Evening Republican, Volume 59, Number 100, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 May 1917 — An Appeal For Navy Recruits. [ARTICLE]

An Appeal For Navy Recruits.

frhe United States was conceived and established by men who loved freedom and justice and who saw in mankind his capabilities for choosing right from wrong and Establishing laws that would allow the maximum amount of freedom, consistent with their own .good and without hampering the rights of others. Through this freedom of thought, men’s minds ‘have become active and free to work out the great problems of civilization and justice in government. “ In our short existence our people have given, to the world, a friend and help to those in need of help, enlightenment, and a source of constant good to humanity for humanity's sake. The United States stands today for freedom and safety of the coniunon law-abiding people on the high seas. It maintains that this is a right before humanity and before God. -

The United States today is flighting for this. right for the T, gople, not of our shores and who have embraced pies of the peace loving countries of the world and for posterity. It is willing to shed its own blood to maintain this high principle. The principle of justice Ho humanity is a deepseated and deep-rooted ideal of the American people who have come to our shors and who have eiribnaced our country as their own. This ideal is the one thing that brings the nation to its feet and makes patriots of us ail. "Cheering never saved the flag.” „ The president issued a call for 40,000 men to bring the navy (the nation’s first line of defense} up to its full fighting quota. “Will you answer this caHl ? ” If you are not .physi-

cally qualified to enter the service, persuadie a friend to enter the navy. The ladies can help by wearing “Join the Navy” ribbons. Lot every one in your community see that you are patriotic-enough-to oewe the-flag.-and do your Share towards keeping it floating on high. Some of the ladies of this city are doing wonders towarc assisting the men of the navy, by knitting helmets, sweaters and mittens, whfidh will be appreciated by those men who are guarding vour life and liberty on the high seas. Each stitch that is taken in the yarns which these ladies are ishaping will be appreciated by some mother’s son, more than words can tell. Don’t be a slacker and have yourself pointed out in after years as the man Who was compelled to serve; rather have it said in the years to come that you were there when they needed men. I will have a navy recruiting station in the Navy League rooms and wilil be glad to have those who are interested come to my office for information regarding the opportunities for advancement in tlie navy. I will be especially pleased to have the

parents of the young men of this community call and discuss the advantages of a naval career. In order for a man to succeed in any walk of is necessary that he possess ambition. There is no business that a man can enter, where ambition wiM carry him higher than in the U. S. Navy. The majority of the people have been laboring under a false impression in regards to the personnel of the navy. Some think that a man must be a roustabout, or rowdy, fin order to become a success aS a sailor, but that ds a mistaken impression. In the first place a man must have an unimpeachable character; second, he must be almost physically perfect; thirdly, he must possess a certain amount of education. He must be almost a perfect specimen of manhood, physically, mentally and morally, before he can enter the navy. There are some who still think that the discipline of the service is so strict as to be almost unendurable. Any good imam of the navy will tell you that such is far from the truth. A well behaved man on board ship wifi not feel the discipline any more than a well behaved man on Shore feels the laws 1 . Through Jtack of acquaintance and contact with men of the navy and through ignorance of the conditions of life in the navy, large numbers of people really believe that the navy is made up of men of loose character and foreigners. The navy fe made up of good, healthy Americans. Shiftless, immoral men get in the navy onlly by chance, and they are not kept there long. Only 15 per cent of all! men who apply are enlisted; and 96 per cent of the men of the navy are American citizens. No intoxicating liquor is allowed on board ships of the nav 7 and gambling and profanity are not permitted). The religious tendencies of the men ore encouraged. All the larger ships have chaplains on board, Nowadays ships are not propelled by sails or manned by men with strong backs and weak minds. Each shlip in our navy is a complicated piece of mechanism, manned by the pick of the nation. No man 'leaves the navy without being a much better man in every way than he was before he entered the service.

Competitive examinations are held On 'board ships once each year, and those who qualify are appointed to the naval! academy at Annapolis, from which they emerge commissioned officers. A. G. KAFTAN, Chief Electrician, U. S. Navy.