national interest in the case of vessels engaged in any trade, the owner of every American merchant vessel engaged in such trade shall insure the master, officers, and crew of such vessel against loss of life or personal injury from war risks as well as for compensation during detention by an enemy of the United States following capture.

"Such insurance shall be effected either with the Bureau of War Risk Insurance or in insurance companies, and on terms satisfactory to the Secretary of the Treasury.

Such insurance shall provide, and the Bureau of War Risk Insurance is authorized to write policies so providing—

'(a) In case of death, permanent disability which prevents the person injured from performing any and every kind of duty pertaining to his occupation, or the loss of both hands, both arms, both feet, both legs, or both eyes, or any two thereof, for the payment of an amount equivalent to one year's earnings, or to twelve times the monthly earnings of the insured, as fixed in the articles for the voyage (hereinafter referred to as the principal sum), but in no case shall such amount be more than $5000 or less than $1500;

(b) In case of any of the following losses, for the payment of the percentage of the principal sum indicated in the following tables:

One hand, fifty per centum;

"One arm, sixty-five per centum;

"One foot, fifty per centum;

"One leg, sixty-five per centum;

"One eye, forty-five per centum;

"Total destruction of hearing, fifty per centum;

"6 That the Bureau of War Risk Insurance may include in its policy undertakings to pay specified percentages of the principal sum for other losses or disabilities; and

(c) In case of detention by an enemy of the United States, following capture, for the payment during the continuance of such detention of compensation at the same rate as the earnings of the insured immediately preceding such detention, to be determined in substantially the same manner as provided in subdivision (a) of this section.

The aggregate payments under this section in respect to any one person shall not exceed the amount of the principal sum.

Payments provided for in this section shall be made only to the master, officer, or member of the crew concerned, except that a payment for loss of life shall be made to the estate of the insured for

distribution to his family free from liability of debt, and payment on account of detention by an enemy following capture shall be made to dependents of the person detained, if designated by him.

"No claim under this section shall be valid unless made by the master, officer, or member of the crew concerned, or his estate, or a person designated under this section, within two years after the date on which the President suspends the operations of this Act in so far as it authorizes insurance by the United States."

"SEC. 36. That in the event of failure of the owner of any vessel to effect insurance of the master, officers, and crew of such vessel prior to sailing, in accordance with section three a of this Act, the Secretary of the Treasury is hereby authorized to effect such insurance with the Bureau of War Risk Insurance at the expense of the owner of such vessel, and the latter shall be liable for such expense, and, in addition, to a penalty of not exceeding $1000. The amount of such premium, with interest and of the penalty and of all costs, shall be a lien on the vessel." (June 12, 1917.)

CHAPTER XXV

DISCIPLINE AT SEA

Authority, to some minds, means oppression and injustice; people so constituted should stay ashore; a ship has no use for them—they simply cannot get along.

The orderly man lives his life aboard ship with the greatest freedom.

Discipline at sea is largely a matter of common sense. Officers who know their business have very little trouble in achieving perfect discipline. The laws governing lack of ability bear hard on the man who has shipped to do work he is not qualified for. The disturber has a hard time when handled by a Master who knows the law and his authority.

The laws relating to offenses on board ship are appended, not as guide to crime, but to inform the seaman of the fact that the flag and the laws of the land follow the ship out beyond the three-mile limit.

Some officers have a way with them that carries along the work of the vessel without friction and with the utmost amount of dispatch. These officers know their business thoroughly. They are absolutely just, which means that the slacker and malingerer are given the full brunt of disapproval. The" coming down" on a loafer, good and hard, helps more to bring forth respect for an officer than anything else. When this is coupled by even-handed justice, and a human way of doing things, such as looking out for the comfort of their men, a happy vessel is bound to be the result.

Seamen like nothing better than to know that they are under officers who will run things on the level. It is like being under a decent government that helps the weak and

curbs the strong-there is a fascination to running things right that merchant officers should cultivate.

Below are the punishments meted out to those that believe in individual license, and who think that the individual can do as he pleases without consulting the rest of us. They are wrong, of course, but most of all, they are most often, simply ignorant.

Offenses and punishments.

Whenever any seaman who has been lawfully engaged or any apprentice to the sea service commits any of the following offenses, he shall be punished as follows:

First. For desertion, by forfeiture of all or any part of the clothes or effects he leaves on board and of all or any part of the wages or emoluments which he has then earned.

Second. For neglecting or refusing without reasonable cause to join his vessel or to proceed to sea in his vessel, or for absence without leave at any time within twenty-four hours of the vessel's sailing from any port, either at the commencement or during the progress of the voyage, or for absence at any time without leave and without sufficient reason from his vessel and from his duty, not amounting to desertion, by forfeiture from his wages of not more than two days' pay or sufficient to defray any expenses which shall have been properly incurred in hiring a substitute.

Third. For quitting the vessel without leave, after her arrival at the port of her delivery and before she is placed in security, by forfeiture from his wages of not more than one month's

pay.

Fourth. For willful disobedience to any lawful command at sea, by being, at the option of the master, placed in irons until such disobedience shall cease, and upon arrival in port by forfeiture from his wages of not more than four days' pay, or, at the discretion of the court, by imprisonment for not more than one month.

Fifth. For continued willful disobedience to lawful command or continued willful neglect of duty at sea, by being, at the option of the master, placed in irons, on bread and water, with full rations every fifth day, until such disobedience shall cease, and upon arrival in port by forfeiture, for every twenty-four hours' continuance of such disobedience or neglect, of a sum of not more than twelve days'

pay, or by imprisonment for not more than three months, at the discretion of the court.

Sixth. For assaulting any master or mate, by imprisonment for not more than two years.

Seventh. For willfully damaging the vessel, or embezzling or willfully damaging any of the stores or cargo, by forfeiture out of his wages of a sum equal in amount to the loss thereby sustained, and also, at the discretion of the court, by imprisonment for not more than twelve months.

Eighth. For any act of smuggling for which he is convicted and whereby loss or damage is occasioned to the master or owner, he shall be liable to pay such master or owner such a sum as is sufficient to reimburse the master or owner for such loss or damage, and the whole or any part of his wages may be retained in satisfaction or on account of such liability, and he shall be liable to imprisonment for a period of not more than twelve months. (R. S., 4596; Dec. 21, 1898; sec. 19; Mar. 4, 1915; sec. 7.) (Effective beginning Nov. 4, 1915.)

Upon the commission of any of the offenses enumerated in the preceding section an entry thereof shall be made in the official log book on the day on which the offense was committed, and shall be signed by the master and by the mate or one of the crew; and the offender, if still in the vessel, shall, before her next arrival at any port, or, if she is at the time in port, before her departure therefrom, be furnished with a copy of such entry, and have the same read over distinctly and audibly to him, and may thereupon make such a reply thereto as he thinks fit; and a statement that a copy of the entry has been so furnished, or the same has been so read over, together with his reply, if any, made by the offender, shall likewise be entered and signed in the same manner. In any subsequent legal proceedings the entries hereinbefore required shall, if practicable, be produced or proved, and in default of such production of proof the court hearing the case may, at its discretion, refuse to receive evidence of the offense. (R. S., 4597; Dec. 21, 1898; sec. 20.)

All clothes, effects, and wages which, under the provisions of this Title [R. S., 4501-4613], are forfeited for desertion, shall be applied, in the first instance, in payment of the expenses occasioned by such desertion, to the master or owner of the vessel from which the desertion has taken place, and the balance, if any, shall be paid by the