Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1918-09-12

get Il tHSlt " L .tt u T. tIttIN DlNit iAhI ~
coastwise steamships.
Engineer officers are trained at TIE Stevens
Institute of Techuplcgs in Hnboken, where men
with NJ, L. degree or its equivalent receive inten'
sive training in marine engineering.
Thousands of men are being trained for the
naval auxiliary reserve at the Great Lakes tll.)
station.
All men turned out by these schools are as
much a part Of the navy as If they had been graz
uated from Annapolis. Al! of t-.ese future ON
GERS are American citizens and Will forh me
natural nucleus of Il great merchant marine.
All navy crews on merchant ships for the du'
ration Of the war were advocated by the navy
early in the conflict. 1t was the belief tna' all
such ships should be placed under the striciest
discipline; that with permanent crews, efficiency
aboard ship would be increased that the SHIPS
would be self-sustaining, in that the crew would
be able to make all repairs; that the loading and
unloading could be more efficiently done, anu thai
several hundred thousand Americans would join
the service, where 1t was believed they would
remain after the war.
1t was the idea of the service that hy thls
means the love Of the sea would be planted again
in the American heart. Men who once had a sniH
OF the salt air would probably never be satisfied
to go back to the cities or farms. They would
form the nucleus Of Il 100 per cent merchant
marine.
III liz SIiiii AotoHS fih> -
controlled cargo service. Steamship owners
feared 1t meant federal control. The navy had
only about 900 officers and most of these were
needed to aid the 10000 reserve force to break
in the 100000 new enlisted men. Gradually, as
has been stated. the manning and operation OF the
merchant ships devoived upon the navy and the
overseas transportation service was organized TO
handle 1t.
In some quarters 1t is believed that the entire
u-rrf- If m n and pyar1tiur cargo SIlUS
should be turned over to the navy. Danger or
strikes among civilian crews is feared. Ships
carrying cargo in time of war should not, 1t IS
thought, be rated rs private property or any IN
dividual or company. They must not be In the
hands of men who are working for money only.
Miterate men, anarchists. socialists and the us
,oyal may become members Of mercantile crews.
whereas only men who are intelligent and physic-
ally fit may become soldiers or seamen OF the
nation. Soldiers work for $50 Il month and the
sense OF duty alone. Merchant seamen receive
today $50 a month or more and extra pay Tor
overtime and Sundays, and they are not under
any obligation to remain at sea.
At the outbreak of the war there were 5000
Germans in the American merchant marine
Sixty per cent Of the members of the Seamens
union are said to be foreigners. As the service
was run under antewnr conditions 1t was I'M
nossib,r TO hire Americans and the class Of for
e,pners who would work on these ships was large
lkuSh 'N'
" undesirable.
Strikes are said to be likely at any time aboard
ships manned by foreign laborers. An incident
is cited In which the crew Of n f~re!ghter. bound
TO Europe with a cargo Of essentials for our sol
diers. refused to obey the commanders order ia
assist In getting up ammunition when submarines
were reported ahead, on the ground that It was
Sunday, and the La Toilette law provided only
for watch duty on Sunday.
On another occasion n civilian crew demanded
overtime for performing on Sunday q certain
dpty proyided by law. Civilian sailors OF cargo
Sims have been caught In the act Of slgnnlini
n enemy submarines. md freroom folces hav'
, bolted for the deck upon the sounding Of al
alarm Of danger.
sh,ps manned with naval officers ind crew
ore safe from strikes md mutiny. EAiclescy ami
compctent operation are certain. On two Or thre
, occasions civilian crews that have struck hav
. heen instantly supplantcd BY navy men and tn
|, sh,p carricd through with its precious cargo TO
; ,he American men at the front.
: some students Of naval strategy are u tn
onlnion TINT a great part Of the United Stnte
. navy might be sunk without to any sreat exten
: Affecting the result Of the war, but II the cars
: ships do not get across the war u Lost y n
j nllies.