Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-03-27
NAVY TO OPEN MORE
RECRUITING OFFICES IN
GEORGIA AND FLORIDA
Responding to Presidents
Demand for 10000 More
Sailors, Lieutenant Keller
Speeds Up the Work

Following the action of President Will
son in calling for an approximate in
crease of 20, 900 men Immediately for the
navy. orders we're received by Lieutenant
r. H Keller in charge of the local sta
tion to speed up his work and urge, the
people in his district to answer the call
of the country.
Lieutenant Keller, when seen by a
Journal reporter Monday, said that he
was preparing to establish several new
suhstations over his district, which in
cludes Georgia and Florida, and that
he had wired officials in Washington
for authority TO establish as many as
he deemed necessary.
AT present, we have but five sta
tions in the district" continued the lieu
tenant, land with the number of re-
cruits which we should get to meet the
call, and which L am sure we will get,
we will need many more than this.
These stations are at Macon, Savannah.
Augusta, Waycross and Jacksonville.
have already announced the establish
ment of ones at Valdosta, Athens and
Tampa in the near future, and will prob
ably have them opened right away"
MY orders from the department were
to open UP all my guns and go after the
young men. The country needs them,
and needs them right away. There isn't
a ship in the navy which is fully man.
ned. and with the building of new ones
every day. $1,000 men will be but a be.
ginning of the number of men we will
have to have.
Georgia and Florida, the two states in
my district. have been getting on an av-
erage of 70 men per month. I expect
to see that increased to 1000. The PEG,
pie over the two states are heartily be,
hind the president. and l am sure they
will come to the navy's aid"
EXAMINED HERE
All men who are secured in Georgia
and Florida, are first brought to the local
office. which is situated al STA federal
building. for examination before send,
ing them to places where their service
will begin, and Lieutenant Keller stated
that the office could easily handle fifty
men a day without trouble, and could in
crease its force to take care of as many
as enlist.
The navy is the coutnry's first line
of defense, and the orders issued TO re-
cruit up to $1,000 Immediately are in
keeping with the movement to get Amer
ica ready for whatever may happen.
I'VE want to make the navy so strong
that we can keep any enemy away from
our door until our army is of sufficient
proportions to defy any force which
may try to affect landing in this coun-
try. Keep the war away from these
shores, is the slogan. and to do that,
the navy must be strong" said Lieuten-
ant Kellar.
Young men of today could not take
up a better business than the navy"
continued the lieutenant The pay 10
begin, is OF course small, but what bust
ness pays a man starting at the bot
tom much money to begin with APP
prentice seamen are taken I'm and paid
$3.50 per month in addition to their
board and lodging, and from that they
can work their way up to as high as
500 per month, in addition to expenses"
The term of enlistment for man be-
tween the ages Of eighteen and thirty is
fo~ four years. and for ones sixteen or
under eighteen until they reach their
majority.