Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1918-09-05

get taste of the real sea aboard more than 100
coastwise steamships
Engineer officers are trained at the Stevens
institute OF Technology in Hoboken, where men
with NJ =. degree or it's equivalent receive inten-
slve training in marine engineering
Thousands of men are being trained for the
haVal auxiliary reserve at the Great Lakes (Ill.)
station.
All men turned out by these schools are as
much part of the navy as if they had been grad
uated from Annapolis. All of t,-ese future Off
GERS are American citizens and will form the
natural nucleus of great merchant marine.
All navy crews merchant ships for the du-
rauon of the war were advocated by the navy
carry IN the conflict. 1t the belief that all
sucn ships should be placed under the strictest
discipline; that with permanent crews, efficiency
iabosrd 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 war;
1t was the idea Of the service that by this
means the love of the sea 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 or farms. They would
form the nucleus Of 100 per cent merchant
marine.
In the beginning nobody wanted a government
controlled cargo service. Steamship owners
feared it meant federal control. The navy had
only about 1900 officers and most of these were
needed to aid the 10000 reserve force to break
in the 100000 new enlisted men. Gradually, as
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,
In 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 crews is feared. Ships
carrying cargo in time of war should not it is
thought be rated private property Of any in
dividual or company. They must not be in the
hands Of men who are working for money only
Ilterate men, anarchists, socialists and the dis
loyal may become members of mercantile crews
whereas only men who are intelligent and physc-
ally fit may become soldiers or seamen of the
nation Soldiers work for $50 month and the
sense of duty alone. Merchant seamen receive
today 500 month or more and extra pay for
overtime and Sundays and they are not under
any obligation to remain at sea.
At the outbreak of the war there were 5000
Germans in the American merchant marine.
Sixty per cent of the members Of the Seamen's
union are said to be foreigners AS the service
was run under antewar conditions it was i'm
possible to hire Americans and the class of for
eigners who would work these ships was large
ly undesirable.
Strikes said to be likely at any time aboard
ships manned by foreign laborers. An incident
is cited in which the crew of freighter, bound
to Europe with cargo Of essentials for our SOL
diers, refused to obey the commanders order to
assist in getting up ammunition when submarines
were reported ahead on the ground that 1t was
Sunday, and the La Toilette law provided only
for watch duty on Sunday.
On another occasion civilian crew demanded
overtime for performing on Sunday certain
duty provided by law. Civilian sailors of cargo
ships have been caught in the act Of signaling
to enemy submarines, and freroom forces have
bolted for the deck upon the sounding of an
alarm of danger
Ships manned with naval officers and crews
are safe from strikes and mutiny. Efficiency and
competent operation are certain. On two or three
occasions civilian crews that have struck have
been instantly supplanted by navy men and the
ship carried through with Its precious cargo for
the American men at the front.
Some students of naval strategy are of the
opinion that great part of the United States
navy might be sunk without to any great extent
affecting the result of the war; but If the cargo
ships do not get across the war is lost to the
allies