The Dolores star., 1924-08-08
G@rosrazzs

c. Slayton. The itinerary of the cruise includes
Brcst, Weymouth, Rotterdam. Antwerp. Gibraltar
and Ponta Dcgrada
1t was in 1912 that the experiment of putting
the mddles of the two upper classes on battleshps
Of the Atlantic fleet first tried. The expert
ment proved great success These practice
cruises are much alike. The first night is usually
spent at anchor while the middies are getting
settled in their quarters and being assigned to the
various technical divisions It's picturesque
night; landlubbers struggling with hammocks
would make fetching circus stunt. At dawn the
bugle rouses them from uneasy sumbers and the
old-time cries are heard:
Rise and shnel Up, you lubbers! Lash and
carry! Hit the deck, sallorl HeyI Show leg
there :"
Thereupon the lubbers certainly rise. They may
or may not shine in strange world Of deck
scrubbing and boller-stoking and what not. How
ever. middies are now-as ever-a rdboiled lot
and soon get down to business. They usually
allotted the starbOard side of the ship, with the
regular enlisted force the port side, and they
are sent in rotation to every part Of the ship.
How the times have changed now that steam
has supplanted sail When Admiral Mahan-his
is a household word" In the navy-began
his days at n common drill for the mddIes
with the aid Of gunners mate, up topgai-
liant masts and yards and loose sail to a bowlne!"
To do it in three and a half minutes from the time
the topmen and the masts started together from
the deck irst-class seamanship Nowadays a
first-cass man tending water In the freroom takes
Just much pride In holding the glass steady and
doing a good job of coaing the fires. Pretty soon
with ships using oil for fuel the middies will no
longer have cause to dread the hreroom; Indeed
oil has alrendy almost superseded coal.
The gentlemen sailors will soon be fixed so
nicely that they will not be forced to listen
the remark sarcastic, If the secretary of
the navy Curtis D. Wilbur. has his way Secre-
tary Wilbur is 1888 Annapolis man himself
there's n tablet In the gymnasium recording his
wi irb b,,,a
real mean to him in his day Anyway, he said at
the graduating exercises this year:
Real leadership is based upon respect for tbs
leader and such leadership can only be achieved by
fessional ability and accomplishments the best
foundation for permanent leadership, but there IA
an altogether different basis of leadership which
finds source in the heart rather than the head
such leadership may comma nd tho ardent arrention
and even devotion of the follower.
Unless your rule over the $4,000 enlisted men Of
the navy tempered by hrmness Justice sym-
pathy and courtesy their services in many case,
may be lost to the navy. Remember especially
that sarcasm biting wittcism at the expense of
a subordinate especially If he is an enlisted man
and thus incapable of retaliation. is unmaniy and
sycophantic bystander may be amused tb oa,.ss Inc
of it has received wound in his soul which NAV
not heal.
you. put yourself by imagination. in his place
What for you Is that you may have .nd
be worthy of exercising moral leadership.
S1iddies Of the present day not starved on
the battleships of the Atlantic fleet and when thav
at the academy they get pure milk and good
galore from the academy farm. Funny to
think Of sailors running a farm. isn't II? Rut
that's just what the bureau OF supplies and ac.
counts does. This particular bureau, BY the wav
Is said to be of the most efficient business or
ganzations in existence. Rear Admiral Dnvid
Potter is Its head and 1t is bank gents furnish
ings store, grocery store and nearly everything
else. all in one And here's part Of what Herbert
Corey says about the farm in the Chicago Dav
News:
1t sounds incredible. Sailors persous in hall
muzzled breeches who ahoyins about the land
the sailors of the United States navy are per
haps the best farmers in the United Htatss Lsten.
Near Annapolis. Nd, the United States navy
. farm Of more than 300 a1rea II was forced