The Washington herald., 1917-05-19
Army and Navy News
Beat Service CoIumn I'm @


Twelve hundred vessels, ranging from
famous sea-soing yachts that have sailed
sne seven seas TO fifty-foot cruisers that
nave only known summer excursions
under elean-swept skies, are enrolled N
the Naval Coast Defense Reserve Tor
duty with the Mosquito and Patrol neets;
out only twelve Of them are fit for I'M
mediate sea duty; not only on account
OF lack of men, but also to the fact guns
OF suitable type are not forthcoming.
And this despite urgent and repeated
pleas from reserve headquarters at ~
Cortlandt street New York City for the
weapons. Up to the present moment
only ten guns, and those of almost OBJ
'solete pattern, have been granted TO the
reserve corps by the government. and
on1eiais In charge Of the patrol feet work
are frank in expressing their chasrin
over their lack of weapons to accomplish
effective work.
Furthermore, It is stated by those In a
position TO know, that not more than one
half of the craft enrolled at the present
time are stanch enough to carry modern
guns Of the type suitable for submarine
chasing. for coast defense and other de-
fensive duties for which they are intend
ed. To be effective in withstandfng the
recon OF modern sea-service guns. vir-
tually every vessel now listed by the re-
serve, except the tug boat Lewiston. viii
have to be reinforced in her steelwork
'or in wooden interior construction.
Seasoned salts Hard to Find.
Another serious difficulty with which
the Mosquito Fleet officers have to con-
tend Is the lack of seasoned blue-water
material. They say 1t Is an impossibility
to make sailor out of a landsman in
less than two months. This period SIM
ply includes his breaking in to ordinary
seafaring duties, and does not include
such studies as gunnery, navigation and
a general knowledge OF engineering. The
United States navy requires a gunnery
course of eight months in addition TO the
regular instruction term.
Trained men. such as fishermen. motor
boat owners and deep sea sailors from
steam and sailing ships are the kind OF
material that is wanted. The rocking
chair" contingent OF the half-hundred
yacht clubs scattered up and down Long
Island Sound and the Hudson River,
many of whose members have applied
for service, are about as welcome at re-
serve headquarters as measles in a found
ling asylum.
THE kind OF men we want" says Com
mander Patton, in charge OF reserve re-
cruiting, ARE the sort OF chaps who have
DctH uO"u 10 lne sea IN SHIPS ana KNOW
the way of II. 1t takes six months to
turn out good soldier. IT takes at least
as long on blue water to make a sailor
who is worth his salt. For instance. a
sailor requires far more intensive train
ing than a soldier He has to learn how
TO use his brains quickly and effectively
in an emergency in which he may have
no officer to give him orders.
Takes Time to Make n Gunner.
And then. getting to the gunnery
question" he continued. at must be
taken into consideration that in the
army the man who aims a gun is deal
ing with a fixed weapon. He can take
his sights from a steady base. Whereas
at sea he Is aiming from about as un-
stable a base as 1t would be possible to
imagine, particularly under bad weather
conditions. 1t is for this reason that we
are particularly anxious to enroll gun
ners for the Naval Reserve as fast as
possible. so that they may have ample
time to be instructed in their duties.
1T would be worse than folly to send
10 sea with our patrol fleet upon the
efficiency Of which the safety OF our
coasts may depend-men who have not
had proper instruction and experience in
gunnery and general sea service and to
whom the ocean is an unknown guam
tity."
Other officers have pointed out that the
Naval Reserve is a very differently con-
stituted force from the Naval Militia.
The latter body has had the benefit OF
practice cruises on board battleships and
cruisers.