The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1918-12-03

did work being done by the United
States Shipping Board Recruiting
Service. The training of 1000 young
men per month for the crews Of our
merchant ships is no small task II
is evidence of commendable enter.
prise and farsightedness on the part
of the Shipping Board and those con-
Quoting the work, and Of fine spirit
on the part Of those entering the
service. a.
We can never succeed in establish.
ing creditable mercantile marine
under our flag unless we arrange to
furnish the men to sail the ships.
We can do that readily when we
assure the men fair treatment, whole
some and healthful surroundings,
reasonable compensation for services
land certain advancement for faithful
and efficient performance Of duties.
The American boy for many years
past has found nothing to invite but
Everything to discourage him when
he looked toward the sea. He has
been driven to other occupations even
when his taste and yearning urged
him to do business on the great
waters"
The seapower Of any nation de-
ponds mainly upon the number Of
trained seamen that nation can fur
nish 1t is the part of wisdom to
foster in every way the development
of seamanship and make attractive to
those who turn to it as permanent
Occupation, the life of mariner.
Before the days of Solomon the
merchants Of Tyre were operating
ships and extending the trade to the
then known regions. Their supremacy
on the seas passed, after supporting
Idynasties and building cities by the
use of ships, to Greece, then to Italy,
then to Portugal, then to Spain, then
to Holland, then to England, and fin
ally to the United States In the days
of the Baltimore Clippers.
We threw away the proud title Of
1.-THE Mistress of the Seas" We de-
liberately allowed this country to be-
come a "beggar Of ships and, with
our commerce paralyzcd, "fettered
and embargoed trafficker"; we
changed the word mistress" to was
SAL do not think We will be guilty
of such folly again. We adopted the
= policy of neglecting our seamen, find
ling crews wherever they could be
had for the least money, taking the
foreigner stranded on our shores
picking up the derelicts, treating
them outrageously, until the word
{ sailor" became by-word and a re-
proach. Until the Act Of December
21st, 1898, seamen could be impris
oned for leaving an American vessel
| in an American port and held against
| their will, to service. Until the Sea
mans Act which became effective as
to foreign vessels In August, 1916
under treaties denounced by that Act
seamen on foreign vessels could be
arrested and imprisoned by oul
= courts for leaving their vessel II
: was not until that Act went into full
effect that all seamen were set fires
in this country.
BY Act of Congress approved Jun'
26th 1884, American shipowners were
permitted to discharge crew hiret
in an American port, employ anothe
crew in the port in which his compe
titor hired his, come to the Unitet
States and go back to foreign por
without re-shipping in the Unite'
States and thus escape the American
wage rate. The crimping system wa
in full play and the seaman wa
robbed. The forecastle, where n
lived with men of all races, speaking
languages he could not understand
inadequate as to space and ventila
ton, was foul, disease-breedinI
place.
The wages were based on the low
est paid in any port he touched an
left him nothing for his family.
There was no prospect in such
life. No wonder the American lei
the sea. We can we'll understan
| why more than go per cent of the o.
| ficers and men in our merchant me-
rine in 1915 were not citizens of tn
| United States.
1t was not until March 14th. 1897
| that Congress passed a law reQuirin
| that the forecastle must be improved
| Every maritime nation had Ion
since required the same thing.
: The seaman's Act Of March 4th
1915. was the first emphatic declare
- ton by Congress that the rights an
. interests Of our seamen should hav
o.o,,;.;o,, ard ha maintained Thl