The critic. (Washington, D.C.) 1890-1891, 1890-12-18
wAruIvorov, d. @, DEC. Is, isOo.
run PERSONNEL. or run NAVY

In his rcpurt for the year 1870, Secretary
rRAcY calls attention TO very serious,
not to say threatening. condition of things
in the Jriy0Racl of the Navy. Aftcrpoin;
ing ont the fact HAT officers are wasting
thcir youth, even their middle age. the
rullnc,s Of their energy and efficiency in
the grade or -ubaltcrns, he says.
The spectacle will thus he presented, ct
II time not very far distant Of the whole
grade uf licutcnants in the Navy composed
Of men between the ages of - and ~.
During all this period they can only have
subordinate responsibility, although
they have reached an aye when many
men are almost ready to retire from the
pnsliit Of an active career They are still
IN lcading-strings always compelled 10
refer even mimpurtnnt questions to their
seniors. dragging ont the miserable exist
,ncc of u subordinate whose energies have
been sappcd, whose ambition is gonc, and
who has learned from long experience to
,Nade and shirk responsibility.
We may well ask what, under such cir
unnstances, will bc the result to tile coun-
try of cxpcnding millions in the creation
uf an effective modern navy. VIII il not
be as barren and fruitleSs rs the sands
upon the shore? II the officers who at
last reach their captaincics, and come to
the command of tlesc new ships, are to he
men whose vigor is gone, whose enthu-
-iasm il dead, whose ambition has grown
cold and whose activities have passed
from tlhcm with the flocting years, what
are we to expect Of a service 50 constituted
We shall have n fine material equipment
but OF what military virtue will il be?
The country has been told that our navy
has the finest peygm,Bi in the world, and
that nothing was needed save Il corre-
spending material and the country has
come to believe IT, But II is not true.
Secretary Tracy points to Il time, not far
distant. when our Commodores will he
tottering and docrepit wrecks, our Captains
stperannuated. imvalids, our Lieutenants
yrandfathcrs and our Ensigns graybcards.
He tells lls that, even now, our Officers
are degencrting into mere spiiitless mer-
ccnarics, robbed of hope, and paupers in
every quality that gives force and spirit tc
the service. They reach positions of re-
spcnsihility only after they have becom
physically and morally incapacitated.
They attain'rank only at a time when
they have ceased to value il save for the
larger emolmcnt il brings. Nor does the
trouble stop with them; for the men can
not be expected To he better than then
officers, and so the cankcr of despair and
inoiliciency borcs its fatal way into til,
scry pith and marrow of the corps.
This is not pleasant or encouraging
picture, yet il is presented to lis by one ol
the abcst Cabinet officers we have had in
many years as the deliberate conclusion
of his mind after the most careful ant
comprehensive investigation. II SHOULD
have startled the whole country int,
solicitudc and alarm, and yet IL seems Il
have been passed over a.thing of no &c
count Not one of our great military
specialists in Congress has paid II til,
tribute Of even a passing notice. Senators
and Representatives appear 10 think tha
the nation needs nothing but slips ant
guns, and that the brain, the muscle, til,
spirit and the patriotism Of the peyson,e
are matters too petty for theirmagniticen
recognition. They flmc and bicker owe
their narrow party issues, while Sccrctar,
IRAoy's solemn warning Hits by them ol
the idle wind. 1t is not u pleasant picture
hut unless we want ours to dwindle ava,
into phantom navy--a Fata Aiorgana o
pjtiable derelicts-we must givelt our IN
slant vigilance.