Evening star., 1941-11-16
Big Advertising Drive
Planned 10 Enlist Men
For Merchant Marine
Four Additional Vessels
To Be Put in Service
To School Seumen
BY WILLIAM ]. WHEATLEY

The Maritime Commission is
about to launch an advertising
campaign to enlist young men in
seagoing careers and train them
aboard an enlarged schooling fleet
to man the 200 ships planned and
under construction.
Four more training vessels are to
be added to the fleet for schooling
seamen, it was learned yesterday, in
order to provide skilled personnel
for new cargo ships which will be
placed In commission during the
next two years.
One, and perhaps two. of the
Naining ships will be the new Lib
erty vessels now beginning to come
of the ways In numbers, and the
other two probably will come from
one of the Atlantic coastal runs.
Men 1s to % Sought.
The advertising campaign through
out the United States will be de-
signed to interest men between l8
and % years in making a career OF
seamanship. The program will offer
the men an opportunity to study at
training stations, and serve aboard
training ships with cruises to va
rious ports.
Each of the 1900 ships planned
and under construction will require
an average of IS sailors and 8 off,
GERS. With demands being made
on youth in other branches of the
defense, it is feared that there will
not be enough skilled men to operate
the vessels unless the skilled train
ing program is considerably stepped
up beyond the capacity Of the pres
ent training fleet. The latter now
consists Of five ships, three steamers
converted cargo ships)) and two
sailing vessels
But, 1t was pointed out, the pri-
mary need is for steam training
ships because ship operation has be-
come highly technical. The cur
rent training ships have large
machine shops and other equip
ment for giving technical instruc-
ton. The ships which it is pro-
posed to add to this service will
have to undergo considerable over
hauling. While primarily cargo
ships, they will have to have addi-
tional living quarters and addi-
tional decks will have to be added
for the machine shops and class
rooms. Each of the ships Is ex-
pected to have a capacity Of 800
trainees
No Rigid Educational Requirement.
The training program becomes
increasingly important also, it was
added, because OF the fact that
merchant ships are to be armed.
and these young sailors will be
taught to operate guns, in the same
manner as men in the naval service
To the extent that efficient gun
crews can be trained in this service
1t Will relieve any burden on the
Navy to supply trained men from its
combat ships
There is no rigid educational re-
uirement for young men entering
this service, except for those seek
ing to enter the radio operating
field. The latter must have at least
one year OF high school They will
have to be Of good moral character,
physically sound well-formed, and
OF robust constitution. Those who
have any impeachment in speech will
be barred
They must agree to serve one year
IN the Maritime Service after COM
pletion CT the instruction, and while
they will not have to enter the
United States Naval Reserve, they
will be urged to do so. They will
not have a military status while
taking the course
The probationary training course
Is for seven months, and the en-
rollee is paid $2l month during
this period, in addition to subsist-
ence, quarters, uniforms and neces-
sary books.