U.S. NAVY.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 190, 13 August 1925, Page 9

U.S. NAVY.

PICKED BODY OF MEN. (By LT. POSHEPXY, U.S.S- Mississippi) Apart from the fact that the 'Naval Establishment employs approximately 3.>,000 civilian employee:!, who arc skilled artisans in various trade required in naval yards, etc., the naval personnel to-day, a highly-picked body of men, epproximates ll.">,000, includ ing the Marine Corps. The following table is an estimate, by the writer, of the 5-5-3 sea-going personnel, exclusive of marine corps, required in order to maintain sufficient capital ships strength as agreed in the Washington Conference on the limitation of armaments: — Allowed. A'ftlTe. Officers. Men. Officers. Men. United States 12.U00 104,T:iri 81 IS Stt.mo Great Britain 12.25)3 lW.Titj X-W 1>1.870 Japan 7,378 62,840 TolS tiii,S4o The officer personnel is primarily divided into three classes, namely, line, stall", and warrant oflicers. The following table shows the various grades of ollieer personnel, with their corresponding number: — 4732 Officers, line. 795 Officers, medical corps. 1.>4 Officers, dental corps. 502 Oflicers, supply corps. 221 Oflicers, construction corps. 98 Officers, civil engineers. S.s Officers, chaplains. 7 Officers, professors of mathematics.. 1400 Officers, warrant grades. The United Stales Naval Academy, Annapolis, Md., is the chief source of supply for tiie officer personnel strength to-day. 'While, undergoing instruction, these ollicers are known as midshipmen. Midshipmen undergo a course of instruction for a period of four years, during which time they are given training in the following branches: Mechanical engincr?;ng and naval construction; electrical engineering, navigation, ordnance and gunnery, seamanship, international law, foreign languages, and many other subjects pertaining to Hie practical and theoretical phases oi modern times. After completing their course of instruction they are graduated and are commissioned as Ensigns, then being assigned to various ships of the fleet. These oflicers are known n.i line oflicers, although a percentage of graduates elect to be a-signed to the staff, serving in the supply, construction and marine corps. Staff oflicers as a rule aie commissioned into the navy from graduate schools of technical training, having degrees in their practices. The usual age of entrance for midshipmen is 10 to 20 years, while the average age of the stall' is 22 years, except that of the medicnl corps, which is 2o yea re. The age of retirement is f>4 years, unless requested after 30 years' service. Tn the enlisted personnel an entirely different condition exists, since nil enlisted men are enlisted for a period of four years. The usual age of enlisted men, when first entering the naval service is 10 years. Moreover, when first entering the service these men arc nil practically apprentices, both in practical and technical experience. They are sent to training stations where Ihp fundamentals of the navy are indoctrinated. They may elect to follow various trades, and as unskilled labour, they are developed

into trained such as electricians, boilcrmakers, radio operators, machinists, carpenters, plumbers, ship fitters, stenographers, typists, accountants, coppersmiths, moulders, bakers, cooks, and various other trades. After thorough development in the ground work, and the inculcation of the requirements of the naval service, men are sent to sea to serve on board battleships, cruisers, destroyers, submarines, etc., where they put their preliminary apprentice training into practice, thereby becoming skilled men in their lines. The modern hattleship3 to-day are equipped with all the latest, and moat modern machinery equipment; it is in itself the equipment of a modern town; it has a complete electric lighting system; water distilling plant, engine and boiler rooms, carpenter. shipfitter, machine and various other shops; it has offices covering financial transactions of a modern bank, voluminous correspondence, files, etc., all acceptable to the progress of the nations' industry. Moreover, the experience gained in their knowledge of the world by foreign cruises broadens their vision, gives them ideas, independence of thought, and selfreliahility. Athletics are encouraged to a hijrh dojrroo, a battleship to-day having practically all the sports encouraged in the large university to-day, with a few extra events, such as race boating, rifle teams, and Railing of boats, thus developing" the body as well as tho mind, and these, men therefore become bettor men, and in general, better citizens of the country. With the enlisted strength of the nn.ty based on 80.000, and men enlisting for periods of four years, there is approximately an annual turnover of about 20,000' men, 50 per cent of whom elect to remain in civil life to follow the ground work laid in the navy, and sii"h trades as the-v had so developed. All these factors are for the common crood of the nation, the cost of which is practically only a mal ter of a few dollars, considering the yalue returned on the investment.