The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-08-09
Dolly Visits the U. S Navy Recruiting Staton Meets Lieut.J. E. Meredith, and Witnessesthe Swearing In
 of Big Bunch of Patriotic Young Naval Patriots

ture was made upon the entertainment by the high moguls of Guatemala on
 the 25 officers from the cruiser fleet within Guatemala waters" Lieutenant Meredith said "A pathway from the official buildings in Guatemala city to
 the temple of Minerva Ca replica Of the real temple. by the way) which was two miles long and 500 feet wide, was covered with sawdust colored green so
 as to give it the appearance of a carpet;
 on each side thousands of flags of the two nations were used in decoration and thousands of children were lined up singing the 'Star-Spangled Banner and waving the Stars and Stripes; when the entertainment proper began hundreds
 of cases of champagne were opened inc estimate was almost fabulous-and hence the name 'Guatemalean chamr pagne.' It was the most stupendous and most costly entertainment l have ever witnessed.
 Such opportunities come to the or+
 ficers of the navy" Lieutenant Mere+ dith said, "and no branch of the serv- ice offers more splendid advantages I always tell the recruits this when they come to enlist; the navy Is the cleanest both physically and morally of any of the branches; this appeals especially to the mothers of men beT cause they like to think of their boyf as being comfortable. One induce+ ment is that there are no 'cooties'| that's a big inducement, too; cleanii+ nets of body as well as mind is rel quired and we want only the highest type of men.
 There came to me a feE days ago. Lieutenant Meredith said, when d magnificent specimen of young man r1 t0.r, for service in the naval reserve corps. asked him what he had been doing; hd said he was a get away from the law he had been arrested for making whis- ky and they told him if the navy woulo take him, they'd let him go. I took Il with grain of salt, and thanked hln for coming and bade him 'au revoir, assuring him that the navy was not 1 penitentiary or a house of correction "The work of our men in the navy | and let me say right here word fol the marines" Lieutenant Meredith 1 emphasized, since the war began ha:
 teen nothing short of glorious; th' marines have done the nobles and th' bravest work that could be asked O
 men; they know the value of organiza tion and the three essential qualified tions for success-esprit de corps, dis cipline and team work. If you noticed ] in my talk to the class enlisting a
 you came in, particularly emphasizes teamwork; it is one of the greatest es
 sentials to any successful organiza l tion.
 Birmingham and the state of Ala
 bama have responded nobly to our call, Lieutenant Meredith said, ''but l bel l and urge that the response be con tinued: 75,000 men are asked for, an I Alabama must furnish her quota, jus
 as soon as the men qualify they ar sent to the various naval trafnin schools; about 60,000 are in training a a time; three weeks are spent by tn men in detention camps where ever vestige of clothes and anything the
 brought with them is discarded an
 they start out in brand new attir'
 clean from head to foot. While owe
 20u0 have already been accepted her'
 we have refused that many more. w
 ask only for the highest type of men
 the highest mental and physical stand , ard obtains in the navy and make , it the most desirable branch of tn
 service to which young man can | called"