A young officer must become an enthusiast about a vessel; everything on board must be known to him, if he cares to rise in his profession.
CHAPTER XIV
CADETS
Under the laws establishing an ocean mail service certain vessels so engaged are required to carry cadets.
Excerpts from this law follow:
"OCEAN MAIL SERVICE
"Said vessels shall take, as cadets or apprentices, one American-born boy, under twenty-one years of age for each one thousand tons gross register, and one for each majority fraction thereof, who shall be educated in the duties of seamanship, rank as petty officers, and receive such pay for their services as may be reasonable."
The system of carrying cadets is sound in principle, but in many instances the law has been carried out according to a peculiar interpretation of the phrase "Shall be educated in the duties of seamanship."
Education is a term of wide meaning, but "seamanship" or the "Duties of Seamanship" is at least fairly definite. The whole cadet system should be put upon a definite basis of regular instruction, or else be done away with.
Many of us can remember a scouting party hurrying across West Street to pick up a "cadet" or two, so the good ship could go to sea in full compliance with the law.