The Elk Mountain pilot., 1918-11-14

used for transport purposes will be turned back to
their orignai uses a. commercs carriers and will
call for merchant crews.
The work Of manning the merchant marine With
all-Auerican crews thus becomes one OF the great
est Of the governments present activities.
1t Ia being carried out entirely by the United
States shipping board through it, own recruiting
service This service has national headquarters at
Boxton-a famous old seaport and . natural CEN
ter for American sail0rs-and has training sta
lions also at New York. Norfolk. New Orleans. San
Francisco, Seattle and Cleveland. 1t maintains
Q feet Of IL training ships and IL training 6.OOO
a month.
The system of securing recruits for this service
they not enlisted. but sign contract to serve
for the duration Of the war. with the privilege OF
serving much longer a. they lke-is exceed
ingly simple.
Observing the effectiveness Of establishing
branch post of1ces in drug stores. the shipping
board applied the idea to recruiting and estab-
lished Its recruiting stations In each store Of q
we'll known chain throughout the country. There
are B5] Of these stores, and In each the propsie
tor or head clerk Is sworn in A. "dollar-a-yeaf
man" to work for the United States shpping board
- q special enrolling agent Of the merchant ma
rine.
These enrolling agents began their work last
spring They got to going strong In August Of this
year a. the figures already quoted indicate
TIE men whom they sign are sent to sesports
for training the government rsin,bursng them for
their railroad fare.
The young man entering the merchant marine
through the shipping boards training service be-
come the special charges and wards Of the shipping
board for the duration Of the war.
Their welfare II looked after from the moment
they enter the service They are placed on board
big training vessels, where they put into uni
foru-A special uniform, differing from that used
In the navy--and nre given scientific course OF
training in the rating for which they "sign on
Some are trained ~ sailors. otherr nremen.
others a. cooks or bakers stewards. For the
cooks and bakers special schools are maintained
aboard ship. there being one at Boston and an
other at New York.
on the character Of coal, combustion. of boil
ers and the Ike The shipping board maintains .
large school for fremen at Chicago and another
ut Boston.
Water-tenders and oilers-the assistants to the
engineers on a shp-are also given special school
training before being taken to sea. at Chicago
school OF engineering.
are quite young the minimum age limit Is
e,chtccn-have finished their special courses they
arc sent to merchant ships in proportion
Of four to each six able seamen carried
Ahoat ashors they are responsible always to
the shipping board. and every time they return to
an American port they report their whereabouts to
the recruiting service headauaFters
In this manner Uncle Sam keeps petsenal eye
CT the young men making their Ar.t voyages. He
know. them. and knows that he can trust them
They are part Of big family OF young American
sailors Of the best sort-Americans whose loyalty
u beyond question. and whose bravery and dsvo-
ton Give the lie every day and every hour Of The
day to cruel slandsrs that have besn circulated
sance the war bssan against the character OF Amer
lean merchant cfswa
TIE young American nsrehanunan facss gravs