Evening star., 1927-10-16
BY CURTIS ID. WILBUR
Secretary of the Navy.

in the powder magazine, the men in
the handling room, the men at the
guns. the men in the engine room
all have power to do incalculable harm
il disloyal, and to do great harm il
neglectful. Not only are 1nese men
valuable to the Nation because Of
their training, but they are more val
liable to themselves and to those men
Immediately dependent upon them.
We are too likely to think Of the
Navy as composed of ships and guns
and too little to realize the fact that
most Of the men who operate this fleet
were less than four years previously
lads from the farm. from the work
shop. from the store. factory and
counting house, entering the Navy
without the slightest knowledge of
it's requirements and without any
training TO meet its demands other
than a general education These boys
are operating the tremendously eX-
pensive machines which the Govern
ment has built up to take care OF its
national defense IL men did not
serve longer than the fOur-year
period of enlistment. 1t is obvious that
the entire personnel OF the Navy
would change every four years and
that with an enlisted personnel of
$4,000 men we would have 21 500 re.
turning 10 civil life each year.
It is true that many inducements
many serve only one enlistment.
During the last year about 10000
recruits were taken into the naval
service. not counting the II, 900 re-
enl1stments. Many OF the new men
had never been aboard ship, and the
officers and men OF the Navy were
faced with the task OF assimilating
this volume Of recruits and at the
same time operating the Navy.
A tremendous problem Of education
and training is involved in making
these thousands OF unframed men fit
to serve as intelligent and effective
units OF the NaVy's personnel. To
understand fully the magnitude and
complexity Of the task involved. one
must first have clear conception
Of the modern Navy itself and Of
what 1t demands Of those who make
up its personnel.
THE Navy today Is essentially an
Oil-burning Navy. High-speed
and intricate turbines, motors and
Diesel engines have replaced the old
slow-moving reciprOcating engines as
propelling units. Destroyer turbines
may develop 0.000-horsepower, as
much as a first-class battleship's en-
gines, to drive their ,500.ton hulls
at 35 knots.
All Of the large ships are equipped
with complete machine shops, car
penter shops. foundries. refrigeratine
pla ants, evaporating and distillinG
persmithing and blacksmithing. There
are print shops and paint shops and
machines for repairing the large
amount of canvas still used in the
Navy. There is a fully equipped
hospital. TOrpedoes, mines. machine
guns, rifles and ammunition for all
calibers of guns aboard are included
in the equipment of all cOmbatant
ships.
One must be intimately associated
with the development Of the Navy
TO appreciate how complex each type
Of fighting ship really is. TO appre-
ciate how essential it is to the Navy
itself and the Nation as whole to
have these separate fighting units
assembled into we'll trained, well
orga niZed. we'll balanced fleet.
The idea with which every ship
is built. equipped and organized is
that 1t shall be "self-supporting." So
far as the material Is concerned. they
are practically so in installations,
equipments and orga niZations. But
the best material in the world is use
less unless there Is skilled and
trained personnel to handle 1t and
to take proper care or 1t. The com
missioned and enlisted personnel Of
the Navy are responsible for the CON
dition Of the ships.
One has only to be told that there
are 1877 different ratings among tbs