New Britain herald., 1917-04-30
NEW BRITAIN SENDS
 FOUR MORE TO NAVY
Leon E. Andrews Endorses Local
 Recruiting Campaign

Since Chief Radio Electrician M. S.
 Brainard opened up the naval re-
 cruiting station in city hall last
 Wednesday morning New Britain has
 enlisted six recruits, an average of
 one each day. On Saturday six men
 applied at the office for enlistment,
 but only one was able to pass. The
 last three men to enlist are: Michael
 J. Bresnahan of 9 Grown street, Vest field, Mass. employed by H. R. Walk
 CT company in this city, enlisted as third class fireman; Charles w. Rus sell of Plainville, employed as an es- timating clerk at the Stanley Rule and Level, company, enlisted as ap-
 prentice seaman; Walter Hirsch, en- ployed at P. & F. Corbin, lives at Mountain View, Plainville, enlisted as apprentice seaman, and George H. Stanley, farmer, of West Rocky Hill, enlisted as 1andsman for yeoman. Leon Edgar Andrews of AT Arch street, a former naval man, is taking an active interest in the naval recruit ing campaign here and is assisting in stimulating interest. Mrs. Bessie Willys of Trinity street, whose hus- band, Chester l.. WillHs and brother, Baden P. Thompson are both in the navy, has volunteered to assist the re- cruiting officers ill any possible way.
 Plans for the recruiting rallies to be held in the various theaters on next Sunday are progressing and the off, cers in charge expect that it will re- suit in securing a number of addi- tional recruits. In addition to the speakers there will be singing by a quartet composed of Miss Laura Far rell, soprano; Joseph c. Ames of Bristol, bass; Miss Jean Cochrane, contralto. and Leon Jackson, tenor. There will also be several soloists in- cluding Mrs. M. T. Crean. That New Britain is beginning to hit her stride is evidenced by the report for Saturday when six men applied for enlistment, while in Hartford Chief Boatswain T. l.. McKenna had but two applications, one of whom was rejected. Thus far the local officer has rejected three ap- licants.
 Leon Andrews Urges Recruiting.
 MT Andrews, who is a we'll known business man, is enthusiastic about naval service and adds his endorsement to the plan to recruit naval men in New Britain. As evidence of the value of naval training ins civil life, MT. Andrews can point to his own record. He enlisted as a landsman for at Schenectady. N. Y., on January 24, 1917. with pay of $17.6O per month. Inside of two years he had been promoted until he was earn ing $55 per month. After his enlist ment MT. Andrews was assigned to the naval training school at the Brooklyn Navy yard W here,e with 300 other re- cruits, he took a special course in gen. eral and radio electricity under cap able instructors. After six months he was selected, with three others of his class, and sent to man the Fire Island Naval Radio station off Sandy Hook. He was then given a rating as second class electrician with pay of $44 per month. The next year he was given a rating as first class electrician with pay of $55 per month. This included both board and clothes. When the sixteen United States warships made their memorable cruise around the world MT. Andrews was assigned as radio operator on the U. s. s. Rhode Island and on that trip visited at every port of importance in the world, both Tn the eastern and western hem1S- phere. The electricians, MT. Andrews states, work in shifts of four hours on and eight hours off duty and every four days a man is given twenty-four hours off duty to attend to personal affairs. MT. Andrews discharge pa pers show that during his entire en- listment of four years he did not have a single mark against him. Speaking of the discipline in the navy, MT. An drews states that while it is strict, it is not so strict as to discourage a man. If any man tries to do half way right he will have no trouble, he says. On receiving an honorable dis charge the sailor gets free transpor- tation from the place of discharge to the place of enlistment and if he re- enlists within a period of four months he receives a substantial bonus.
 When he was discharged MT. An
 drews had a commission as first class petty officer and this is a perman- ent commission, assuring a sailor of
 a commission of equal rank in the
 event of a later enlistment. MT. An
 drews states that the health and sani- tation on board ships is the best and