MEN OF THE FLEET.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 188, 11 August 1925, Page 9

MEN OF THE FLEET.

FLOWER OF AMERICAN YOUTH

(By LIEUT.-COMMANDER E. J. FOY, U.S. Navy.) The ships of the United States fleet now visiting New Zealand are peopled with the flower of the young manhood of America. Young—that is the impression you get when you see them in their own environment on board ship or rollicking along the highways and byways when on shore leave. I should estimate the average age of these boys of our fleet in the very close neighbourhood of 20 years. These young men. or, should I say, in deference to them, these young-men-of-warsmen, come to you after a summer cruise of four months, tanned to a turn, overflowing with the joy of living, eager to know your land and to know you. They have become "salty/ , to use a term of theirs, for have they not been initiated into the realm of Neptune's own upon "crossing the line," many, many of them for the first time. When the ileet last visited New Zealand in 1908,' the enlisted personnel was undergoing a process of change. Previous to a very few years before that date the men who manned the ships were for the most part picked from the waterfront; many of them were ex-merchant sailors. Many were not American born, but drifted in from the earth's four corners. Brave—yes; good seamen—none better. But we now have a very different type. These boys have almost literally "laid down the plough" to go down to the sea. There is not a nook or cranny in the wide expanse of the Union which is not represented by its boys in the fleet. "Join the navy and see the world," the recruiting poster says. "Join the navy and learn a trade." "See, save, and serve." These slogans and the pure desire for adventure are what have manned our ships with these fine youngsters. Seeing, Learning, Serving. The navy is a vast floating university. There are almost no mechanical trades which cannot be learned aboard ship nowadays. And so our sailor ambassadors are young men who are at one and the same time learning, seeing, and serving. Each year the law permits the appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis of one hundred men from the ranks of the Navy and Marine Corps, provided they are able to pass the very exacting mental and physical tests, and can convince their superiors that they possess the necessary officer-like qualities. Ninety-nine such boya entered the academy this June. Need anything more be said to describe the high type of "man behind the gun" in the United States Fleet, to-day '! The first two weeks of April last our ships mobilised 154 strong of all classes in San Francisco Bay. touring that time 3S;000 enlisted men, sailors and marines, were granted shore leave, to the extent of, roughly, half that number each day. Then the fleet sailed away. It was found that during its entire stay but one serious infraction of the law was committed, and that one the result of "bootleg -, liquor sold to a sailor by someone on shore. Nearly 40,000 boys, free as the air, adrift in a big city, and only one serious offence. Does not that conduct speak volumes for their discipline and for their training both before and after they enlisted in the navy? Clean-cut, Manly Americans. Not long ago I listened to a talk by a member of Congress, who accompanied the fleet to Hawaiian waters, and lived five weeks aboard one of our battleships. He spoke of the great ipride he felt in b&ing surrounded by thousands of such clean-cut, manly, young Americans as composed the personnel of the fleet. Incidentally he claimed to have discovered something which he held as the key to the navy's efficiency, and to its spirit. It was something which was already well known to all who have observed the fleet at close range. It was the mutual respect of the officer for his sailor men, the sailor man for his officer. He said that he had yet to converse with an officer whose men were not "the very best o:i earth," or to an enlisted man whose officer was not the best. That is the spirit, my friends, which makes ships fight. "My men! "My officer!" There is not a man in the fleet who will not recognise his immediate superior officer as his true friend in need, nor is there an officer who doubts the loyalty of his men, no matter what the emergency. What more need be said ? The Drink Question. Now I am coming to a subject which I feel sure must have caused you some concern in its anticipation. In spite of all you may have read in the papers with regard to the thoroughness of prohibition enforcement in the United States, the fact remains that there has been little liquor available to the class of young men who make up the enlisted personnel of our navy. These boys belong to the generation which has grown into young manhood since the "dry law" went into effect in 1920. What is going to be the result of turning them loose in a country where the selling of liquor is not prohibited? These men are not "Molly Coddles." They are young and full of life. They are curious. A very great majority of them will not drink at all. Very few of them will drink to excess. no matter what the temptation. I have shown you that they are well behaved; whether or not you are to have any disagreeable experiences with them in the matter of drinking depends entirely upon your own people and what spirits they sell them. Such has been the experience of South and Central American countries Visited by our ships in recent years. These are fine boys, gentle boys. Know them and you will like them. Let them know you. In this way are nation* brought together. There is no «"***,»£ to the peace of the world than the, under standing born of personal contact peoples.

A NEW TYPE OF SAILOR. "FLOATING UNIVERSITY."

The ships of the United States fleet now visiting New Zealand are peopled with the flower of the young manhood of America. Young—that is the impression you get when you see them in their own environment on board ship or rollicking along the highways and by-ways when on shore leave. I should estimate the average age of these boys of our fleet in the very close neighbourhood of 20 years. These young men, or, should I say, in deference to them, these young-men-of-warsmen, come to you after a summer cruise of four months, tanned to a turn, overflowing with the joy of living, eager to know your land and to know you. They have become "salty/ , to use* a term of theirs, for have they not been initiated into the realm of Neptune's own upon "crossing the line," many, many of them for the first time. When the ileet last visited New Zealand in 1908,' the enlisted personnel was undergoing a process of change. Previous to a very few years before that date the men who manned the ships were for the most part picked from the waterfront; many of them were ex-merchant sailors. Many were not American born, but drifted in from the earth's four corners. Bray good seamen—none better. But we now have a very different type. These boys have almost literally "laid down the plough" to go down to the sea. There is not a nook or cranny in the wide expanse of the Union ■which is not represented by its boys in the fleet. "Join the navy and see the world," the recruiting poster says. "Join the navy and learn a trade." "See, save, and serve." These slogans and the pure desire for adventure are what have manned our ships with these fine youngsters. Seeing, Learning, Serving. The navy is a vast floating university. There are almost no mechanical trades which cannot be learned aboard ship nowadays. And so our sailor ambassadors are young men who are at one and the same time learning, seeing, and serving. Each year the law permits the appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis of one hundred men from the ranks of the Navy and Marine Corps, provided they are able to pass the very exacting mental and physical tests, and can convince their superiors that they possess the necessary officer-like qualities. Ninety-nine such boya entered the academy this June. Need anything more be said to describe the high type of "man behind the gun" in the United States Fleet, to-day ? The first two weeks of April last our ships mobilised 154 strong of all classes in San Francisco Bay. touring that time 3S;000 enlisted men, sailors and marines, were granted shore leave, to the extent of, roughly, half that number each day. Then the fleet sailed away. It was found that during its entire stay but one serious infraction of the law was committed, and that one the result of "bootleg -, liquor sold to a sailor by someone on shore. Nearly 40,000 boys, free as the air, adrift in a big city, and only one serious offence. Does not that conduct speak volumes for their discipline and for their training both before and after they enlisted iv the navy? Clean-cut, Manly Americans. Not long ago I listened to a talk by a member of Congress, who accompanied the fleet to Hawaiian waters, and lived five weeks aboard one of our battleships. He spoke of the great ipride he felt in b&ing surrounded by thousands of such clean-cut, manly, young Americans as composed the personnel of the fleet. Incidentally he claimed to have discovered something which he held as the key to the navy's efficiency, and to its spirit. It was something which was already well known to all who have observed the fleet at close range. It was the mutual respect of the officer for his sailor men, the sailor man for his officer. He said that he had yet to converse witli an officer whose men were not "the very best o:i earth," or to an enlisted man whose officer was not the best. That is the spirit, my friends, which makes ships fight. "My men! "My officer!" There is not a man in the fleet who will not recognise his immediate superior officer as his true friend in need, nor is there an officer who doubts the loyalty of his men, no matter what the emergency. What more need be said ? The Drink Question. Now I am coming to a subject which I feel sure must have caused you some concern in its anticipation. In spite of all you may have read in the papers with, regard to the thoroughness of prohibition enforcement in the United States, the fact remains that there has been little liquor available to the class of young men who make up the enlisted personnel of our navy. These boys belong to the generation which has grown into young manhood since the "dry law" went into effect in 1920. What is going to be the result of turning them loose in a country where the selling of liquor is not prohibited? These men are not "Molly Coddles." They are young and full of life. They are curious. A very great majority of them will not drink at all. Very few of them will drink to excess, no matter what the temptation. I have shown you that they are well behaved; whether or not you are to have any disagreeable experiences with them in the matter of drinking depends entirely upon your own people and what spirits they sell them. Such has been the experience of South and Central American countries Visited by our ships in recent years. These are fine boys, gentle boys. Know them and you will like them. Let them know you. In this way are nations brought together. There is no to the peace of the world than punier standing born of personal contact peoples.