South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-05-22
MEN WANTED FOR
AMERICAN SHIPS
Newly Launched Ships Re-
quire About 5000 Men
Per Month For Crews.

wAsHINGTON May 22-The
sea is caIings again ,to American
youth.
As the newtships of'the merchant
marine glide down the ways. the
need for men grows more pressing.
Abundant opportunity 20 aid in win
ming the war is offered the crews
OF the new vessels. with the Ger
tainty that when peace comes there
viii be further adventure and good
pay in carrying American com
merce throughout the world.
Recruiting Of the boys and men
who must go down 20 the sea If
America IS TO regain her old place
among the maritime nations is in
the hands OF the shipping boards
enlistment service. headed by Henry
Howard with headquarters at Bos-
ton. who has outlined to union men
and steamship companies what al
ready has been accomplished.
Started a Year Ago.
About a year ago we realized the
shortage that was going 10 arise
when the new feet was finished,
Mr.. Howard said. and We started
the training Of officers both deck
and engineer. We established a train
Of schools extending along the Allan
tic coast. the Gulf Of Mexico, the Pa
cihc coast and the Great lakes. 70
cradle US TO get hold of'the men who
had experience az sea. We then got
tEe cooperation of the steamboat in
spection service No man was ad
mitted to our schools for officers un-
less he could first qualify for exper
fence required by the rules Of the
steamboat inspection service. That
Obviates the training Of any dead
material After men get their Ii
renses, we place them, as far as pos
sible, on board steamships as junior
officers. to get actual bridge exper-
fence for 80 to so days. During that
period they get SIS "a month with
no bonus. paid by the emergency
fleet corporation, so that the only
expense TO the steamship companies
taking these men is the food they
eat.
I'VE have turned out officers so |
finding positions in the merchant |
marine, and have gone into the navy. |
IL has been 20 a certain extent, a /
short cut 10 a commission in the |
navy. going through our schools. |
owing 10 lack OF cooperation in |
many Of the steamship lines in tax
ing these men on. We believe, how
ever. in view OF the action that was
aiken by the American Steamship /
association some weeks ago that this
viii not be Strengthened out and /
that we viii get the places.
900 Licensed.
There has been licensed, since |
he first Of June, something over e.
600 officers both deck and engineer 7,
Engineers have been given train
in in various technical institutions: |
The Massachusetts Institute Of Tech !
nOlogy in Boston. the John Hopkins /
in Baltimore. Case School OF Applied /
Science in Cleveland, the Tulane un- /
iversity of Washington in Seattle. /
Then outside Of those institutions we
have been given special engineering |
courses in Philadelphia. in connec- |
ton with the ice breaking steamer. |
the Gov. Weaver loaned to us by the
city Of Philadelphia. for that pur-
pose. We are also giving some
courses at the Seamen's institute in
New York. We are starting an ad-
ditional school in Berkeley. Calf
I'VE have been in touch with the
officers association in England. and
II any shortage develops here, we
will bring officers over to fill the
places We have an offer OF coop
Grafton from the English officers as
ISOLATION. We have felt from the
very beginning that we ought to de-
velop our own material here to the
utmost before we call on any for
eign officers. bat 1t looks now as if