The enlistment of men in the United States navy, as in the army, is voluntary. The term is four years. To be eligible for enlistment one must be between the ages of eighteen and {344} twenty-two. He must be of good moral character, must pass the physical examination, must be able to write English, and take the oath of allegiance.
Naval Militia
In the District of Columbia and in twenty of the states we have what is known as the naval militia. The assistant secretary of the navy stands in a special relation to the naval militia through the governor and the adjutant-general of the several states. The naval militia holds the same relationship to the navy that the national guard does to the United States army.
Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is at Annapolis, Md. The students are called midshipmen, and candidates for appointment must be between the ages of sixteen and twenty. The appointment of candidates is made as at West Point--through senators and congressmen and the President, the only difference being in the number of appointments that may be made: each senator and representative may be represented by two midshipmen at Annapolis, while at West Point he is represented by but one cadet. The President has the appointment of seven men to the Naval Academy--two from the District of Columbia and five from the United States at large. He may also appoint one from Porto Rico, who must be a native. The midshipmen's course is six years--four at Annapolis, and two at sea. The pay is $600 per year.
Civil Service
In the administration of the government of the United States, thousands of men and women are employed in the various offices at Washington, and are sometimes termed the great "peace army."
In one period of our country's history, it was believed that each President, when he came into office, had the right to turn out of office every person employed by the government in any of its civil departments, should it please him to do so, and to put into office his own friends or the friends of his party. This right was claimed on the ground that "to the victor belong the spoils"--a theory of government administration that has been severely dealt with and reformed through what is known as the "Civil Service Act." The Civil Service Act was passed {345} by Congress January 16, 1883, and by this act a civil service commission was brought into existence. The three members of this commission are appointed by the President with consent of the Senate, not more than two of whom may be members of the same party. Thus, by this civil service act, positions in the government service are now obtained for the most part through competitive examinations, and such positions are not affected in any way by the incoming of a new President or the appointment of a new head of a department.
In some states and in most of the large cities civil service appointments are now made through competitive examinations. Anyone interested in learning what positions may be secured in the service of the government, may apply to the Civil Service Commission at Washington, D. C., or make inquiry at the local post-office.
Foreign Service