iotism, his Americanism or his fighting ability. It is fair
to neither the white man nor the black man to have the black man
compete with the white man in the Navy. True, we have black petty
officers here and there in the Navy, and in some cases black chief
petty officers. It stands to reason that they must have been mighty
good men to advance. They surely must know their business--every
inch of it--to advance to these ratings. Yet they are not wanted in
these ratings because they involve the black man having charge of
white men under him. Outside of the messman branch you will find
comparatively few Negroes in the Navy today.

"There should be 'black ships' assigned to be manned by American
Negroes. These are days of democracy, equality and freedom,"
continues the writer. "If a man is good enough to go over the top
and die for these principles, he is good enough to promote in the
Navy. Why not try it? Put the black men on their own ships. Promote
them, rate them, just the same as the white man. But above all keep
them on their own ships. It is fair to them and fair to the white
men. The Brazilian and Argentine navies have 'black ships.'"

Recruiting officers of the Navy have recently opened the doors to
discharged Negro soldiers, and some civilians. If physically fit they
are permitted to enlist as machinists and electricians. The Navy has
opened a school for machinists at Charleston, S.C., and a school for
electricians at Hampton Roads, Va.

Men for the machinists' school are enlisted as firemen 3rd class. While
in training they are paid $30 a month. They also receive their clothing
allotment, their food, dry comfortable quarters in which to live, and
all text books and practical working tools. In return for this chance to
become proficient in a very necessary trade, all that is required of
those enlisting is a knowledge of common fractions, ambition to learn
the trade, energy and a strict attention to the instruction given them.

Subjects taught in the course are arithmetic, note book sketching,
practical engineering, theoretical engineering, clipping and filing,
drilling, pipe fitting, repair work, rebabbiting, brazing, tin smithing,
lathes, shapers, milling machines and grinders. It will be seen that
they get a vast amount of mechanical knowledge and practically two
trades, machinists and engineering.

In the electrical school