Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1920-04-26
ESSAY
STANDS HIGH
Essay of Evertt E. Clifton
of This City is Given
Honorable Men
ton.
ON WORK OF NAVY
Ten Inch Navy Shell won by
the Stanton High
School.
ON WORK OF NAVY

awarded EVefetI r.. SllItOn Oh tnlS CITY,
son of Mr.. and Mrs. J. A. Clifton, on
the essay he recently wrote on the sub
ject 'The L. S. Navy as an Educa-
tional and Vocational Institution" The
contest was open to all high school
students in the state of Iowa and to
the high school submitting the best
essay a navy ten inch shell was award
ed. This was won by the Stanton high
school.
Everett was the only Webster City
contestant to get honorable mention.
His essay, which will be of general in
terest in the city, follows:
What is the United States navy?
Is it only a line of grim, gray battle
ships, swift destroyers, and sleek sub
marines? No. 1t is more than that.
1t is the men who man the great, steel
giants. The machinistS, radio men,
cooks, seamen, etc. The United States
navy is an educational institution rs
well as a fighting force. 1t is II Of
the greatest organizations which the
government of the United States has
ever established as II fit representative
of its power and authority.
The qualifications for enlisting in
the United States navy are such that
any normal person can easily pass the
tests. The person desiring to enlist
must be one. hundred per cent Amer
lean, and at least eighteen years of
age. If between eighteen years and
|twenty-onc the applicant must produce
birth certificate or baptismal certifi-
cate, registration card or fathers
naturalization papers. He must be at
least siXty-four inches in height and
at least one hundred and twenty-eight
pounds in weight. He is given his
choice of training station and branch
of service and is furnished with one
hundred dollars worth of clothes. He
may enlist for two, three or four years.
Opportunities Offered.
The navy offers every possible com
fort to those who enlist in it. Good
food, prepared by trained cooks, good
Quarters, dry, ventilated and well heat
cd. The paymaster is always on hand
to pay the men and no one ever loses
any pay. The best possible medical
and dental attention is furnished free.
| Since the navy is continually on the
move, no one place ever becomes tire
some. The chances to learn Il trade
and to secure promotion are the best
Of any branch Of service.
III, travelling facilities are another
i..G ,,A-c,t. Shore leave in foreign
pore; l. frequently given and guides
arc furili&.pi t!c men. On September
=, 1919, there wee one hundred sixty
two warsllips ~ to"cign ports, and
since the navy j. gro.s;ng large. every
year, this number VIII - greatly in
creased in the future.
AAlIlStlCS uIC SI-S''ti lStu Al viz
navy us well as in the army. Base
ball, football, gymnastics and swim
ming are among the leading sports.
Prizes are furnished for the winners
of all these as well as for excellence in
gunncry.
The United States navy requires
a
skilled mechanics for its warships. y
four months course in this, in Il school
! whose capacity is three hundred men,
is given to those who Z qualified.
Qualifications are: age. twenty-onc
to thirty; good character and indus
trious. Instruction is given from 500
a. III. to II 40 Il. III. and from / to i p.
M. five days in a week. Saturday
morning is study and Saturday after
noon is reserved for athletics. Every
student is required to keep Il note book
! and enter i'm it the instructions for the
week. These books are graded weekly
by the officer in charge. There are
four classes. The fourth, OF beginners
class. are. asked to provide themselves
with a few articles. The rest are
furnished by the navy. The work is
chiefly bench work and Il lecture week
ly. One hour in arithmetic for three
months and IL working sketch of every
thing is demanded. Fourth classmen
also act as helpers to the repair men
The work of the third class is in drill
ing, shaping and running lathes'
| Notebooks. sketches and attendance III
lectures are compulsory. The second
class is in care, repair, and adjustment
of machinery. Notebooks are kept and
n weekly lecture and examination are
given. The first class is an advanced
third class. The work is the same
except that it is more advanced. Week
Nv examinations are given and the
marks posted for the students benefit.
Marks are given on a basis of o II per
cent. If n man has three and forty
four hundredths he is first class. BE
tween this and three and four hun