Of about three hundred
and fifty (360l men, and can take
moro than four hundred (l0o) citizen
volunteers with comfort, for tho COM
| Ing cruise, and II IL earnestly hoped
| that this number may be obtained in
, this naval district. The most feasible
way for volunteers to join would be
as organizations from localities or as
| repreSenta lives of local organizations,
such a. r. NJ. C. As colleges. high
| schools, technical schools and clubs
| BY the formation Of such organiza-
tons Of volunteers. the members may
help one another in the progress of
| their studies in connection with the
| cruise. and may tho more readily con-
duct correspondence with the ship or
/ with the Navy Departm emit, as the case
| may be. Also by the formation of as
sociations. interest in the matter may
be kept alive. and a nucleus formed
| for larger reserve for the succeed
ing years, which may eventually lead
to weli-organized and more or less
well-defined navel reserve.
Outline Of tho Cruise
The followinE~tS an outline of the
cruise proposed:
Recruits whose applications have
been approved by the Navy Depart
ment will be notified to report on the
! ship at Norfolk, Va. Their civilian
clothing will be turned over for stor-
| age at the navy yard and they will buy
a sufficient outfit OF uniform clothing
on board ship. After the recruits are
on board, the ships will leave their
respective naval districts and cruise
| for . period of about three weeks
| During this time recruits will be given
| practical instruction In the duties re-
CURED on board ship.
A portion OF the day will be given
UP 70 the study Of special subjects,
which will be largely optical. so that
recruits who have aptitude for or
knowledge Of such subjects a navt-
cation. signaling, radio-work. steam or
an onnorfnnitv - .nscs.i,.a uo.t
| drills VIII he siven and Ianain.. -.d.
Recr1,ifs vt,t ~ t.u~ht ~ .n,.si
~ Arm. .nd rni,,ts ~ sn-r.at,. NJ.
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shins vi,i r.,,,rr - .hm 80; ~.
tr,cts >ra-, .n.rn. ~
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