The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-07-10
LAKES
COMMANDANT
IS BUSY man
Nine Thousand Men Now
In Naval Training
Station
(By AasocIated Press

bfnation of dynamo, buzz-saw and
whirlwind are believed by his asso-
ciates to enter into the makeup OF
Capt. w. A. Moffett, commandant of
the United States naval training sta
ton at Great Lakes, for those who
have seen him in hts daily activities
say that such qualities are needed
for the dispatch of the strenuous
His schedule is something like this:
Rises at a. m. and imm ediately
after dressing begins his work, die
tating letters at home for half an
Half an hour spent at the morning
meal Is followed by a walk around
the grounds of the Great Lakes train
ing station and conference with off,
GERS along the way, this usually TAX
ing about an hour. Following this in
ST ection he attends an officers' con-
ference, lasting usually about thirty
minutes, followed by an hour devoted
to reading large accumulation or
overnight mail; Then come calls
from officers about the station, die
tation of letters and reception of a
few visitors-they are few because
the captains time is so filled that
often he cannot give, personal aud
fence to all who want to see him and
has them send in their communities
About noon the captain slows up
enough to partake of light lunch
con, but frequently he does not en-
tirely let business drop even while
he eats and he has been known to
MUNICH a sandwich between sentences
as he talked to someone whose bust
ness required immediate attention.
After luncheon comes lot of detail
ton of the training station and Cap
tain Moffett looks after these execu-
tive matters till about o'clock in
the evening. Dinner takes about an
hour then comes dictation OF more
letters at home and midnight often
to get five or six hours of rest and
sleep. This is the story told day
after day and those who know him
say he is probably the busiest man
The Great Lakes naval training
station originally was equipped Tor
about LOO men; now there are 5000
in training and it has been found
necessary to lease hundreds of acres
of additional land to make room for
tents for the men. This large number
makes an enormous amount of man
ual work merely in handling vouch-
ers, letters and other official papers
that must bear the personal sigma
ture of the commandant.
In addition to this daily routine
Captain Moffett holds a weekly re-
view of apprentice seamen on the
station grounds and to it he devotes
each week about two hours. Some
times he has to leave the station, but
it is on work, not recreation that he
goes, for he is called to Chicago
two-hour journey-to confer with re-
cruiting officers, paymasters and 9TH
ers in connection. with the general
work of the navy in the central west.
Very often, too, he has to take trip
to Washington for personal confer
ence with heads of the navy depart
ment.
Utilizing all spare time to the ut ut
most Captain Moffett has frequently
transacted business while walking to
and from his home, giving this time
to interviews and conferences that
he could not otherwise take care OF.
AS a sample of the great number OF
callers sometimes appearing at the
station, a total of $50 visitors was
recorded not long ago in one day.
These included for example num-
Der of mayors of North Shore com
him on the subject of the military
road from Chicago to Waukegan.
Others were a delegation of Chicago
women who were interested in doing
something for the sailors, blue
Jacket who wanted to go home and
see his sick mother, numbers of men
who were seeking to assist the work
of the navy In some way ana seVeral
Chicago business men. AFTER the
captain had heard the complaint of
passing his Judgment, he said, Bring
the other man around here so that
/ may hear the other side of the story
before l commit myself"
Personal interest on the part of the
commandant is displayed in every
thing about the station, and though
some of the routine work is of course
assigned to others he gives the re-
suits his supervision and makes FREE
ouent inspection of all details. Every
Complaint made by enlisted men re-
ceives Captain Moffett's hearing and
attention. 80 e
He is a speeder when it comes to
debating letters. He is quick
thinker and a quick speaker and on
rush days 1t sometimes takes three
stenographers to keep up with him.
Special affairs do not enter into his
life at present, because he has no
spare time for them and he even left
the recent navy ball early because he
had certain details of business he
wished to clear up before the begin
ming of the next days routine.