The Clayton news. (Clayton, N.M.) 19??-1954, 1917-04-21
YOUNG MEN ENLISTING
IN THE U. S. NAVY
AMBITIOUS YOUNG MEN WHO ARE
WILLING, MAY REACH TOP OF
THE WORLDS GREATEST FLEETS

The need for additional officers in
the United States Navy is being more
keenly felt with the commissioning
of every dreadnaught. One of the
last Acts of the Congress which ceased
to exist on Marc'1 4 1917, was to pro-
vide that 100 midshipmen at the Naval
Academy, Annapolis, Maryland, were
to be drawn from the enlisted person
mel of the Navy. Every enlisted man
under twenty years of age. with one
years sea service, is eligible for one of
these vacancies, and the examinations
are entirely competitive. the highest 100
young men receiving the appointments
The average young man in the Navy
like the average young man in civil
ian life, has not had high school
education, and this fact is inducing
high school boys to enlist in the Navy,
as it is practically certain that any
young man with a ground work of two
years or more high school training,
who really desires to enter Annapolis,
can do so.
Naval authorities consider midship-
men with this preliminary training
afloat of particular value, as their
knowledge of Naval Affairs give such
young men a much better grasp of the
possibilities of their future career, than
is held by the candidates appointed
directly from civil life by congressman
The men appointed fl ON the enlisted
personnel must be recommended by their
Commanding officer, and an Officer
Jealous of maintaining the best tradi-
tions of the Naval Service, will give
preference to the ablest men under
him. This places the highest honors
of the Naval Service within the grasp
of any young man who has future
| fitness to win" - -
| The Regiment of midshipmen are. al
ways the personal guard of the Presl-
dent at his Inauguration. The Academy
course being for four years. every mid
shipman participates in one Inaugural
| ton, and generally. in later life as n
Commissioned Officer. in many more.
! Midshipmen make three cruises dur
| ing their Naval Academy career, each
cruise held during the three Summer
months. The Itenary of these cruises
is laid out.-Germany. Norway. En-
| gland. Gibraltar. etc In 1915. IT was
considered inadvisable to send the train
ling squad in European waters .on ae-
count of the war, and they were there
| fore sent to San Francisco, through the
Panama Canal. to view the Panama Pa
sific Exposition.
The standards of living, of dlscip-
/ line OF manhood. and OF scholastic abli-
lty, are maintained at a high level. The
pressing need of Officers has not low
cred these standards" as was recently
shown when the usual percentage of
the midshipmen were obliged" Iforced
to resignl for deficiency In studies.
The young man who has an aptitude
for the sea, who wishes to enter the
/ Naval Service under the best condi-
tiOns, who has the ambition to reach
the top and is willing TO do his utmost
to realize such an ambition--such a
type makes the successful Naval officer
Such man has within his grasp the
chance TO become commander-in-
.. Chief of one of the Worlds Greatest
Fleets
! Americas future is linked with sea
power our merchant marine must be-
come reality, not vague hope; Our
Navy must be powerful enough to keep
the seas open, and our coasts sale, 8,
all times. The men at Annapolis to-day
will be the moving figures in a few
years. in carrying out our national in
siratiOns on the seas.