Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1918-09-12

get taste of the real sea aboard more than 100
coastwSe steamships.
Engineer officers trained at the Stevens
Institute of Technology in Hoboken. where men
with NJ E. degree or its equivalent receive inten
sive training in marine engineering
Thousands of are being trained for the
naval auxiliary reserve at the Great Lakes (lll.)
station.
All men turned out by these schools as
much a part of the navy as if they had been grad
uated from Annapolis All of t-ese future OIL
GERS are American citizens and will form the
natural nucleus of great merchant marine.
All navy crews on merchant ships for the du-
ration of the war advocated by the navy
early in the conflict. 1t the belief that all
such ships should be placed under the strictest
discipline; that with permanent crews. efficiency
aboard ship would be increased; that the ships
would be self-sustaining, in that the crew would
be able to make all repairs; that the loading and
unloading could be more efficiently done, and that
several hundred thousand Americans would join
the service where it was believed they would
remain after the
1t the idea of the service that by this
means the love of the would be planted again
in the American heart. Men who once had sniff
of the salt air would probably never be satisfied
to go back to the cities FARMS They would
form the nucleus of 100 per cent merchant
marine.
In the beginning nobody wanted government
controlled cargo service. Steamship owners
feared it meant federal control. The navy had
only about 1900 officers and most of these were
needed aid the 10000 force break
in the 100000 enlisted Gradually.
has been stated, the manning and operation of the
merchant ships devOved upon the navy and the
overseas transportation service was organized to
handle it,
some quarters it is believed that the entire
work of manning and operating cargo ships
should be turned over to the navy Danger of
strikes among civilian is feared. Ships
carrying cargo in time of war should not it is
thought, be rated private property of any in
dvidual o company. They must not be in the
hands of men who working for money only.
IIiiterate men. anarchists socialists and the dis
loyal may become members of mercantile crews.
whereas only men who are intelligent and physic-
ally fit may become soldiers seamen of the
nation. Soldiers work for $50 month and the
sense of duty alone. Merchant seamen receive
today $50 month more and extra pay for
overtime and Sundays, and they are not under
any obligation to remain at sea-
the outbreak of the war there were 5000
Germans the American merchant marine
sixty per cent of the members of the Seamens
union are said to be foreigners AS the service
was run under antewar conditions it was i'm
possible hire Americans and the class of for
eigners who would work on these ships was large
Iy undesirable
Strikes said to be likely at any time aboard
ships manned by foreign laborers An Incident
is cited in which the of freighter. bound
TO Europe with cargo of essentials for sol
diers, refused to obey the commanders order
assist getting up ammunition when submarines
were reported ahead. on the ground that 1t
c,,,,,.v and the In Toilette law DroyfdexI ,ntv
for watch duty Sunday
On another occasion a civilian demanded
overtime for performing on Sunday certain
duty provided by law. Civilian sailors of cargo
ships have been caught in the of signaling
to enemy submarines. and freroom forces have
boIted for the deck upon the sounding of an
alarm of danger
Sbips manned with naval officers and crews
are safe from strikes and mutiny- Efficiency and
competent operation certain. On three
occasions civilian crews that have struck have
been Instantly Supplanted by navy and the
ship carried through with Its precious cargo for
the American men nj the front
Some students of naval strategy Of the
opinion that q great part of the Omitted States
navy might be sunk without TO any great extent
affecting the result OF the war. bat If the cargo