The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1918-11-08

EGI&a - CIdlcN ~i-lillE Iitit. WHICH, HIS IL
@I hand the great task of creating an
$50 adequate personnel for our new mer-
- chant marine.
- In years past, whenever the subject
OF creating Il merchant marine in pro-
portion to the country's commercial Importance
came up. the question was raised: How are we
going 70 get men for American ships?"
Young Americans had got out of the way of sea
going. The country did not think In terms of
ships. Foreign seamen chiefly manned what yes
sells we had. our shipyards could not compete
with foreign yards.
The war has changed all that. The change has
been little short of magical. The United States Of
America now leads the world in shipbuilding. 1t
Will soon lead the world with its seagoing citizens.
Thousands Of young Americans are turning to the
sea every month. The old era of the square-rig-
gers. to which friends Of the American merchant
marine fondly refer. is rnpidly being dwarfed by
what is taking place IN our merchant marine today.
As an example of the extraordinary change going
on In the matter of crews. may be cited n phe-
nOmenal jump in September recruiting for the
merchant marine reported by the United States
shipping board from Washington. In the following
bulletin:
An increase of 41 per cent in a month. In the
number OF recruits for the merchant marine signed
on the United States shipping board. was reported
by the board. The figures covering four weeks end
ing September y. are as follows: Week ending
2697: September y. 4.4S4. The figures for the latter
week exceed b. 49, men the number the board had
announced as an expected maximum for the month
Of September The men are accepted for training
KS SdIOTS- TeHieu coal paS6eiS, Dor stew
ards. and VIII be put aboard training ships at Bos-
ton. New York. Norfolk. New Orleans. San Fran
cisco. Seattle and Cleveland.
Every little while one hears somebody ask.
what IS this merchant marine we hear so much
about2-
Nobody need feel ashamed If he does not readily
visualize this new commercial maritime force Of
the country. The nation for many years past has
been building up such an admirable navy that
many people confuse the merchant marine with
the navy, thinking that all ships are under naval
control.
The merchant marine is quite distinct from the
navy. II Is, indeed. a navy In itself- commercial
navy-of vessels engaged In business voyages
The United States shipping board has charge of 1t.
and II IS run rs a national business organization.
much the same as the nations great railroads are
run by the railroad administration
The shipping board consists of five MEMBERS,
nen OF high training in business affairs, appointed
from various parts OF the country. Its chairman
is Edward n. Hurley of Chicago. Its headquarters
are in n business building In Washington.
Control is exercised by this board over every
merchant ship of more than $500 tons sailing I'M
der the American flag. The vast shipbuilding pro-
gram of the country-resulting in the bridge OF
ships TO Europe" which enables as 10 send mil
lions of men 10 the fighting front and sustain them
there's I'm the hands of the shipping board. The
shipbuilding is done by the Emergency Fleet cor
porntion, operated by the board. and directed by
Charles VI. Schwab, a master mind in the steel
world and known from coast 10 coast as a business
genius of the first order.
The merchant marine today Is American to the
core.
American daring and seagoing ability are taking
our merchant ships safely across the seas and
back again with shuttlelike regularity.
All this is being done by volunteers, who take
I'D the work because they recognize the greatness
OF the opportunity TO help their country In a new
epoch Of expansion.
The mariner in the merchant marine is not an
enlisted man. \ scratch Of the pen IS all that
binds him to his job; yet he Is as firmly fixed In
fl as II he were there by the operation of the
service law.
Every man working for the new merchant ma
rtne knows that his Is not merely q war lob. i'm
portant though his STork may be as part OF his
country's mighty stroke for freedom. The lob
last after the return OF peace. 1t becomes.
doubly important
Ship manning on q much greater scale than that
OF the present Will begin when the war ends. for
at that time many merchant ships temporarily