Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-01
PERSONNEL OF TIE NAVY.
Secretary Tracy Makes Some Very Pertinent
Remarks the Subject.

Secretary Tracy Makes Some Very Pertinent
Remarks ON the Subject.
Secretary Tracy's remarks in his annual re-
port upon the subject of the personnel of the
navy and the need Of measures to improve the
existing conditions are interesting. He says:
The number of rear admirals is too small for
the needs of the service and recommend that
it be increased from six to ten. OF the reduc-
tions made in the numbers OF the naval person.
mel by the acts Of Congress of July Is, 1870, and
August 5, 1882, the frs. was adopted at time
when the material of the navy was in a state of
rapid decline, both in the number and quality
OF ships, and the second when it had touched
tic lowes5 point. The transformation and
rapid development of the feet which has taken
place in the last six years make it absolutely
necessary TO call for a new adjustment in GER
tain branches of the personnel. in oIder to
keep up "a reasonable standard Of efficiency
among the officers of the navy.
LINE OFFICERS.
The situation Of the lower part Of the list of
line officers from the grades of lieutenant to
ensign is SO serious as to be little less than
alarming. At the present rate Of promotion
these officers bid fair to pass their lives in the
junior grades. The average age of the five
officers now at the head of the list in each OF
these grades is as follows: Lieutenants, forty
four years and one month; lieutenant junior
grade, thirty-four years and five months; en-
sign, thirty-twO years and seven months. This
is bad enough. but the situation during the
next few years is growing rapidly worse, and
actual calculation shows that at the average
rate of promotion the officers now at the foot
of these three grades will only be promoted
out of their grades at the following ages: Lieu
tenant, fifty-four years; lieutenant, junior
grade, thirty-seven years; ensign, thirty-three
years.
The spectacle will thus be presented, at a
time not very far distant, OF the whole grade of
heutenants in the navy composed Of men be-
tween the ages of thirty-seyen and fifty-four.
During all this period they can only have a sub
ordinate responsibility, although they have
reached an age when many men are almost
ready to retire from the pursuit of an active
career. They are still in leading strings, al
ways compelled to refer even unimportant ques-
tions to their seniors, dragging out the misera-
BILE existence of a subordinate whose energies
have been sapped. whose ambition is gone and
who has learned from long experience to evade
and shirk responsibility.
The absurdity of this arrangement is shown
by the fact that after spending forty years of
his life in inferior positions the lieutenant has
but eight years left in which to pass through
the highest grades before retirement. When
he reaches position OF responsibility he is no
longer fitted for it, and he is, therefore. as inca
pacitated for efficient service during his short
period of command as he was during his pro-
tracted career characterization. II this practice
continues, the government will soon find itself
possessed of fleet of the highest qualities
placed in the hands Of a body of officers origi-
nally inferior 20 none in the world. but with
capacity that has been dwarfed and stunted by
the results of this restrictive legislation.
PARTIAL REMEDY
As partial remedy the department proposes
that the number Of lieutenant commanders be
increased from seventy-four to 12i, and the
number of lieutenants be diminished
in like proportion, and that the num-
Der Of heutenants Of the junior grade and
Of ensigns be more nearly equalized.
A" In connection with this subject / would
strongly urge that the bill Is. 540) now pending
in Congress to amend the statutes relating to
the naming, rating and command Of vessels be
80 amended that second rates may be COM
manded by captains or commanders, third
rates by commanders or lieutenant command
ers and fourth rates by lieutenants, thus
obyiating the hardships which the bill in its
present shape would impose upon junior
officers.
PERsoNNEL-ENGINEER CORPS.
OF equal importance with the above changes
is the demand for an increase in the numbers
Of the engineer corps. At present there are
not enough engineer officers in the Navy for
ordinary working purposes, and il no additional
ships were building an enlargement Of the
corps would be necessary. The important ad-
ditions that are now being made TO the feet
emphasize still further the urgent necessity of
immediate action. The engines OF the new
ships, with their great complexity and delicate
adjustment. require the highest kind Of expert
and unless q sufficient force il pro-
Eided theSafety of the ships will be seriously
endangered. A bill for this purpose has been
introduced in Congress, which provides also
for the selection Of . certain number Of gradu-
ates of technical schools for appointment in
! the engineer corps. With the general principles
underlying this bill the department heartily
concurs, and IL earnestly asks that action may
be taken upon it ut the coming session.
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