The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-03-09
U. S. NAVAL ROCKIES
4. PROVE EFFICIENT
Far Exceeded Expectations of Off
GERS in Command.

CALLoA, Peru, March s.-"America's
new navy entered upon it's first period
OF postwar .shakedown' when the At
lantic and Pacific fleets undertook their
cruise TO Panama this winter and unit
ed for combined manoeuvers off the west
coast OF South America.
With an almost entirely green person
mel the high command was faced with
something like crisis. On other ocrS-
slons experienced men have outnamber-
I'D the green hands but since the al mis-
tcs old-timers have been in a very stosH
minority.
The difficult problem. however. accord
ing to STAFF officers. was met in a high
~ satisfactory manner. The men full
filled the American tradition of an eff
cient young" navy and, after few days
OF uncertainty, the reunited fleet ma
uncovered with.much of its old-tiine pre-
clsion.
Virtually every ship in the fleet OF so
staged a Neptune party when the fleet
crossed the equator. Davy Jones and his
assistant Peg Leg. boarded them the
evening before latitude was reached and
warned all those who were crossing the
line for the first time to appear at
a. m. the following morning before old
King Neptune.
while the fleet wallowed at n stand
stil1, exactly on the line, Neptune ana
his encourage appeared all in costume
There was the old soaking himself with
hemp whiskers and a gilded trident, I'm
Gle Sam. Miss Columbia, Davy Jones, DIT.
pills, Aphrodite and court testers, bar
beys police and sea dogs.
There were speeches and then the acts
OF homage were rendered. dose of
salts from squirt gun, mouthful OF
soft soap. a slash from the shears or
hair clippers, an electric shock, back
Al "A el@I.a4 sv Int hn -
ing pool was the course of action.
Then the initiates were given diploma
decorated with mermaids fish and sea
horses and full of strange nautical
phrases.
The American athletic contests are
one Of the means employed 10 insthI
navy spirit in the thousands of naval
recruits who are having their first taste
OF sea life.
rugs OF war between different groups
ON each ship and elimination contests
for the inter- fleet athletic carnival at
Panama have been daily features OF snip
routine since the cruise began.
To eliminate customary hooting and
cat calls, Which might cause i'll feeiing
without increasing the morale of the fleet,
the athletic directors have been teach
ing organized cheering, something on the
order of collegiate football roofing.
The fleet kept in touch with Wash
ington by wireless as far south as the
equator. The dreadnoughts nightly pick
ed I'M the radio news report sent broad
east from the Arlington station. me
wireless men were able to check up this
report because IL was repeated by the
naval station at Cayey, Porto RICO, Tor
vessels In the Caribbean sea, whose wire
less plants were too limited 10 receive
arlington message. Another relay
xr,a .nployed in the canal zone, where
~. .alDoa station received the wash
ington message and the Darien station
repeated H.
Tan minutes only are required to serve
a meai 10 the 1.4O0-odd members OF a
dreadnouRheSs crew. Handy cooks. capa-
,,fo,t. stennn chests hungry, eager salt
- turn me trick Benches and tables
which can be folded and slowed away
above their heads give each man ms reg :
uiar seat for meals although eaeh must
serve himself. scalding hachIteS eil,i.-
nate dish washing drudgery. The crew
neaithv appearance and the low SICK
bev give evidence that the food was
good.
A $50 900 stock was required for the
ship'a store OF the Pannsylvania tor net
four months cruise. Fifteen per cent
il the maximum profit ahoNeu ou1 'ne
average ~ no per cent -.
The profits go back 20 the crew IN the
form OF moving pictures a nightly iea-
ture OF the ships routine, readins mat
ter and athletic equipment.
rhe sale OF n, 500 five-cent chocolate
eoeoanut bars in one day 10 the crew
OF the flagship was the record set for
eanteen sales on the present manoeaivers.
The storekeeper mentioned II TO back
up his assertion that the American sail
or had sweet tooth"
An average OF $4,000 in postal money
orders was sent home from the Penn
sylvania every day on the cruise. Twice
a month the paymaster hands out near
" $4,000 and the ships paymaster al
ways gets part of 1t for the folks back
home.
This $4,000 is apart from the regular
allowances sailors and officers make to
their relatives from sleir pay.