Arizona republican., 1917-05-25
MAKING FIGHTING
 MEN FUR SERVICE
 IN TIE J, $. NAVY
rRepublican A. P. Leased Wire]

WITH THE UNITED STATES AT LANTIC FLEET, May 24-The big ships of the most powerful fleet ever under the American flag, when visited by a correspondent of the Associated Press, through arrangement with the committee on public information, were working day and night to bring about the defeat of Germany on the sea. Ready for battle, they are spending the waiting period turning ont sailor r7--
 The fleet, temporarily, is a great workshop of war. Already lt Is ,a.-.- ing out one of its-finished products men who can fight. They are serving the guns on American armed mer- chant ships. Its other product-men who can run the great merol'e ~- Fl0@' the United States will use to feed the Allies-will be ready as soon as the ships.
 Five-inch guns, the kind principally used against submarines, are there by the hundreds. Or the deck 6 -rrert t1i' . rets house long fourteen and twelve inch rifles-three or two to a turret. On high platforms guns used for de- fense against airplanes point to the sky. Brass is always shining, steel is always polished paint is always new, decks are always white with scrubbing.
 Hhe men behind the guns have lost shipmates in the war-they were guns crews on merchantmen sunk by Ger man submarines. And other ship mates now are on duty aboard the de- stroyers operating with the British and French fleets. The men with the Atlantic fleet are working to prepare themselves to avenge the killing of their mates.
 Here's what happened the other day crew was practicing with five inch gun. bluejacket about seven- teen-he still had down on his chin was pointing. He grasped handles on a broad brass wheel; his eye was steady at q. rubber cup at the end of a long sight. through which he saw the target. His duty was to keep the gun on the target so it might be fired any time.
 Around this beardless youth were grouped other guns crews ready to fire when his crew had completed it's period.
 The breach snapped open, the load was thrown home the breach was hurled back in place and then a bug ger, operated from the fire control sta ton, sounded; there was a flash, a roar, the hiss of a projectile speeding through the air and the louder hiss of compressed air blowing smoke out of the gun. Miles away the projectile struck the target.
 Guess that's bad" said an old man. o'-war rs-man looking on admiringly at the third shot, as the guns crew got the range and the pillar of white wa ter leaped into the air
 X-o111I that do for ri Suppose that had been a submarine and-'
 The buzzer, the roar of the gun and the hiss of air interrupted him.
 Another hit! Gee whiskers that's s shooting"
 On the after deck latest arrivals aboard the ship were set to work that day, and every other day, in fact, upon the loading machines. They consist principally of a breach and block and a slide that carries away dummy pro- jectiles and powder bags.
 Officers with stop watches in their hands set one crew after another to work; the idea being to develop ex- treme leading speed by competition. The newest members of the ships com panies work for days at these loading machines. The next step in their training carries them to the guns. But they are not yet ready to fire the reg uiar charges. One pounders. that go off with d sharp crack are lashed on