Adventure Magazine Cover — page 186: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

180 ‘The Crew’ visited Norfolk or Newport, or does the Maddox make such extended trips? Oh yes, there are plenty of people in Charleston, Panama, Norfolk, Newport and elsewhere familiar with the Navy who will tell ‘The Crew’ in mighty few words who the expression ‘drunken sailor’ re- flects on. As far as drinking is concerned we must admit the sailor gets his share, man-o’-war’sman included, but I can not see why the term ‘drunken sailor’ should always reflect on the Merchant Marine when both men are drinking out of the same bottle. My experience is that the man-o’-war’sman has always been proud of the quantity and quality of booze he could consume and both Mr. Milstead and ‘The Crew’ will admit that the alki and shellac are kept under lock and key on their respective ves- sels. I wonder why? Such is not the case on this tramp If Mr. Milstead and “The Crew’ desire to inform the public through ‘Camp-Fire’ that Messrs. Brown and Pladwell are in error in referring to them as drunken sailors I have no objection what- ever. Probably they expect the authors to apolo- gize and say the remark reflected on sailors of tramp steamers and merchant ships, and not on man-o’- war’smen. This I do cbject to. Mr. Milstead suggests the civil population request editors make a distinction between man-o’-war’s- men and sailors. I am of the same opinion. I might also suggest that a distinction be made be- tween the U.S.S. Maddex and a real man-o’-war’s- man. The civil pepulation, of which I am one, knowing little of ships, are probably under the im- pression that the Maddox is an honest-to-goodness man-o’-war’sman with one thousand or more na- tive-born temperance advocates, but such 1s far from the case. There was plenty of room for the signature of every one of them in the one column of ‘Camp-Fire’ that contained their little song with- out using an anonymeus signature. I have seen the actions of sailors and man-o’- war’smen at home and abroad, before, during and after the war, and from my observations I certainly think Mr. Milstead got a fly in his grapejuice when he jumped Mr. Brown. Mr. Milstead also accuses Mr. Brown of throwing slams and imsinuations at the Navy, but Mr. M. has no scruples against slam- ming others. ‘The Crew’ dees net stop at slams and imsinua- tions but hands the sailor on the tramp the whole bill-of-fare from soup to nuts. He also says there are so many peeple who are not informed what class of men go to sea as sailors. How about ‘Seamen Third Class’ as cerrect signature for the Maddox letter? Also does the Maddox go to sea? I admire Mr. Milstead’s stand on his defense of the Navy altheugh he does slam me; as to ‘The Crew,’ he talks like a young kid who (etc.)’—Ep- WARD ROGERS. Ft. Stanton, New Mexico. “T do not wish to join in the controversy concern- ing the ‘Drunken Sailor’ expressions, but I firmly believe I voice the sentiments of the thousands of young Americans in the American Merchant Ma- rine, many of whom are ex-navy men, when I take exception to some remarks made by Mr. Milstead and the crew of the Maddox. Contrary to the impression they apparently wish to convey, the gran of the Merchant Marine is not composed of drunkards and the riffraff of the Adventure nation, but is made up im a large part by industri- ous, sober and ambitious young Americans who have taken up the sea-going professions as a life work, They take as much pride in the Merchant Marine as Navy men do, and always shall resent any such reflection upon their characters. Mr. Milstead says: ‘If the civil population had any idea of the difference between a sailor and a man- o’-war’s man, the latter a sea-going man of the Navy, the former of the Merchant Marine, they would urgently request their editors to make some distinction between the two classes.’ Such an implication is a gross insult to every American merchant sailor and his family as well. Of course, in every class of men we find the habit- ual drunkard, and the Merchant Marine is no ex- ception, or the Navy either, for that matter. I can best express my opinion of Mr. Milstead’s letter by his own words, taken from his letter to the editor and published in ‘Camp-Fire,’ ‘I am anxious for him to know how ignorant I consider his remark.’ If the distinction between the two classes was made, and both investigated, rest assured that the result would be no diseredit to the Merchant Marine boys. No less an msult is the follewing remarks from the crew of the J/addox, published in the same issue. ‘Of course, people who are familiar with the Navy know that the expression probably reflects on sail- ors of tramp steamers and merchant ships To say the least Mr. Milstead and the crew of the U. S. S. Maddox owe the American Merchant Marine sailors an abject apelegy.”—A MERCHANT SEAMAN, HERE were two or three other letters in de- fense of the men of the Merchant Marine, but this case needs no better statement than the above. Personally I have nothing to add concerning these militant crusaders against a phrase. But I would suggest to Mr. Milstead and “The Crew” that they devote a few days intensive study to the meaning of the Golden Rule, interspersed with oc- casional contemplation of what their Bibles have to say about the mote in the other fellow’s eye and the beam in your own. They might also ask some man what is the ordinary man’s conception of snobbish- ness. A book on elementary logic might be able to teach them and Our Navy the differences among the various statements and ideas new very seriously confused in their minds. Last ef all I beg to suggest to Our Navy and Mr. Milstead that when a man re- ceives an apology he generally dees not feel that it becomes him to boast about it or advertise it. AS TO facts, every one knews that some of both the Navy and the Merchant Marine are drunken. So are some editors, carpenters, doctors, mechanics, etc. But stating that fact doesn’t slur anv one of these groups, while denying it is merely silly. The years should have established this maga- zine’s friendly feeling for all who follow the sea. If they haven’t, then I’m not goimg to try to estab- lish it through a phrase or the absence of it. A> TO drunkenness, though I’ve been drunk and am no total abstainer, I’m against it. Asahabit it doesn’t happen to have fastened on me, and when I get free from the various bad habits I do have I may begin telling drunkards how rotten they are. I hope not until then. If there weren’t in the world MICLOOOKS (C@