The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-04-20

Richard Smith, in Leslies,
 GTJHE modern battleship is probably
 the most complete and complex
 sA machine man has ever produced, and though the picturesque features which surrounded the wooden man-of- war of years ago have gone, their place has been taken by features of a thou sand times more interesting and inspir- ing Here is the last word in cold,
 brutal fighting machine that is also a home for a thousand men; machine that fairly radiates personality and proves itself both a workshop and self-sup- porting community able not only to clothe and feed, teach, employ and amuse those who live on it, but also to supply vir- tually everything that the average mans comfort or interest demands Truly the modern battleship offers community life developed to the nth degree.
 Probably too there is no more com plete and startling proof of the value of discipline, drill and cooperation for maintaining not only efficiency but also safety, than that given on battle- ship
 Responsibility rests on the shoulders of every man on board and vital responsibil- ity rests on the shoulders of many hun dreds among the thousand. That is why practical, not theoretical, training is necessary why the maneuvers at Guata- namo are the most valuable side of naval life. why laxness is not tolerated. Too many million dollars worth of property and too many hundreds of lives are at stake to permit of inefficiency or care lessness. With such complexity of du- ties in mind, as fall to every man from common seaman to captain. one may | readily understand why the government wants only its best and most intelli- gent young men of the country in its navy.
 1 Consider for a moment the personnel of | a battleship At the top, with full com
 mand and responsibility, stands the | captain, the administrators. He is per haps as near an absolute monarch when at sea as the world offers. After the
 captain comes the executive officer on
 whose shoulders his chief places respon- | sibility for maintaining the general and military efficiency of the ship He is
 the general and military efficiency of
 the ship. He is the captains representa-
 tive and to him every question is referred.
 The heads of departments and all officers
 and men are under his direct orders. Un-
 der the executive officer, who may have one of several ranks, but on the larger ships is likely to be a lieutenant com mander, comes the first lieutenant. Tc
 him is delegated the care and order of
 the vessel In short, he Is "the house keeper" Then, day and night some off,
 ficer must be in temporary and full charge of the deck His headuarters are
 on the bridge He is known as the of
 ficer of the deck. On these officers rests
 the main executive of control,
 1 At the heads of the various departments
 are the medical and pay officers, the of-
 soldiers the chief engineer who has charge of the motive machinery and 1 lighting and heating plants the navigator
 the gunnery or ordnance officer. who is responsible for the real work for which
 the ship is built, that of destruction, anc the chaplain. These men, with their di | rect subordinates down to the younger l ensigns form what is called the ward room mess. The captain, however, dimes l alone. Other messes or families din ling together are those formed by tn, Ijunior the warrant and the petty of ficers.
 Divided up among the various depart