The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1882-07-09
nisoRG1NLzlNG 1nE NArY.

poses to give the naval establishment is one
which contains an unusual number Of bad |
features. At a moment when public senti- |
ment Is demanding more ships, Mr.. Robeson |
would reduce the corps of officers, both in
number and rank so that hy the time we
get the new ships we shall not have enough |
officers to command them. And these re.
ductions are not TO be made in the best hut |
in the worst way. Instead of reducing the |
number of youths to he educated at the |
public expense, the Robson plan is to keep
on turning out more cadets than there is |
| employment for, but to send large part of
these back into civil life Ono obvious fault
of this plan is that SO long as we have no
mercantile marine the technical education of
the Naval Academy is not the best education
for the cadets who are to return to civil pur-
suits.
| The abolition of the grade Of commodore is
injurious for several reasons. Successive
grades of rank are a necessary part of any
wholesome military organization, and the
fault of both our Army and Navy has always
been that they have had too few rather than
too many grades. All the European military
powers have greater number of different
ranks than we have. The only tenable ex-
cuse for doing away with any grade must be
the economical one, and the abolition of the
commodores, while permitting all of that
grade to retire as rear admirals, will not for
some years diminish the naval payroll
Taken in connection with the reduction of
| the number of lieutenauts, this obliteration of
the grade of commodore will bring promotion
| in the lower ranks to an absolute stand-still,
and most of the masters will be old men be-
fore they can become lieutenants. But if
there is any unnecessary grade it is that of rear
admiral, since, having no fleets, we have
no suitable commands for admirals. The
| historic glories of the American Navy have
been won Ivy commodores; aud by abolishing
that title We blot from the Navy register the
one which has shel tie most lustre on
American courage and seamanship.
The proposed reduction of the staff corps
Is net sustained by good reasons. Neither
the medical, the engineer. nor the pay corps
has superabundauce of officers, and it is
difficult to see how our sailors are to be doc
tored and supplied, and our ships to be
worked, il these corps are to he reduced. A
skeleton navy requires an administrative
system disproportionate to its numerical
strength. But unless we disband the Navy
these administrative stan corps must be- kept
up.
The real kernel and raisoa dotre of this
Robesonian measure appears to be found in
the radical change it makes in the system of
promotion, and in its possibilities for evil
this is the most alarming feature of the bill
The Navy now has what, if administered in
the proper spirit, would be very good sys
TEN OF promotion by seniority, tempered by
selection, system by which every officer, be
fore entering higher grade, must pass an ex
animation by board composed of his senior.
in rank. That this has not worked rs wei
as it might is not the fault of the system. bu
is the consequence of the constant interfer
g encc with it by the Executive and Legisa
ture at the instigation Of social and poltica
- influences. 1t has too often happened, wher
the examining board has reported that an
officer is unfit for promotion, that anothe
board has been packed to retxamine anc
promote him, or, worst of all, the nterfer
T ence of Congress has been secured. What i
T. most needed, therefore, is legislation TO pre-
vent such interference with the verdicts u
l. examining boards, and to exclude from
IL promotion a greater number of those VIII
d are least fitted to fill the most responsible
II places.
II Mr.. Robeson's bill pretends to introduc
: plan of selecting by merit instead of by sen
q iority, with exceptions, from amongst all til
" captains whenever a promotion is to b
g made to the grade of rear admiral. All til
= sound arguments in favor Of abandoning tn
'e present system come from the fact that it
ie not rigidly administered, but its alread
IL too lax operation interfered with wheneyC
Is the officer rejected by the examiners has an
to political or social " influence" But the ne
or measure will deprive every officer of h
or seniority rights without insuring him thj
s. mere favoritsm will not take the place
l. seniority. Indeed, the experience OF the pa
s. makes il certain that the Robeson bi
ID would produce a disgraceful scramble f
lie every vacancy TO be filled by selection.
10 The most subservient tools in manipuatin
y navy yards and pay-rolls for political pu
3 poses would, if "stalwart " IDEAS we
IL reigning climb above their seniors in SO
'i vice and their superiors in merit. Doubtle
IL Mr.. Robeson's ideal of reform in the Nav
will be realized when there are more prize
"a to be disposed of, and when, as the pow
# behind the throne, he will be enabled
or dispense a great number of rewards al