Ripley County democrat., 1918-01-25
J.. s. NAVY OPENS
WAY To CAREER IN
MERCHANT MARINE
TREMENDOUS REVIVAL IN SHIP.
PING AFTER WAR MEANS
FORTUNE FOR CAPABLE,
TRAINED YOUNG MEN.
Indications Point TO an Era Of oppor-
tunlty Like That Of Golden
cIIppership oays-chancs
for Ambitious Youths.


ent war will be q short one, and II
therefore behooves young men who
may be called upon to give their time
to their country for the next few years
to consider the peculiar advantages
the navy offers them as career. eth
er in the private or public carrying
trade that Is coming.
Regardless of when OF where the
war ends. the navy must continue to
be manned. 1t will be q bigger and
better navy at the end of hostilities
than 1t was at the beginning, but II
the safety of every principle for which
We are fighting must be guaranteed 1t
will have to grow still bigger ip the
ensuing years. America has at last
taken her proper place as great
world power and her ability to hold
that place will depend almost entirely
upon the navy.
But even If one does not expect to
be naval man all his life he will find
his wartime experience a direct step
ping to a commercial career IN
which energetic and capable men will
be In tremendous demand. For a vast
field OF opportunity is opening in the
new mercantile marine.
The youth of the present generation
has for5otten the time when the
American flag was actually known in
every port Of the world. That was IN
the days Of the old clipper-built sailing
ships which were 30 superior in speed
and carrying power to The vessels Of
any other country that our commercial
fleet was fairly entitled to be called
Mistress OF the Seas.
Wien Commerce Declined.
The Civil War and the fact that we
weren't ready " compete with Europe
in the blllilng Of iron and steel ves-
sells caused US to lose that supremacy.
Our own internal development Was 80
RAPID and the 1eni,nds Ct the great
railroad builulng era Tor men were 80
great that we dIdn't care much II .we
did lose It. So il came about that up
to three years ak0 We ranked below
even small coanrles In the blie-water
carrying trade.
Nov a revolutionary situation con.
fronts us. Our ilternal development
has been SO sreat thai IL Is bound 70
slow up. We shall never asi.in knov
such building boom as that OF the
last halt century. Europe VIII know
one, for haii Of Europe Will have to ne
rebuilt. Bat, at The same time, Europe
will have lost its domination OF tao
carrying trade because of the tremen-
duus wartime destruction Of shipping
and the extraordinary demand tor la.
Lor Of all kinds that will be necessary
to reorganization Of all European In.
dustries.
1t is therefore the logical time for
America to seize its unprecedented op.
portunity Already every hulk that
can be got to sea Us being snapped up.
Every private yard that can build q,
freight-carrying ship Is working to full
capacity. new yards are springing up
everywhere. whole forests and mines
are being drained for material. The
next few years will see thousands
upon thousands Of new American ships
put into commission as rapidly as they
can be manned.
Chance for Navy Men.
BY whom will they be mannedf
Sailors and navigators and captains
and mates cannot be made In day.
and for more than 80 years America
has not been training them In any.
thing like adequate force.
But II must be remembered that tho
United States navy has the reputation
of producing seamen who are without
superiors In all the world. To what
other source than the navy will pro.
yate shipowners look for the men they
will so urgently needf
The road to success win be ready
made in this new business for bright,
capable young men from the navy. AL.
most any one Of them who Is industri-
GUS, capable and ambitious can expect
to become an officer in the mercantile
marine. Furthermore. It was to the
fact that our ship officers were ex'
pected to be business men and were
permitted to become part owners Of
their own vessels that the old clipper
ship trade was able 10 grab the
worlds business. Those conditions viii
come again in the near future.
The future Is therefore secure 70
any man who will cast in his lot with
the navy now In Its time Of greatest
need. II he wishes 70 remain In the
service he will have an honorable and
career open TO him, with
the certainty that be will be taken
care Of in bis old age. whatever mis-.
fortunes may occur II be wishes 10
get into the commercial service his
chances to rise in the world win be
unsurpassed.
Think II over. young man.