"Iron-Clad," an English naval officer, apparently on the North American
station, gives in The Times of Thursday the conclusions to which he has come as to the state of the United States' Navy. He says the dislike amongst American sailors to the navy is so great that their vessels have only been manned throughout the war by means of a sort of indirect conscription. Every man draughted for the army who can be proved to have had anything to do with the sea in any capacity is compelled to serve in the navy, and a naval " recruiting " party is stationed with every army.. Men who have been employed in " lading river steamers or carting off wharves" are packed off to the navy. The officers are chiefly volunteers from the merchant service, and anything approaching to discipline amongst men of that class, accustomed to command their own ships, is of course impossible.
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