The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-05-23
By JoSEPHUS DANIELS.
Secretary of the United States Navy.)
Copyright by the International News
 Bureau, Inc, Boston, Mass.)

Splendid meni Men who looked as though they were destined to hazard such feats as Zeebrugge and to be the iniIeritors ofthe traditions of Ira falgarl That is my impression of British sailors as I saw them on my visit to the north.
 |. discovered, as I looked at them, that there was very little diffeence between them and the seamen of the United States Navy. If they had been on our ships, in our uniforms, should have thought them American men.
 Of course, there are differences discernible. The British seamen ara of different bloods English, Scots. Irish-but the impression is that of q homogeneous whole. In our navy, as in America throughout, there is a mixture of races. and to that extent the difference is reflected in the char acteristics and habits and ideas of men.
 British sailors arc men of blood and brawn and bone. Our men. too arc splendid fellows. rather more wiry fin build than the Britishers, but just as tough.
 The British sailors are keen sports men; so, too are ours. The Britons will find a variety of sports lteenly followed fin the American Fleet. It is this love of the open air and strenuous exercise which has given the British navy such q splendid all- round standard of physique.
 What struck our boys most when they first came over was the punctil- iousness shown by every rating of the British Navy. We, on the other hand, are perhaps outwardly, not so ob- servant of the salute and so forth, especially ashore; but the discipline is there all the same.
 I regretted that I was unable to spend more time among the men. I waSted to get to know them better. Judging from what I saw. they were alert, and intelligent. I do not know whnt,leveI of education obtains among the ordinary seamen of the British Navy, so Icannot make a compari- son.
 But I am sure our American sys- tenn is a. good one, and worth study ing. Every man in our Navy may be said to bo educated, because on every ship we have q. school board fnstruc- tionss to which every man is compelled to go for instruction. Men who join the Navy so young that their elemen- tary education is unfinished are taught arithmetic, grammar, geogra- phy and similar subjects.
 Broad Basis of Promotion.
 As citizens of a democratic coun- try, VIC applaud that which has been, and is being, done to broaden the basis of promotion in the British Navy. In our Navy tho system of pro- motion fram ranks is already very ad- vanced. Here of course, the induce ment to a man to improve his edu- cation is very great, for his chance of promotion is made to depend large- ly on his general knowledge and effi- ciency.
 As a result of a measure which introduced to Congress, one hum dred enlisted men now pass into the Naval Academy every year. think 1t is significant of the democratic spirit which rules in America to find that the president of the graduates class of the Naval Academy last year was an enlisted man himself.
 have not sufficient intimate knowledge of the detailed working arrangements existing in the British Navy to give any opinion as to edu- cation and promotion, but am con- vinced of the value of promotion be- ing as broad a. subject as possible and making 1t partly depend on gen. eral knowledge and education.
 In addition to educating men in naval lore we teach them trades whiIe-they are serving afloat. The men therefo. y6now that by studying they can rise to high rank if they stay fin service, while those who intend to go out at the end of their four year's themselves to take up a. qualified civ engagement can, in the meantime, fit tlian trade.
 What You Have and We Haven't.
 The British sailor, however, pos sesses one advauSage for which the American seaman can never expect 10 find compensation. The British Navy is an old navy with q trdition running backwards through the cen turies.
 From King Alfred's day the British Navy has made history. The British sailors therfore, draw inspiration from the ages. Raleigh, Drake, Frobisher, Hawkins and Howard, Blake. St. Vincent, Howe, Hood, and Nelson each has given the British A. B. an ideal to-live by. The influence of the British sea history is unique, and