In culling the "cream students," who will be made naval officers in four months, the Navy is taking a practical view of the situation of supply and demand. And the problem of personnel is thereby solved. But these 10,000 "unbridled officers," who will help to make the three-ocean fleet of tomorrow one of the greatest combatant forces in history, will find the going pretty tough sometimes. For the young man enrolled in this intensive programme is actually an apprentice seaman for one month and a Naval Reserve midshipman for the final three months.
'The first month of the four months' course is regarded as preliminary and is comparatively easy because it is not generally considered a part of the main training course. Last year, for instance. the first month was spent entirely at sea aboard a battleship or cruiser, to "break the boys in" to the ways of the water. This year the initial 30-day period will be spent in a similar "indoctrination course" on shore, because the Navy can spare no ships at this time for training purposes, Those candidates temperamentally unsuited to the service will be weeded out in the first thirty days, But after the 30-day trial is over, the future admiral who starts up the long and, for the non-Annapolis man, particularly difficult ladder of officer promotion will find that his three months of basic instruction as a midshipman will probably mark the most arduous 90.day period in his life, Whether he is attending school aboard the old hulk of the battleship Prairie State in New York, or North-western University in Chicago. or the special course at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, he will look with healthy respect and excusable pride upon that blue uniform bedizened with gold.
Upon the completion of the four months' course the Naval Reserve midshipman is given a Reserve ensign's commission. Most of the midshipmen, however. because of the emergency and the need for trained officers, are being enlisted into active duty with the fleet.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.