The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-01-08

How the Personnel Stay ne Aneeted ~ That
Due ~ the sIugzishues. OF Promotion.

D"e NJ '"e S'"EH'H"neN- on i-rono''""'
WASHINGTON, Jan. IA striking argument
In favor OF making a change IN the organ-
cation OF the navy IS furnished by Mr. Meyers
recent report on that subject. Taxing the
latest NdrV Register issued that for 1897, as a
basis for its calculations. this report shows
that OF the officers who entered the service
prior to 1870. there arc now IL who will not
have been retired for age at the end Of the
year 1903. The rules OF the actuaries indi-
oate hovever that this number will probabl
=. ..i,,oo,, hv ,ho, ,i,,a o., 10 al ~ ,bosn
W ieuuNeN W '"'' INC w - "uN " e
under the present organization. half will be
the Rear Admirals and tho other half tho first
ak Commodores.
But OF the 200 officers now remaining who
entered the service between 1850 and 1867
only - VIII then nave retired Tor age leaving
2T3. with probable reduction under the rules
~ Tho pctuo,ias IN Isn ArcordInoIv their
W t"o ~, ., ~ Nv 49, u.uH' ~, ~,
senior wiz % ohiy INC seventh ON nouoIc
and the junior at the foot OF the date nj 1897
nfter thirty.nye Years Of servica will be the
80. c,., 80, ,,..,'.. ~ - ,hs
torty-htth Lleutehant-C commander ana the
VIII a iihorsI Allowance ,,esnming mace to
~, 80 -. -. ''''S' , w
ace Of So y. with 3al, years Of service, and will
have hut ~, ve,ra ranaipipo for nnasin0
,Mr ,V J IN a, eroJo md ,no hIobsr nnss ~
Captain. Commodore ard Rear Admiral
Anotbar foct pointaJ out ia that n 81 Tho
present Commanders. the entire a Lieutenant
Commanders, and - Of tho present Lieu.
tenants al entered inc service within the
space OF three years; ana twenty-five years
ago the senior Of oil was only at tho top Of the
llst NJ ieutapunts Ao.i, tho .ntira ora,o NJ
I1.' ~ 'I 1t"i", '"e vnt'ie E'aue W
Lleutenant-Conmander IL nlIed from the
obou, ,rro oI,,.os ~ ,ho Aoo,,or,r "a I, hos
80. W. .I"S1 VIZ -, ,'',i Anu ~ nas
from the bottom to the TOP OF the grade,
No. ~ optsre % Inn 5ns HS ~ ana
put the inference between their commissions
Ia tlelr present gTaue - ~ years. AgaIn, the
head OF the date OF ISJi has been Com mand-
or ior seven years while the foot Of that same
GATE is the tenth Lieutenant-Commanler and
shoulu tne Iotter be promoted within year.
there would stu le eight years difference in
IL may DO SAID that Whom the year LOl has
come around. and when little later the
croWGlng o. grades producei by the excep-
tlonnl requirements OF the civil war and a few
ssincceeu,ng years mas been relieved 10y age re-
come more normal again. and promotion
more eduable. Ut thnt rellection will not help
Il seem fair ground Tor not doing something
90 aemeiiS an evi wn0so eiietts VIII, as lust
sSnpHwn' ne noteworthy aqrinE me next ten Gr
al services discrepancy between length OF
service and commission In given grade
VIII doubtless be true OF military as well as
naval services. But that also is no ground for
not attempting some imnroyement.
o. peculiar CHARACTER. and " Is suggested in
the report OF Mr. Meyer that his Importance Is
enhanced by the fact that the control Of an
Admiral over the individual vessels OF his fleet
In battle T. less than tho control q the General
over the divisions OF his army II Is admitted
that some Important factors In the Captains
shllity to achieve success in battle. notably the
highest order OF courage. readiness. and pres
ence OF mind, can only be told by trial But
one very important factor can be assured.
namely. actual PRACTICE in directing the move
ments oil ship The present project for in
creasinE the How " promotion has az an
argument to aid 1t the fact that in securing
.ne hIEner RANK a hna pay epyeteu lor the on-
command rank at an earlier age in life md
should insure more experlsnced and camna.
tant con,maniara 81 rasSais Ti,is n,on be r
called the punlic interest In the new promo.
ton scheme. The idea that command rank
tude OF youth to aSamIre habit and the 1powing
indisposition OF advancing years to rise to
TASKS any responsihni.iues UNKNOWN 70 an ear
Iler hge suggests hXihg an eEeat whioh COM
But in addition II is thought that selection
Gov nj mi, ~ an ~, ri a - yrS
over OF officers for this purpose. BY leading to
the retirement OF those repeatedly failing to be
selected, would further increase the flow OF
pursned IN our own nav Sithsrto It the sf Tro
posal to intermingle selection with It, though
only at certain points-that Is to say. in pass
hnss i pOtr eeI sncantsro4 e next
But II is pointed out that the principle OF Sc
lection Is found In other naval services and
also In our own military service In passing
above the grade OF Colonel. although it is true
that in this latter instance passing over does
not retire the rejected ofllcer.
Admiral Farragut Is quoted as saying that