West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1916-08-24

II would have been like talking gutter
gossip with St Paul.
How about ofIicers?" I asked
Officers. like navies, are not made
In day" ! could see his relief at
getting away from mud. When the
present administration took charge IL
found that the law providing for the
| appointment OF two midshipmen at
Annapolis by each member of Con-
gress had been permitted TO lapse.
This law was extended, and the pres
ent Congress. upon the recommenda-
tion OF the Secretary. has provided
for three additional midshipmen TO
each Congressman. This makes 53l
additional appointments Immediately
available. There is also the law that
opens the Naval academy to fifteen en-
listed men each year, provided, OF
course, they measure up TO the men
tai, moral and physical standards"
us that n good idea ?"
ut is more than a good idea" For
second | saw Admiral Dewey as he
must have looked on the bridge in
Manila Bay. "It is democracy. Eigh-
teen years ago. when this matter first
came up took a stand that has never
changed. ] said then that the navy
could not AFFORD TO be the one depart
ment OF American activity In which a
boy could not rise from the bottom to
the top. ! say II now This is the
United States, not an old world mon
archy.
THE same thing goes for the ship
schools" he continued emphatically.
Education is our solid rock. Not on
ly do the schools make better citizens
but they make better sailors We
want our youngsters trained In intel
ligence as well as in hands. so that II
officers go, the ship can still be fought.
No, sir!" he exclaimed. "Opening the
door of promotion TO the enlisted man
giving him an elementary. technical
or industrial education. as may be
deemed fttest-are American poll
cies."
What about the famous drinking
order?"
"A good thing His answer was in
stant. There was some feeling about
II at first. because the papers made
fun of it., and there was also an at
tempt to make 81 appear that secre
tary Daniels was charging officers
with intempcrance think that the
feeling has disappeared completely.
Every railroad. every great corpora
tion, has long bad an iron clad rule
forbidding men a. drink while on duty.
Isn't q ship as important as q iocomo-
live? Practically every European
power has copied the order. by the
way"
And workmanship? Is q true that
our gunners can't hlt the side Of a
barn7"
Before answering ne paved over
some papers on his desk. and pulled
out q report Of some kind.
Here are some facts" he smiled.
From 1909 we did go down. owing
TO the discontinuance Of elementary
practice But we've pulled up. Ad-
miral Fletcher. reporting on the 1916
target practice, says this: It is be-
lloved that the scores recorded are
higher than ever before in the open
sea- The recent practices were held
at ranges Of $4,000. 7.0o0 and is zee
yards. which are even longer than the
longest ranges At which firing has oc.
Cured in the European war About
ten out OF twenty shots would have hit
an enemy ship AZ $4,000 yards. Do
you know" he said. almost conhden.
tally Il believe our boys are the bcst
gunners IN the world"
Tell me, Admiral Dewey" I ventur.
ed another leading question, what 8,
All this clamor about the navy needing
a General stan?"
| he laughed
Il don't know" he said. i've tried
to pin them down. but not one ha,
even been able to make clear Jus
whit Il was that nc wanted. Dow