Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-06-11

xv1AsHINGToN, D. G.. June $50 mGca mas mas
NX/ been written and said about keeping tne
Wv fighting man amused The impression is APT
to get abroad that he is incapable of amusing MIN
self OF the navy especially, this would De un-
true For while the tars are keenly appIeOI0S
of all the shows and lectures and magazines, Gu s
concerts and movies which have been provldeu loI
them bz a generous government, and still more
generous public they by habit to greaU "a
tent independent of these things. inns So oo,,it
commendable movement Tor keeping INC - 49,
amused is comparatively new, but the navy nas
long since solved the problem OF no" 10 n"'o
good time no matter Where IL lS' :.
For while the sailors days Of leisure may DC
snent in London or Paris or Hongkong, they as
often occur when the ship is at anchor OH SOME
coaling sation among popuiatlon Oh tbe navv
in a port that is quarantined Hence the navy
has formed the habit of depending upon its own
resources for diversion. And the ne" recruits
have quickly caught the ldea.
An old tar looking over a roomful OF naval re-
serves remarked: Throw bucketful OIL san
water into that room, and the whole blooming lo'
will be seasick in a jify.
And he may have been right at the time But
+hese men not only got used to the ways OF the
waves. but also to those of the jolly men tnaC
sail them For the navy has tradition OF cheer-
fulness The happy grin is its inslgne. Inc navy
bo. baen decorated with smile for learning how
to have fun under trying condltlons'
The fundamental principle of the navy
method of amusing itself is that snlpiOau W dif
will include by the law of averages many uii +
ferent kinds talent. This talent is soHen -, a.
with systematic care, developed and USED lor an
is worth.
A beIigerent Irish recruit when asked what
be. couId contribute toward the general JOY fund,
replied: 4 can't dance and can't sing but can
lick any ID man in the crowd
He soon had a number of chances to prove
HE assertion for boxing of the navys stand
ard sports. and it has developed some men who
would show to good advantage in the proIesslon-
al ring if they chose to enter IL.
Baseball is another game that stands high In
tho estimation of the sailor man. At a training
station near Washington there are dozen Dase.
ball diamonds laid out side by sioe, anu an .t %
naval recruit with an aptitude for the nat1onaI
game gets into trim to uphold the honor Oh MS
shin against the teams from other vessels MS
+bTe+ic instruction is as systematic and thorough
as that in his profession, for the navy is aDundan
" supplied with athletic directors me JACK al
Iyevs knows what is going on at home IN the
IvorId of snort too; for the wireless summary OF
news that goes out from washington every day to
shipg and naval stations In all parts OF the
world includes the baseball scores.
Rowing is a naval sport which is more in line
with the professional duties OF the paruclpants'
but which is nevertheless entered upon IN opot
~ +be big warshfps are pulled off, there is wild
enthusiasm and strong betting.
Among less strenuous amusements, singing
holds first place in the navy. Upon every man-of-
war there are a number of men who sing,
some who can play instruments, and few who do not
attempt one the other. And music is an aid to
work as we'll as a of passing spare time.
When a ship is being coaled the band usually
p1avs and the fuel goes oversize in jiffy to the
rhvthm and swing OF some tune IHSI every man
sing.
Ouartettes are as common in the navy as cor
net PLAYERS in a country town. Wherever twenty
FIVE sailors get together, quartette is sure to be
evolved and new recruits often form these impor-
FAINT organizations before they get to the train
ing stations. Not long ago group of naval Of
fcers of high rank were being entertained, and a
nuartette from one of the vessels formed a part
of the program. The skill of these singers was
surprising After they had finished, gentleman
went to the leader, explained that he had been IN
the show business. and wanted to know where
these men had acquired such unusual attachments.
eve were In vaudeville for three years" the
sailor admitted 1--WE enlisted in a body"
"Isn't that fne?" exclaimed the old Snowman.
"Naybe So" said the minstrel-sailor, but
never worked so hard before in lives. Once
the crew found out what business was, they
started us singing, and we've been singing
since"
John Philip Sousa has been especially success
full in finding and developing musical talent among
the sailors. At the Great Lakes training station he
ORGANIZED band Of three hundred pieces that is
praised by the knowing and he now has over
thousand naval recruits on the lakes organized
into bands.
The Great Lakes recruits further distinguished
themselves by staging sailor-written and sailor