Evening star., 1937-03-14
MERCHANT MARINE
MAY GET TRAINING
Naval Bill Contains Fund
to Begin Instruction
Next Year.

After years of effort 1t Is probable
the Navy Department this year will
be provided with funds with which to
start its program of giving training to
officers of the Merchant Marine Naval
Reserve. The House Appropriations
Committee, in reporting the naval
fund bill to the House, recommended
an appropriation of s82 ,068 to provide
active duty training for 100 officers of
this branch Of the Reserve.
The men in this branch of the Re-
serve are active seamen. serving
aboard American merchant vessels,
which would be taken over by the
Navy IN time of war for use as naval
auxlliaries. such as supply and troop
ships. While they are trained from
the seaman standpoint. they have no
knowledge of the naval procedure and
discipline so essential to the operation
OF naval vessels in time of war, it was
said. The department had requested
funds be provided for the training of
Capt. Spears, in charge OF Naval
Reserve activities at the Navy Depart
ment, called attention of the commit
tee to the strike situation In the mer.
chant marine and added many stu
cents OF this situation believe If a WELL
trained merchant marine naval re-
serve had been built up over the last
ha
might have been avoided. He said it
appears the United States is the only
country in the world that has at
tempted to build up and maintain
merchant marine without providing
naval training for the personnel.
During the past year. he told the
committee, there has been a wide
spread, insistent demand that the
Navy Department take some action in
assisting other Government depart-
ments in their efforts to develop
trained and disciplined personnel for
the merchant marine of the United
States. He disclosed that represent
atlVes OF the Navy Department have
recently been in close touch with the
Department of Commerce, the Mari
time Commission. the Coast Guard
and other maritime interests in order
to assist in formulating a plan for
procuring and training merchant
marine personnel. He said that there
are two problems involved:
i. The procurement and initial
training of merchant marine person.
mel.
z. Naval training for merchant ma
rlne personnel in order to prepare
them for service on board vessels
designated as being suitable for naval
auxillarieS in time of war.
1t has been pointed out. Capt.
Spears said, the failure to provide
funds for the naval training of our
merchant marine personnel Is a dis
crlmlnation against citizens engaged
in the maritime profession. Practically
every other citizen who is subject to
be drafted in time of war has an op-
portunity Of joining some military or
naval organization to receive training
for his war duties in time of peace,
Inc merchant seaman, due to the ma
ture OF his profession, does not have
such an opportunity. AS he will be
the first of our citizens to be under
fire in case of future war, it seems
TO be matter Of prudence to provide
him with naval training. In fact. the
proper execution of any neutrality
laws that may be developed NAV
largely depend upon the discipline and
training of our merchant marine per-
sonnel operating in on near the war
zones Of contending powers.
Capt. Spears said that if any srpu-
ment is needed to show the necessity
Of naval training for our merchan.
marine personnel, it is but necessary
to review the record of the World War.
For the lack OF discipline and trained
seamen 1t was necessary practically to
demobilize our battleships in order 20
procure trained men to operate our
merchant vessels. There has been 40
great improvement in the merchant
marine over World War conditions,
That is to say, he continued, in case
OF mobilization at this time we would
be caught with merchant marine of
unframed and undisciplined person.
mel On the contrary, every other
maritime nation in the world makes
great efforts to build up trained and
| disciplined merchant marine person.
mel. This, he added, is done princi-
pally by naval training.