South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-07-13
4 Ministry at Sea
By Chaplain Henry J. Fry, U. S. N.

Last April the fleet lay anchored
IN the North river. at rest after over
seas service. The thousands who
passed along Riverside DIR. caught
an impression OF tho romance Of
navy life. They saw the majestic
battleships decked in flags. the
freshly painted destroyers, the mo-
tor launches loaded with laughing
visitors. and the sailors, coming
ashore on liberty" happy as school
boys.
A newspaper reporter walking
down the drive looked on the same
scene. but with eyes that saw be-
meath the romance. for he had Just
been discharged from the navy. The
article he penned for the next days
paper spoke Of the sailors unroman-
tic career.
We speak Of the romance Of
naval life, with never a thought
Of its abuormality. We invest
tho sailors days with an alluring
glamor. with never a thought
OF the drudgery Of drill and
deck swabbing, Cf the monoton-
GUS routine Of duties performed
day after day, OF the rigidity OF
iron discipline. We have no
conception CT the close quarters
aboard. closer than nuns in a
convent. than bees in a hive,
where men live elbow to elbow,
and privacy is impossible. when
the mind Is sick and longs for
solitude. There is no wife and
family 20 go home 20 at night,
no sweetheart 70 court, no gar
den 70 dig after the days work,
no church-spires 10 pass, no
moving picture theater 10 visit.
There is the mOnOtony Of sea.
SKY and ship. ard the same
always the same-faces. 1t is a
life with all the multifarious
non essentials. that make life
happy and bearable, clean gone
out Of IT,"
Whether IL be a trip across the
Atlantic in days OF war. or in days
CT peace, there is always this alb
normality. Sea life, under all con-
ditions. subjects the sailor TO pc
culiar temptations, and gives his
nature a gruelling test.
IL is an ideal culture" for breed
Ing the bacillus OF the fling" ashore.
when the seaport town is reached.
especially if it be port demoralized
by the constant passing Of armed
men
II is a time of special danger
when the "gob" passes down the
esangway, after a transatlantic oy-
age. No civilian can fully under
stand his hunger for relaxation and
change. for the companiOnship OF
good women, for a clean white table,
cloth with family gathered about.
for all those tangible values linked
Hith the word home" lie Graves
all this after the monotony Of the
voyage, after the constant sight of
men. men. and nothing but men.
after "chowIng' under rough and
ready conditions. He goes ashore
hungry for the things that spell the
normal happiness Of the civilians
life Good homes are not open tc
him, and his own home Is far dis
tant. He will be tempted 10 get
relaxation. even though 1t be across
the door-sill with the red light over
il. where men are untitled 10 be
come husbands and fathers. RE
viii lee tempted 10 get change. even
though it be in the cup that be
clouds the mind. arouses the pas
sions and weakens the will.
Any effort 10 soften this contrast
between sea and port for the crew,
Is practically valueless for the 60
per cent who viii seek evil relaxa-
ton OF any evil kind at every Op-
pc~tunity. But the other 20 per
cent are those VINO strive to follow
standards Of Christian living. They
are helped 10 win the night ashore
II the voyage is partially robbed of
its abnormaIties, and If there are
reminders aboard of the home. the
school and the church.