New Britain herald., 1924-10-29
NAVY HORRORS DUE
 TO INTERFERENCE
Short Term Of Enlistment
 Blamed for Accidents

Washington. Oct 2s. - Ameri- cans do not stay long enough in the navy
 That's one reason, officers say, for the persistent accidents on United States warships, of which the latest was the cruiser Trcnton's turret explosion, with six deaths and the serious injury of a dozen more men.
 The American enlistment terms are for two, three and four years, as compared with 12 in the British navy.
 Furthermore there are compara- lively few American re-enlistments, while the Briton who once joins the fleet generally makes life work of 1t.
 The present United States naval personnel is S6,OOO men. Of these more than 63,000 are serving their first enlistments. Of the S6,0OO, too, nearly SS.000 will have finished their terms and be discharged be- fore the years end. Officers esti- mate that about 12.0o0 will re-en- list. The rest will be new men.
 Much navy work consists in the handling of high explosives, which obviously can't be done recklessly without grave danger.
 Mistakes
 Making due allowance for the human element and the unavoid- ability of occasional carelessness or error, officers declare a simple rule of percentages makes a mishap from time to time inevitable.
 Naturally new men make more mistakes than older hands. Hence more accidents.
 Just what ought to be done to reduce the naval turnover is not very clear.
 It is agreed by all authorities that longer enlistment period would make maintenance of the present personnel difficult, perhaps impossible.
 Nor can men be forced to re-en- list.
 The suggestion has been made that the desiGed end might be &C., complished through the payment of 8 worthwhile bonus for re-enlist- ments with an increased rating also, for re-enlisted men.
 For the payment of attractive bonuses, however, the navy lacks the money.
 It probably would be well in- vested ultimately, by reduction in the number of expensive accidents, but the actual cash is not avail able.
 Congress economies with the navy are responsible in another way for risks the personnel ire quently is compelled to run. Due to asheer poverty the machinery on few of the country's ships of war is in perfect working order, and any mechanical hitch in the load ing and firing of big guns or in the hoisting of ammunition from mag azines is likely to spell disaster. Resent Orders
 For another thing, discipline among American memo -warsmen is not what it is, say,sin the British navy.
 Since so many of them are new hands, it has not been drilled into them. Neither do they take kindly to it. While good material in other respects, the average among them yield less ready obedience to their officers than the typical old world tar.
 The eause of the Trenton acci- dent is uncertain yet. Naval experts believe there was powder explo- sion in the turret but who or what was responsible for it has not been explained. The naval board of in quiry called to investigate the dis astcr probably will take several weeks for it's work.
 Prior to the Trenton mishap the last serious naval accident was the explosion on the Mississippi off San Pedro, Calif., on June IS, in which 4S men were killed. On Sept. 2S, 1923, seven destroyers ran on rocks off Honda Point, Califp with