The Republican journal., 1918-02-21
Man the New Ships.

Fifty thousand men are needed 1or
crews in the New Merchant Marine. This
number includes officers, sailors, firemen,
oilers, water-tenders, coal-passers, cooks
and stewards.
Men who have served as sailors are
expected to come forward for service as
officers or able seamen. Experienced
fremen. oilers or water-tenders may Sc
cure good jobs at once.
Men who have not been to sea Will be
trained for the work they are best quail
fled to take up.
The most desirable age for inexperi-
enced applicants is from II to n.
Citizens in every State are urged to
come forward for this vital national
work on the sea.
American merchant sailors not only
are doing war work of the greatest i'm
portance; they also are laying founda-
ton for their country's unprecedented
commercial expansion on the seas, to be
realized when peace returns.
The merchant sailors job is not merely
war job 1t is permanent.
This is a purely voluntary service.
There is no drafting of men for the Mer-
chant Marine.
The volunteer for this service "signs
articles, - the same as mariner bound on
a voyage, agreeing to serve under the U.
S. Shipping Board, as his official superior,
to the end of the war
Never before in the history of our
country have the rewards OF service IN
the Merchant Marine, and the chances OF
rand advancement for American sailors,
been so great as now.
The World War is to be won by ships.
The whole world cries 'Ships, ships, more
shipsp'
Merchant ships are the kind most need
ed-the kind manned by merchant sail
OrS.
The work of the Shipping Board in
producing a great fleet of cargo vessels
for the Merchant Marine of the United
States, in response to this worldwide
demand for ships, inSureS leading place
for this country as a maritime nation.
The American people are now alive to
the Importance of building and manning
a Merchant Marine that shall be limited
only by the country's productive capacity
in ships and men.
Sections of the country that never be-
fore had direct interest in shipping now
see that it is vital to their prosperity and
security.
All this means that the manhood OF
America must take up the business OF
Seagoing on an unprecedented scale.
No man who has ever been a sailor can
Justify himself if now he stays ashore,
in the time of his country's need of his
services.
Every experienced sailor with capacity
to learn scientific navigation now has an
opportunity to become an officer in the
Merchant. Marine.
Men without seagoing experience, but
with determination to become sailors, will
now be aided directly by the government
in carrying out their patriotic purpose to
serve at sea.
For the first time in the history of the
Merchant Marine the country has ma
tional system of training such men for
sea service-that administered by the
Sea Training Bureau of the U. S. Ship
ping Boards Recruiting Service.
The inexperienced man trained by the
course of instruction provided by the
Sea Training Bureau will become quail
fled in the shortest possible tipe to serve
his country in its merchant fleets. When
he has finished his training as an appren-
tice he will take his place in actual work
at sea beside experienced men who will
respect his legal status among them. Not
only the sailors, but the firemen, coal
passers, oilers, water-tenders, cooks and
stewards that come off the training ships
will start in their new tasks with the
knowledge that they are wanted and well
come on the new vessels of the Merchant
Marine
A graduate from the Shipping Boards
training ships who has had some actual
experience about the water-especially if
it has been yachting experence-usually
may qualify as boatswain or quarter
master after few months in actual ser
vice.
The young American merchant sailor
knows that after total of two years
sea experience he may enter Shipping
Board school in navigation to fit himself
for an officers license; that in three
years he can pass through all three
grades as mate-3d, I'd and 1St in order
and that his next step in promotion is to
the command of ship.
All interested may apply to Maine Hills
at the City Drug Store, who is the re-
cruitinp AGENT for Belfast