The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-04-29

happens to him when he goes to his home port at the end of his 12 days tour? Do they pin medals on him Not on your life. He gets reprimand- ed for leaving his beat without or ders. Ayhow, he didn't care. He had the time of his life"
 There is no discomfort in the life of the armed draft at the receiving and training barracks ashore, but the winter will bring ordeals aTioat to test these splendid young men. In freezing weather they will suffer such experi- ences as this, from report of re- cent voyage;
 Part of forward gun platform car
 ried away. Crew unable to remain at gun or any place lower than bridge
 because of heavy seas. None of them
 has anything dry to put on. Engines
 broken down for three hours. As soon as weather moderated everything was again put in shipshape order and reg
 ular drills carried out for the rest of the trip"
 ANOTHER CHEERFUL VOYAGE
 Or it may be such a cheerful voy- age as this:
 "Quarters for men damp and foul
 Water overflows into bunk room and
 into their clothes lockers and berths
 It is also full of large rats which run all over tha men while sleeping and lnIO IHelT ClOIil6S ana DaSS. They SlepC on deck whenever possible, but as we had rainy and foggy weather most of
 the time they had to stay below
 Whenever the weather was rough they
 had to wear boots in their living quar-
 ters and form bucket line to keep
 the place dry.''
 Such intolerable conditions as these have been done away with, because there is no excuse for them Before a ship sails | the other etdp ipSnprfinn board makes q final examination. Re-
 Hforcing them is the war insurance board of the government at Washington
 The ship is refused clearance until all orders for the care of the armed guard and the safety of the ship have been strictly complid with. These demands are not unreasonable. They are laid down by officers who know their business. This routine of inspection includes also the radio outfit by naval expert detailed for the purpose, and every item of gun equipment and ammunition sup ply. When the ship goes to sea it must be in man-of-war style. so far as it's armed defense is concerned. It is a per- fected system, still expanding, but ef- ficient for the emergency which calld it into being. The navy had made good Tn new complex, and arduous ac- tivity of the service.
 Sailing day comes and the deepladen cargo steamer Is about to dare the west ern ocean passage where hundreds of fine ships rest in the ooze of the bottom with shattered sides and shel-rent dp- per wsrks. Brave men are the merchant officers. serving their country well and taking these vessels out with a higher incentive than their monthly wages l Trim. earnest, youthful the members of the naval guard stand in line on deck and salute the lieutenant or ensign who has come aboard for last look at them They may have learned by heart few lines of the instructions which their chief gunner has read and passed on to them, such as: Never forget that good men with poor ships are better
 than poor men with good ships. Do not forget that wherever you go the depart l ment and the country expect that your conduct will bring credit to the navy and to the United States"
 There is no ceremony; none of the thrilling and elaborate routine with which the fleet weigh anchor. The skip per tells the mate to heave short. The steam capstan clanks as the cable comes home. The screw churns a foamy wake and slowly, solemnly, another gray hull slips seaward to run the gauntlet of the abominable piracy of imperial Ger many.