The history of the United States navy has been particularly glorious. It has traditions of heroism and bravery that are a constant source of pride to those in the service, and that appeal especially to young men who are fond of their country and of achievements in warfare. To become an officer in the service is a most honorable ambition, and one to which thousands of young men aspire. It is for that reason that appointments to Annapolis are always sought eagerly. Each Congressional district is entitled to one cadet at Annapolis at one time, and in addition the President has ten appointments at large. There can be, however, only ten appointees of the President, serving apprenticeship at the same time. The District of Columbia likewise sends one cadet to the Academy. The President usually appoints the sons of naval or army officers.
The Congressmen or delegates to Congress from the Territories recommend the appointment of the other cadets. To avoid favoritism the Congressmen occasionally recommend young men who have passed the best examination in a competition, of which there has been public notice given. Congressmen's appointees must reside in the district from which they are appointed, and all appointees must be between the ages of fifteen and twenty.
When a young man receives his appointment to Annapolis he is required to sign articles binding himself to eight years' service. He must pass an examination in the ordinary English branches, special attention being paid to the history of the United States. He must be sound physically, or his "alternate," the young man who usually passes the next best preliminary examination, takes his place as the cadet, provided the latter is sound physically, and can also pass the entrance examination to the Academy. When a young man becomes a cadet he gets $500 salary each year. The course of study lasts six years. Four of these are passed at the Academy, and two at sea. One of these is the "line" division, and the other is the "staff" division. The line-men are the officers who do the fighting, navigating, and executive work of a ship, and the others become officers who have charge of the machinery of a ship, and are known as engineers. The line division is the favorite, because young men rise to the highest grade, such as rear-admiral, in this branch of the service. The other men become engineers, and cannot reach any grade higher than that of commodore.
After two years' service at sea, during which the young man perfects himself in the problems of seamanship, the cadets receive appointments as commissioned officers, if there are vacancies. If there are not sufficient vacancies to go around, the best men are taken, and the others are discharged, with a certificate of graduation and one year's pay—$1000. We are building and manning ships so fast in these days of the new navy that there are always enough vacancies, and it is rare that any cadets are discharged because there is no room for them in the service. After having become a commissioned officer in the staff or line, the young officer is promoted gradually from grade to grade, usually according to relative rank, except in time of war, when, for especial reasons, the brighter men are pushed forward because of their exceptional fitness for command or other important work. The officers remain in the service until they are sixty-two years old, unless they resign before that time, and then are retired under three-quarter pay until they die.
The scarcity of men who go into the engineering department of the navy is such that there is a bill now pending in Congress to admit graduates of colleges where marine and mechanical engineering is taught to enter the navy without passing through the Annapolis Academy. They must pass an examination to show that they are fit for the engineering work, and must spend two years at sea, like the graduates of Annapolis. If this bill should become a law, it will be possible for young men to become officers in the engineer corps in the navy without going through the Annapolis Academy.
ENLISTING ON BOARD A RECEIVING-SHIP.
When a boy wishes to become a sailor in the navy he applies to one of the three "receiving" ships. They are the Vermont at the New York Navy-Yard, the Wabash at the Boston Yard, and the Richmond at the League Island Navy-Yard in Philadelphia. The boys must be between fourteen and sixteen years of age, sound in health, and be able to read and write to some extent. No distinction is made in race, and it is a singular fact that the colored boys who apply are almost invariably able to read and write better than the white boys. On board the Vermont the only reading test applied is contained on a card, which is as follows:
"'Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States in Congress assembled, that fraudulent enlistment and the receipt of any pay or allowance thereunder is hereby declared an offence against naval discipline, and made punishable by general court martial.'
"What I have just read to you is a law of the United States, and it means that if you do not tell the truth about your age, parents, or guardian, or if you are a deserter from the naval or military service, you may be tried by a court martial, be put in prison, or punished in some way."