Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1918-09-13

get taste or the real aboard more than 100
cOaStwiSe steamships.
Engineer officers are trained at the Stevens
Institute of Technology in HobOken, where men
with NJ. E. degree its equivalent receive inten-
sive training in marine engineering
Thousands of men are being trained for the
naval auxiliary reserve at the Great Lakes (Ir)
station
All men turned out by these schools are as
much part of the navy as if they had been grad
uated from Annapolis. All of tl.ese future Off
GERS are American citizens and will form the
natural nucleus of great merchant marine.
All navy crews on merchant ships for the du-
ration of the were advocated by the navy
early in the conflict. 1t the belief that all
such ships should be placed under the strictest
discipline; that with permanent crews, efficiency
aboard snip would be increased that the ships
would be sef-Susaining, in that the crew would
be able to make all repairs; that the loading and
unloading could be more efficiently done, and that
several hundred thousand Americans would join.
the service, where it was believed they would
remain after the war.
1t the idea of the service that by this
means the love of the sea would be planted again
In the American heart. Men who once had sniff
of the salt air would probably never be satisfied
to so back to the cities or farms. They would
form the nucleus of a 100 per cent merchant
marine.
In the beginning nobody wanted government
controlled cargo service. Steamship owners
feared it meant federal control. The navy had
only about 1900 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 devolved upon the navy and the
overseas transportation service was organized to
handle it.
In some quarters 1t is believed that the entire
work OF manning and operating cargo ships
should be turned to the navy Danger of
strikes among civilian crews is feared. Ships
carrying cargo in time of should not, it is
thought, be rated private property of any in
dividual or company They must not be in the
hands of men who are working for money only.
Illiternte men, anarchists, socialists and the dis
loyal may become Aembers of mercantile crews
whereas only men who are intelligent and physc-
ally fit may become soldiers seamen of the
nation. Soldiers work for $50 month and the
of duty alone Merchant seamen receive
today 800 month more and extra pay for
overtime and Sundays, and they are not under
any obligation to remain at sea.
At the outbreak of the there were 5000
Germans in the American merchant marine.
Sixty per cent of the members of the Seamen's
union are said to be foreigners. AS the service
was run under anteWar conditions it was i'm
possible to hire Americans and the class of for
eignerS who would work these ships was large
ly undesirable.
Strikes said to be likely at any time aboard
ships manned by foreign laborers. An incident
is cited in which the of a freighter, bound
to Europe with cargo of essentials for our SOL
diers, refused to obey the commanders order to
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 q civilian crew demanded
overtime for performing Sunday certain
duty provided by law Civilian sailors of cargo
ships have been caught in the act of signaling
to enemy submarines, and freroom forces have
bolted for the deck upon the sounding of an
alarm of danger
Ships manned with naval officers and crews
are safe from strikes and mutiny. Efficiency and
competent operation certain. On two or three
occasions civilian that have struck have
been instantly suppanteG by navy men and the
ship carried through with its precious cargo for
the American men at the front.
Some students of naval strategy are of the
opinion that a great part of the United States
navy might be sunk without to any great extent
affecting the result of the war, but If the cargo
ships do cot get across the war Is lost to the
allies.