The New York herald., 1870-04-18
the ARMY AND NAVY COMPARED.
WASHINGTON, April Is, 1870.

Mm WASHINGTON, April Is, 1870.
TO THE EDITOR or THE HERALD
Referring to your article on the 'Navy Bill IN Con-
gress" published In the issue OF April Q. have the
honor to state that the bill for the reduction OF the
navy now pending In the Senate does not, as alleged
In your editorial, work unJustly TO those gallant
ocers who performed such distinguished service In
the suppression of the late re ebellion.
There Is either Misrepresentation OF facts, or you
have been grossly misled when any such assertion
Is made. In this bill for the gradual reduction OF
the navy no proposal is made to vacate any naval
commission; but 1T provides that promotions into
the overcrowded higher grades shall be suspended
until the numbers are reduced to those with which
the war was fought
The "Navy Regster' for 1869 shows 357 officers on
the active list and above the rank OF lieutenant
commander corresponding with the rank OF MAJOR
In the army) and only 2S0 In the three lower grades
or lieutenant master ana ensign. This TACT SHOWS
the unjust preponderance OF commanding officers
The Navy Department has itsefdecared that only
eighty OF the $50 lieutenant commanders are wanted
and 1t follows therefore, that corresponding reduc-
tion should be made in the grades above There are
but fifty vessels in commission for all those officers
to command. The recent letter OF eX.Secretary
Weles states that the number OF Officers established
by the act Of July 1882 was enough for the demands
be appeased by the great Increase OF July, 1866 more
than year after the termination OF the rebelilon
Indeed great was this increase or numbers that
have warrant in charging 1t has never been possible
TO commensuracly ll the lower or subaitern grades
although midshipmen have been hurried through
the ranks OF ensign and lieutenant before
some OF them had learned the rudimentS or nayiga-
ton.
AS at present constituted the navy consists OF AIT
officers OF and above tho grade OF lieutenant COM
mander tmaor in the army and abovel or which 357
are the active list and l2O retired. Tue basis OF
command Ia the navy Is less than 10000 men as
force.
The army, with basis force of $4,000 men, has
only sos oicers OF and above the rank OF major Oh
which seventy eight are ON the retired lst. TliS
shows a preponderance OF naval ollcers o7er army
officers OF ike grade OF l72 officers, with fortytwo
officers retired more than IN the army. The army
average IS one officer 10 l63 men. ana the navy
average Is one officer TO twenty men. In the army
there are sos commanding officers. OF which twenty
SIX are general officers, which Is one general officer
to eleven officers and I,y23 men, LII Tue navy thcre
are Az commanding officers, OF when 100 rank win
general olcers IN the army, which is one general
Oicer the navy TO four officers ana ninety zone
men.
TO exhibit this singular and unjust as we'll as
necessary, preDonderance OF the navy over the
arrny--the former at basis Of 10000 men, ana the
latter at basis OF 600 nenthe ratio OF officers 10
Men would be as followS:--
In the army one general to 1000 men, one lieu
tenant general 10 $4,000 men. one major general TO
5000 men, brlgader general to 3571 men, one
colonel to SOL men, one lieutenant colonel to 6S4
men, ana one major TO All men.
In the navy one admiral To 10000 men. one vice
admiral TO TO- 600 men, one rear admiral to 35s men,
one commodore e to l26 men, one captain 10 l3o men,
one commander To "a men, and one lieutenant COM
mander to 54 men.
These are the corresponding grades OF the army
and navy, AMI based upon the present numoer OF
officers OF each. To employ tue excess OF command
Ing officers or the navy 1t has been deemed necei-
sary to create new places such as 'p0rG admlralS'
al the different cities, already over 1led with OIL
GERS. Washington now boasts port admiraln for
the 1rst time III It's existence.
The bill now pending Will 0bv!ate these objections
without vacaIlng single commission or acting un-
justly to any Oificer, and will save the government
nearly, il not exceeding, $1,0Jo.O00 annually. /
might be pardoned for adding That no one appre-
cates the necessity OF navy commensurate with
our standing as nation more than myself, and 30
always be freely given To aid such contamination.
officer in the army 1t was my fortune to witness
many gallant exploits or the navy, and would be
almost The last person 10 undervaue that service
tarnlsh the aurels OF It's officers. But abuses exist
in our naval system. which require investigation
and correction and this alone Is the purpOrt OF the
Senate BILL
In the publication referred to Congress is held re-
sponsbe Tor an alleged fact that numbers OF our Old
sailors are fOrceu TO seek employment in foreign
navles. This Is also mlsapprehension. II blame
attaches anywhere 1t Is to naval system which pre-
cludes promotion from the ranks which frequently
exercises unnecessary tyranny under the SpecIOus
plea OF "discipllne" and which denies respect ana
rank the staff corps OF surgeons, paymasters and
engineers whose caings are absolute essentials tC
the service, and who hold commissions from the
PreldenC by and with the advice and consent OF tht
Senate GEO. f. SPENCER.