Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-28
MOSQUITO FLEET" NOW
CALLED "SWISS NAVY"
Men at Newport Training School
Made to Build Roads In
stead of Going to Sea
BD star Correspondent
DlSCONTENT is SERIOUS
Navy Department Has No "Chasers"
and Submarines Are Not
in Sight


Serious discomfort at the United States
naval Reserve Force Training School at
Newport Is admitted by the highest officials
OF the Navy Department. Four thousand
nve hundred college men went there three
months ago to train for work on the mos
quito fieet," but the fleet has proven to be
swiss navy and the men who enlisted
in the L. S. ~ r. f. now say that the initials
stand for You Shall Never Reach France"
believing that work on the submarine
chasers would give real war experience
against German submarines and that the
service would be filed with thrills hun
dreds OF college men In the big universities
enrolled for service In this reserve A large
| number went from the University of Penn
syivania to Newport with the idea OF train
ing there few weeks and then going
aboard ship
Reports received in Washington show
that this has been their experience:
they have been forced to work at road
building like convicts
The Navy Department has no "chasers"
| on which to train them because the engines
| have not been installed
They have received little training in the
principles of navigation, the only ships
| available being private yachts loaned by
| rich men.
Young men who have had no sea expert
| ence have been given commands, while
| are subordinated.
1t was learned today that twenty-five of
| the 300 submarine chasers. each 10 feet in
length, which were ordered several months
ago and on which these young men expected
| to serve, are ready for delivery, but there
| are no engines to put in them.
Assistant Secretary of the Navy Roose-
| welt admitted today that there are no naval
vessels at Newport which to train $500
| college men, who have been there for three
months awaiting practical instruction. and
| that there are $1,000 others enrolled who
| have not been called out because the depart
ment has no facilities for handling them
It is recognized at the department that
| the complaints from those at Newport do
not come from few "soreheads,' but that
| the feeling of dissatisfaction is widespread
| Although large per cent of the students
come from families of wealth, they have
not complained of performing menial duties
| when they had any bearing whatever on
| the training for the work they hope to do
| They have complained about building roads
| for the navy when they were led to be
| lieved when they enrolled that they woult
| have work aboard ship.
| 1t is asseretd that there has been only g
| smatterng of teaching in seamanship, ir
| tieing knots and splicing, some cutter drill
| in tenoar navy boat and some infantr!
| drill But few of the men after more
than three months training know how tc
box a compass. Many of them do not know
| what leadline is. Men who are unabl,
| to take a boat out of the harbor are wear
| ing gold braid.
| Men In training say that several small
| launches and yachts have been PARTIAL,
| wrecked by incompetent handling of newl!
| appointed ensigns. One was ripped Z
pieces trying to pass between a tug and it
tow. Many have been badly damaged b.
hitting docks.
nf l,irt1y -G,,p nf ,,,t,,