Evening star., 1917-05-26
WATcHW()RD OF WAR
FLEET EEFH|C|ENCY
From Jackie to Admiral All Are
Striving to Reach
Top Notch.
BY HERBERT COREY.

BY HERBERT COREY.
WITH BATTLEsHIP FLEET. May
five came to the feet with the
big train" Mystery had enveloped us.
We were to go to a certain place,
where naval tug would meet Us. We
must NOT tell any one, what we were
going for. or where we were going. 1t
came as something of a shock when
the clerk evinced an intelligent appre-
citation of our errand when we bought
tickets. He was an inquiring and alert
clerk, and recognized certain of our
party as newspaper men.
"Ah," said the ticket clerk, down to
see the fleet, .hey?'
Later we found that the knowledge
of the whereabouts of the fleet is a
secret shared by countryside. Never
theless it is a secret worth keeping.
From time to time the fleet moves, and
so long there is no publication OF
its wherea bouts the work of the espion
is made the more difficult. That there
are spies no one will doubt, after the
experience of the last few years. Later
we found that orders We're rarely given
for more than twelve hours ahead
Shore leave for more than day is
thing of the past. Yesterday the fleet
steamed out of its shelter and return
ed at night. Tomorrow it might steam
away in precisely the same unemo-
tional way and never come back
big Train, Is Fleet Tender.
The "big train" is the feet tender
that puryeys newspapers and mails
and chaplains to the vessels, so it's
: items of cargo were in evidence. The
: chap1ains said his church was the
principal one in his town and wanted
to know my name and what religion
hn train"
began to toss about a bit. on waves
that sneaked: up through the gray
haze. and the chaplain's activities un-
derwent sea change. He said he |
didn't, like It. The mate told the cap |
tain that '-he proposed to splice |
"Mathew Walker" on a certain wire
rope that functioned on the rudder.
i Relics of the Old Sea Dog.
why" said the captain, don't you
use a Rose and a Crown?
There was comfort in those words. I
had been listening to the pilot con the
tender through the fog. and when he
wanted to luff he said left" and when |
he wanted to go to starboard he said
fright" Always the quartermaster at
the wheel repeated the words after him.
One remembers the hullaballoo that
was raised when port and starboard
8 gave way to left. and right in the navy
regulations. One would have thought |
the navy was being ruined The orlop
: deck has likewise disappeared-it Is
now only the third platform" be-
| lieve-but that made no commotion
whatever. Likewise Jimmy Legs has
unobtrusfyely become memory only |
: Mathew Walker and the Rose and
!. certainty. Hftfr all. there were some
!. !, things in the havy that We're not new
I tangled.
/ we. passed into sheltered waters
Z There were -''sab-swatters," busying |
!. themselves through the water, oily un-
Z der the lifting mist. Some elder vessels |
with histories, now only hand-maidens
of the bigsfleet, came into sight. A mo-
tor cutter appeared from nowhere, with |
an air of dashing impertinence. and |
bags Of mail were tossed on board.
Boys Up to Jobs.
She was being handled by mere boys.
Ietersth fiagshiB's boat came for as.
with more boys in charge. Eventually
ape became accustomed to the youth of
the American seamen. The British tar
rs thick bodied person, who enlists
for. twelve Syears~and then re-enlists.
THE French bluetacket is addicted to
rwhiskers. 1t was not until one discov-
Tevsd the air OF competent maturity |
these youngsters wear that one became |
@duite reconciled to their lack of years |
They are up to their jobs.
ts There isn't a sailor in the world |
sWho thinks as fast as they do" said a |
seray-haired officer.
Officers Are Sober Men.
We took lunch with the admirals |
ON the other side Of the water wine +,
. is served as matter of course when |
zone lunches with admirals. Wine is |
not served at all-nor any other in
atoxicating drink-in the American |
navy nowadays. One also remembers |
that this change furnished the text |
for humorous editorial sermons when |
It was made. Later we took many |
luncheops and many dinners with Of
Greet Enquiry as to the naval attitude |
toward drought Another surprise was
registered. American officers for the |
most part said they would not have |
Hquor back il they could.
This was q genuine surprise, because |
wine was apart of naval form and |
.csremonys IN the old days. American |
naval men as a class never abused |
honored toasts that were always Of |
fered, just as on sailing day no one |
ever took a drink. I had anticipated |
a certain resentment of the sumptuary
regulation, but if 1t exists it was not |
made known. On the contrary, officers |
said in a matter -of-fact why that was |
convincing of their sincerity shat II |
they could restore drink to its former |
place on the mess table they would not !
do so. Some mildly regretted the abb |
sence of beer and light wines. No one
had a good word for hard liquor.
Lots of Shop Talk.
"You will hear lots Of shop talk" said |
an admiral as we left for the battle- |
ships on which we were to be quartered |
during our stay with the fleet.
=. 1t was precisely what we wanted to |
hear. More than any other class of |
men perhaps. naval officers live SHOP" |
They are at it all the time, perpetually |
alert, continuously interested. with an |
inspiring effect of enthusiasm. War |
means promotion, of course, and all |
want promotion. but the shop talk we |
heard was not inspired by any selfish |
desire for individual gain. The atti- |
tude was more what one might find in |
a convention of foot ball coaches, with |
the element of rivalry eliminated. Each |
was sincerely desirous of improving his |
game. High speed efficiency was being |
applied to the greatest game" of all.
Trying a New "Gadgett."
'T tried that gadgett of yours" said |
one to another at mess last night TITS |
great scheme. Much obliged for put |
ting me on" |
So they passed the "gadgett" around |
the tble- A "gadgett" in naval talk II |
what a "jfgger" is anywhere else. This |
particular gadgett had to do with the |
management Of men in a gun crew. It |
IL too technical to be described here, but |
the essence of IT In that kv uniting Eea,