The Monticellonian., 1918-09-06

get a taste of the real sea aboard more than 100 eoaStwise steamships.
 Engineer officers trained at the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hohoken. where men with NJ. E. degree or it's equivalent receive inten siYe training in marine engineering
 Thousands of men are being trained for the naval auxiliary reserve at the Great Lakes (lll.1 station
 All men turned out by these schools are as much part of the navy if they had been grad= uated from Annapolis. All of t'.ese future oili= cers are American citizens and will form the natural nucleus of great merchant marine.
 All navy crews merchant ships for the dn= ration of the war were advocated by the navy early in the conhict-It was the belief that ail such ships should be placed under the strctest discipline; that with permanent crews, efficiency aboard ship would be increased; that the ships would be sef-sustainng, 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
 It was the idea Of tlfe service that by this means the love of the sea would be planted again in the American heart Men who once had q sniff of the salt air would probably never be satisfied to go back to the cities farms. They would form the nucleus of n 100 per cent merchant marine.
  controlled cargo service. Steamship owners feared it meant federal control. The navy had only about 2G00 officers and most of these were needed to aid the 10000 reserve force to break in the 100000 enlisted men. Gradually as has been stated, the manning and operation of the merchant ships devoyed upon the navy and the overseas transportation service was organized to handle it.
 In some quarters it 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 war should not, it is thought be rated private property of any in diyidual or company They must not be in the hands of men who working for money only. Iterate men, anarchists, socialists and the dis loyal may become members of mercantile crews. whereas only men who are intelligent and physic- ally fit may become soldiers seamen of the nation. Soldiers work for $50 month and the sense of duty alone. Merchant seamen receive today 800 month or more and extra pay for overtime and Sundays. and they not under any obligation to remain at
 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 antewar conditions it was i'm possible to hire Americans and the class of for eigners who would work on 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 freighter. bound to Europe with cargo of essentials for sol diers refused to obey the commanders order to assist in getting up ammunition when submarines were reported ahead, on the ground that 1t was Sunday and the La Toilette law provided only for warch duty Sunday.
 On another occasion a civilian demanded overtime for performing Sunday a 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 are certain. On two three occasions civilian crews that have struck have been instantly supplanted by navy men and the ship carried through with its precious cargo for the American men at the front
 Some students of naval strategy of the opinion that 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 not get across the is lost to the allies.