Evening star., 1942-02-23
Little Difficulty Seen
In Providing Officers
For Merchant Fleet
Maritime Units Drive
EnIists 800 in Midwest
For Cadet Schools
BY WILLIAM ]. WHEATLEY.


BY WILLIAM J. WHEATLEY.
With 800 applications received in
10 days from young men of the
Middle West seeking appointment
as cadets in the United States Mer-
chant Marine, Maritime Commission
oflcials predicted today that they
would have little difficulty in provid-
ing officers for the great merchant
feet now building.
The applications are considered
significant in that they came from
II Midwest States, a territory which
heretofore has not been so produc-
tive of seafaring men as the East
and West Coast areas.
If the results of the recruiting
campaigns are as productive in the
other States as they have been in
the Midwest, the officials believe
that they will be able to fill their
greatly expanding schools and in
struction facilities. These recruits
have been obtained despite the COM
petition of other services, including
the Navy, for young men to become
officers and seamen. However, the
qualifications for young men to be
licensed merchant marine officers
are not as rigid as those for the
naval establishment, but in the case
of the merchant marine officers they
will have licenses to operate ships
after the war A commission in the
Naval Reserve does not carry the
right to be licensed officer on
merchantmen.
Those who seek appointment as
cadets in the merchant service must
have at least IL school credits, which
means that they do not have to be
high school graduates. the normal
requirements for graduation being
Is credits. On the other hand,
those seeking commissions in the
Naval Reserve must have a college
degree. and a good part Of their
course must have been in mathe-
matics and science.
Campaign to be Widened.
The campaign to obtain cadets
Is to be extended to other States,
as well as being continued in the
areas in which it was inaugurated.
On appointment, the men are
given the rating of cadets and
receive salary Of $65 a month
in addition to their subsistence,
quarters, uniforms and books. They
attend school for two months. then
are assigned to merchant ships in
regular runs for a period of 10
months, after which they return to
school for another 10 months of
instruction.
In addition to the schools for the
cadets who come directly from civil
ian life, the commission has pro-
vided a means for seaman Of the
merchant service to become licensed
officers. Those who have 18 months
Of sea experience, whether on deck
or the engine room. are given four
months Of schooling ashore. during
which they receive 500 a month and
on completion they are eligible to
take the regular examination for
third mate and third engineer
licenses. There are two such schools,
one at New london, Conn, where
400 men can<be Accommodated, and
one at San francisco for 200.
In addition to enlarging facilities
already available. the commission
is taking over number of private
schools, keeping the same faculties,
and at the same time assigning dis
ciplinary personnel to the school.
There are four State school ships,
one each at Boston, New York, Phil
adelphia and San Francisco. The
commission plans to fill those to
capacity with its cadets, where the
facilities are not used by the States
which conduct them.
Refresher Courses Taken.
The New York cadet school is be-
ing moved from Fort Schuyler to the
Walter Chrysler estate at Great
Neck, Long Island, where the
Chrysler home Is being taken over
and additional buildings constructed
for dormitories and class rooms.
These facilities will increase the
New York accommodations from $50
to 800 cadets. The New London
school for seamen is being increased
from 400 to 1000 men. The cadet
school at Los Angeles is being in
creased from $50 to 500; the ST.
Petersburg, Fla, school from 450 to
600, and the Hoffman Island school
from 800 to 1900. In addition nu-
merous training ships are being
placed in commission
The seamen traineeS get $21 q
month while at school, and on COM
pletion of the course receive $72.50,
month, plus bonuses which are said
to amount to as much as 5000
month. The course is six months.
In addition to the influx of young
men, the commission reports that
many men who hold ocean-going
and pilots licenses, but who went off
to shore jobs are returning to take
TeITeSIlcT COURSES WIFI view 10
going to sea again
The program contemplates the
training of total of 10000 officers
by 1943, most of whom will come
from the Maritime Commission
schools, the State nautical schools
and the seamen schools During
this period the commission also ex-
poets to train 10000 seamen. There
also is great need for specialists, in
cluding radio operators, who have
officer standing on ships, cooks and
bakers. School for those classes also
have been established.
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