AMERICA’S NAVY

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 175, 20 April 1929, Page 28

AMERICA’S NAVY

Among America’s serious problems which she would have to face resolutely before engaging in warfare is the serious shortage of personnel to man her warships. The significance of this problem can be gauged from the fact that at different naval bases along the coast of the United States can be seen the numerous flotillas of small warcraft lying idle waiting for the necessary crews to put them in commission. To make the service attractive the authorities have curtailed the period of enlistment to what is considered by critics an inadequate length of ’time, namely (in most cases), four years. When it is taken into consideration that in these days there are a great number of specialists required to manipulate the highly-technical instruments found only on board the modern warship, and the length of time taken in learning their use, it must be admitted that there is some cause for complaint. One of the -most' widely held views, and one that perhaps supplies the key to the whole difficulty is that there is an absence of “sea spirit.”