Declaration. Adams had been eager to establish a Military Academy, at which it was proposed to educate midshipmen as well as cadets, during his administration, and he had even consented that Benjamin Thompson, Count Rumford, should be invited to return to his native land to take charge of such an institution. It required a certain breadth of view to let the fac that the errant Count was one of the ablest men of science in Europe overcome his reputation as a particularly obnoxious Tory. One of the last occasions upon which the orator of the Continental Congress delivered an address was in 1821 when the battalion of West Point Cadets paraded on his home grounds and listened to the fervent words of a man of 86 who had helped to found the nation which they were called upon to serve. That he was also one of the founders of the navy of the United States will hardly be questioned by any student of the early history of the nation. It would, indeea, be hard to name another whose talents, both in argument and administration, were applied to the support of the navy at such critical periods or during so long a span as those of John Adams.

[COPYRIGHTED.]

U. S. NAVAL INSTITUTE, ANNAPOLIS, MD.

"VESTES SUSPENDE IN RAMUM CARYAE,
SED NE AD AQUAM ADEAS.”

By LIEUTENANT FRANCK TAYLOR EVANS, U. S. Navy.

This was said a long time ago, and one who takes the trouble to translate it, will find it is an old nursery rhyme; its application to our modern training system was suggested by one of our old shell-backs. It was not put into Latin (?) by the author, and so, gives a fair measure of the originality which follows.

It was suggested one day during an examination of candidates for warrant rank, when, in looking over the papers of one of the candidates, well recommended for boatswain, the following statement was read: "Heavy Manila hawsers should be well oiled and stowed in the store-room." They say that straws show which way the wind blows-that examination was a whole load of hay.

When that reply, about caring for Manila hawsers, was read, a member of the board suggested that the title of this article be placed at the entrance to our training stations.

Where, with all our sailing ships out of commission, are our officers and men to learn that handiness which in time of stress will be absolutely necessary to our naval existence? This question and similar ones kept recurring, until it seemed necessary to put the question to the service at large, to see if an answer can be given.

Let us consider.

Under present conditions, in a very few years, we will be trying to run one of the largest navies in the world, and our only sailors, commissioned or enlisted, will be on the retired list. Can and must such a condition prevail?

We speak of our training stations when we have not one. We have three receiving and fitting-out stations for recruits, but to

say that the output is "trained" is the veriest nonsense; and what is more, we all know it.

Almost anyone is likely to hark back to one's own experience, and this is what one officer had to say, "After more than II years continuous duty afloat, I was detached from my ship and detailed for duty at the training station in Newport, R. I. While at sea, I had formed a very poor opinion of the training system, and was decided that it was all nonsense, should be abolished, that nothing was taught the apprentice seamen," and all the rest that goes to make up the usual line of complaints heard in the fleet against these "trained" men.

"Upon taking up my duties at the training station, I was astonished to see what the men were taught, how much they knew and how quickly they learned. It was a revelation to me, and I daresay would be to 90 per cent of the officers in the navy, to see the bag inspections the apprentice seamen put up; to go into the dormitories and see hundreds of hammocks properly lashed; to see two thousand men in absolutely regulation uniform; and, to see the wonderful physical and infantry drills— for they are wonderful and worthy of great commendation. But, seamanship is almost unknown. To be sure, there are a few periods in the rigging loft; they can recite the compass and the lead line; but the majority cannot throw a hitch or pass a bend; during their training,' they have 20 periods of boat drill under oars afloat, and a few under sail in a 'dumb' cutter in the barrack's yard." Sed ne ad aquam adeas!

Yet these are "trained" men and the product of the training stations! Why not be perfectly frank in this matter and say recruits from the "receiving" stations? It is not the intention, in any way, to criticise our training stations unfavorably, or to ridicule them, for the results, in the time allowed, are stupendous, nothing less. However, so far, we have not begun to make a sailor petty officer.

Many criticisms are made of the "training stations," most of which are directed at three or four points. If the critics could know the conditions existing, they would realize that the system, so far as it goes, cannot, to any great extent, be improved.

The primary point sought in recruit training, is to instil into the freeborn American youth, with his public school ideas of equality, the understanding that, in a military or naval service, no

two persons are equal, and that immediate, cheerful, and willing obedience must be given to all orders. The quickest way to do this, is to drill the youth as a soldier, and to exact from him perfect performance of guard and other military duty;-hence, the much abused" soldier business."

Skeptics laugh at the singing of the apprentice seamen, and refer to the "singing school." Perhaps, if these skeptics will read the annual reports of the chief surgeons of the Continental armies and navies where may be found the statement that singing is the best known exercise for the lungs, this point will receive less criticism; and if the critic will consider how little of the Star Spangled Banner he can recite, much less sing, no doubt he will approve of the course pursued.

Others are mildly indignant that the instructors should be saluted by sentinels, and addressed as Mr. The instructor, who is a chief petty officer, is filling a position, to his men, more important than is a divisional officer at sea to his men; in order that discipline may be kept to a high mark, the administrators thereof must be respected and treated with respect.

The uniform is more or less a subject of criticism; the leggings and rubber boots receiving the major share-if the critics will march in formation for a few hours, in the dust so caused, they will be glad to adopt the much abused legging. As to the boots, it is impossible to have the men barefoot, while wet leather shoes are conducive to colds, pneumonia and worse things.

No deserved criticism derogatory to the training system can be made, because, as stated elsewhere, for the time expended, the present results cannot be exceeded-but an addition or an extension-a post-graduate course, is needed.

From the training stations, the men are sent to the ships, most of them to the armored cruisers and battleships, where, with their ship and gun drills, and the necessary cleaning work, there is no time for sailor training. The lads do well at their work and serve admirably as peace crews, but their coxswains and boatswain's mates, except in a very few instances, are not sailors.

Even if there were time to teach the ordinary seamen a little seamanship, who is going to do it? One or two of the older officers might be able to undertake the job; or, perhaps, one or two of the petty officers, provided the ship were fortunate enough to boast of any sailors forward; the midshipmen and