New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-12-01

,ous- =, whatever policy 1t may be thought wise se
"a the part OF our Government to assume havottsn
nv -, assured strength to protect rights enioase
lust claims. beget security against to'ed sclared
Saiicw OF oar people which may affect ioregn, ma
ions With the increase Of ships here., ,S than
our Navy will stu be for defence rdlheI '"a
~, We would however. with this policy en-
forced have our ports adequately protected am oh
.ne ans IN foreign ports 70 maintain the rights
and interests Of our people ana 20 upnos ~ ~ the
and dy So oft our %nduy bur%enas our
entering into any rivalry with those MT, Iea. xstenee
roaintlined by nations who believe the.r eAiS'cee
depends on their naval strength
PERSONNEL.
.I conrot too strongly recommend Congressional
action In reference TO the personnel OF the i'he Vi
the Navy. Its present condition is too serious 10
be neglected any longer, and unless remedies arc
adopted looking to some system OF protn''io"
which will produce n regular flow from the po''o'i
to the top Of the list, the consequences not only 10
the service but also to the Government WEI soo''
be nothing less than alarming.
The object Of any scheme of promotion In .he
NAVY should be to produce efficient commanding
officers the accomplishment of which necessi'ates
that officers OF the line h made to bear inc re-
sponsi5tics OF actual command by or before the
time they have reached the prime OF me- "'"e
they are still young enough TO accommodate the'-
selves to the demands upon intellect and energy
which made by the assumption oi co""o' "a
Il modern man-of-war.
"A clear understanding Of the necessity for I'M
mediate action I'm this matter can only be gaihed
by "A statement Of the principal causes hereloio .
existing which have led to the present stasnataon
in promotion which statement viii aiso snow ',a.
neither the evils themselves nor the necessary ioi
removing them are open to dispute me irlicipa
causes which nave led to the present conditioh Vi
AFFAIRS are. briefly stated, as follows ,,
First in 1876 Congress authorized scrutiny
OF the active list when resulted In the removal OF
"A large number of officers. the vacancies mus Gre
atcd being hllei from the passed miashpn,en 10, oa
the Navy. The Immediate effect OF TINS was the
reduction of the number Of officers below the grade
OF lieutenant from - in 1851 to ~ IN 1891, ms
number had only increased to 81 when the outoreaS
great number cf destinations from all grades
OF the Navy. creating a; once many vacancies an
through the line To iii which there existed only
the small number of junior officers ns i nee,
above The resulting embarrassment OF IN" he,
partment Tor officers N the Junior grades forced
the Government to supply It's wants from the mer-
20 this lack OF officers in time OF sudden need
was due the unfortunate policy which prevailed
from 1863 to 1861 inclusive and which has CON
tributed more than any other cause. to the pres
ent stngnaton IN promotion. During most Of this
period the numbers In the classes under nstrue-
lion at tn. Naval Academy were kept at the high
possible limit the cadets be Ing pressed TO graz.
rapidi,y on the LIST Of January. 1866: there were
isj midshipmen in the service al OF whon , na.
Their, were IN the academy ~ mllshipmen In the
fourth or lowest class alone Mldshipmen were
graduated during the years lsSGGI-bs ut an average
rate Of about seventy eight Per year In 49, , ,Ie
demands OF the war. and in 1850 necessary re or
ganZation. had each contributed 10 so increase 'le
n,,r,l.rs "a TO make promotions To the grade OF
lieutenant very rapid. but only for a few years to
follow The senior sixteen midshipmen OF the sew
eight who were graduated in 1868 became lieu
t.nanit In 1872 at an average age OF twenty-four
The twelve seniors Of this class nave beeii pro
,,n, 4 :, lieutenant comma ders since the begin
nirg 81 this year. =; average age OF forty-hve'
and after having served twenty Zone years IN the
grade u lieutenant -.
al the same time That this disproportl"nhte
number ~ graduates entered the active service ue
datea ~ 1850 AMI 1851 further increased ~
The admission II number of officers rom me
volunteer Navy. whose ability ana "rrVlccF ha';
the Govcrgm NJ. =, ,o-o
"sccond-rhe effect OF an act passeI IN Io'o.
grii-s ~ the lin". . ,.
'.rhi~i-Thc eject Of an act passed III Ausus,l,
HIGHER grades ~ tho lire - -
The present result Of TIE combined causes mon
gives the average ages at which officers OF tE- in"
u., reach the several grades.