The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1921-09-23

prophet For Tennessee has
Just justified her nickname by doing
something unique in the volunteering
line. Tennessee has just set new
standard In the record Of volunteer
naval enlistment in time Of peace
And the slogan that did 1t is:
go to sea on the Tennessee"
When the superintendent Ten
nessee steams away majestically
from the New York navy yard some
time In June she will be the first of
Uncle Sans first-class fighting ships
to embody certain new naval idea
the idea that 1t means pep, patriot
Ism and corps spirit to man a bat
tleship with men from the state whose
name the battleship bears. There are
500 Tennesseeans on board-and more
to come.
These 600 new naval recruits are
the product Of whirlwind recruiting
campaign through the state of Ten
nessee. says the Sun and New York
Herald, which was led by Capt r. H.
Leigh, U. s. NJ, who Is to command
the new vessel and who, as chief of
staff to Admiral Sims during the war.
was In direct command Of all the
American submarines and sub-chasers
operating in the war zone.
In his recruiting tour Captain Leigh
has the Jealous cooperation Of Gov
A. Fl. Roberts of Tennessee, who , is
extremely popular with his constltu-
ency, and Of Miss Helen Roberts, the
governors daughter. who christened
the ship at the launching and whose
charming photograph portraying her
In the act Of doing so was featured
In the posters that helped to lure
the Tennesseeans from their mountain
Businesses.
| Captain Leigh says he Is going to
try to make the Tennessee "the happy
ship" of the navy as well as model
of discipline. He believes that the
spirit of camaraderie and state pride
Incident to manning the vessel so
largely with native Tennessee talent
will promote both contentment and
efficiency. Commenting on his novel
experiment Captain Leigh said: by
February 3 we had enrolled our full
quota Of lower rating men and n great
STany additional applicants had to be
turned away. Hundreds of them are
now enrolled upon waiting list, anx-
Ious to be summoned for duty upon
the ship Of their choice. 1t would
have been possible in this recruiting
campaign to have fully manned two
great dreadnaughts like the Tennes-
see with Tennesseeans exclusively II
We had been able to accept all appli-
cants.
"But 1t must be understood. of
course, that a large percentage Of the
complement of ship like this. in
Guiding the chief petty officers, must
necessarily he men who have had pre-
v.ous experience and special training.
That is why. when we go into COM
mission, the Tennesseeans at first
probably will not muster more than
900 of the coinplete ships complement,
which numbers, in all, SO officers, rs
In the marine guard and 1850 enlisted
men. AS rapidly as the Tennessee
recruits develop proficiency It will be
on" policy to advance them and thus
create opportunities for some Of those
Row OH the waiting list. From time
TO time we may also receive Tennessee
seamen by transfer from other ships.
am convinced that within two years
The Tennessee will be ship practi.
tslly manned completely by a Ten.
hes see crew."
The campaign began last November
The state of Tennessee was divided
r'o sections with about IS counties
to each. Chief petty officers were de
tailed with posters. moving pictures
and other publicity devices to cover
every city and town In their sections.
Nashville was the officers headquar
tiers or base station. The co-opera-
ton Of postmasters was obtained and