New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-10-25
To the Editor OF The Tribune.


Sir: In reference to the two letters
appearing in your paper, Unhappy
/ Sailors" on October IS, and mo Longer
I Stranger on October 10, may | be
permitted to add my word from the
inside? Taken together, the three
views should throw some light on
question which is of vital concern to
the people of the country-the question
of universal service.
The status of the enlisted man OF
the navy with the public is better to-
day than it has ever been. First, be-
cause we are enlisting better men, and,
second, because the press has in a
measure educated the public mind to
understand what it means to run
a modern battleship. A far greater
responsibility, however, should be felt
by Americans toward these men, to
whom they must look for the defence
Of American honor and for whose ex-
;stence they are taxed in round sums.
We should know why some Of our men
are disconnected and why greater num-
bers do not reenlist or enter the SER
vice.
Henry Wise Wood has said that I'VE
cannot at this late day be invented or
bought out of trouble" This is stating
in a single sentence the two weakest
spots in our preparation for prepared
ness-dislike of slow growth and an
ovcrdependence on national weaHn.
We apparently think that numbers spell
force, that the mere fact of enlistlng
and paving a man $50 a month makes
a soldier or a sailor, that the appro-
priation for ships makes hghting
unit, and, most bitter Of all to the
navy man, that a great showing OF
armament without it's full and balanced
complement of men is placing our SER
vice among the great navies OF the
world.
About 1900 enlistments expire
month in the navy. OF this number
500 reenlist or are recruited from the
various recruiting stations, thus max
ing the monthly loss to the service IN
the neighborhood of 400 men! what
are we going to do about 1t!
For this condition there are various
reasons, among them being the raise
prosperity of the country and the large
wage paid skilled and unski'led labor.
But there are internal reasons, too'
reasons OF which the men themselves
are hardly aware. To any one famillar
with business organization it is COM
mon knowledge that the most success
ful houses have the greatest NUMBER
of old employees, men growing up with
the business. and balanced infusion
of new blood to keep up the regularity
of progress.
In the naval organization OF to-day
men. to say nothing Of offlcers' are
shifted from ship to ship, as our pol
lev of paper feet" and our shortage
If nersonnel demand. The people DO
not seem able to see the navy as
great national business and huge ma
tional investment. No battleship can
90 into action with a green crew more
than that, no ship can go into actioh
efficiently until her entire crew mas
'been on her and training with her Tor
ot least two wears. Even more strong
~. no shin can hope to be fought 70
success with a complement almost 81
ner cent less than that asked by the
General Board of the Navy and all COM
handing officers Of ships.
Even with the present provision lot
increasing the enlisted force on II IS
POSSIBLE to enlist to that capacity 10
10000 men, we should, in case OF war
90 into action with all Of our SHIPS
below fighting strength.
The public is told that we have more
ships in commission or ready 10 go
into almost instant commission IMAM
ever before. that we are prepared TO
enter an active campaign against our
most probable enemy, and that with
the present navy bill in effect we nave
nothing to fear from any one None
Of these statements is wholly true