The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-12-15
FOR NAVAL REFORM
Features Of the Reorganiza-
tion Report to Be Sub
mitted Monday.
TO MAKE YOUNG COMMANDERS
Reserve Force on Shore Pay
Actual Rank for Staff
Officers.

WASHINGTON, Dec. Is, 1S94.-The re-
port on the new plan of reorganization
of the Navy. which Will be presented
to the House on Monday next has been
prepared by Mr.. Meyers of Louisiana
1t states that under existing condi-
tions it is so far advanced in age that
their power of adaptability and respon-
sibility is either Impaired or lost. in
order to relieve the congestion in the
higher grades of the Navy, which it is
said results from the large number
of officers from the rank of lieutenant
commander to captain, and who are
graduates of the classes from 1860 to
1868, the report recommends
First, to make vacancies by remov-
ing a considerable number now in ths
eongested grades.
Second. by increasing the numbers in
the upper grades.
"The first" the report continues.
"could not be accomplished without IN
justice and hardship to a number of
meritorious officers whose services DUR
ing the late war would be lily repaid
by harsh treatment now, to correct an
existing state of affairs for which they
are not responsible. The second only by
making the upper abnormally large. BY
combining the two, giving at the same
time opportunities for volunteer retre-
ment and retaining those who were se-
lected as especially deserving, from offi-
GERS who served in the volunteer SER
vice and by the creation of a reserved
list, there viii be inaugurated a sys-
tenn which will tend to create a class
of officers of an age sufficiently young
and at the same time experienced, to
command fleets, and in order that the
existing stagnation shall not be re-
peated every few years. the repou rec
omInends that there should be no fewer
than sixteen promotions to commander
and twenty to lieutenant commander
annually
The report advocates reducing the
classes of 1860 to 1868 to what should be
their normal number and thus placing
the list in condition TO be effectively
dealt with in the future. "A practical
solution, the report continues, seems
to lie in the creation of an extra list
composed of officers, who. though taken
out of the seaSoins class, viii yet dis
charge the duties which are now prop
erly performed by naval officers. The
officers SO transferred will maintain a
status consistent with q proper self re-
spsct; they cannot receive more than
the shore pay of their grade and VIII
render adeqlate~ service to -the-- 1InYerIl-
nent for such pay and will form an
active reserve, TO be drawn upon in case
Of War. Instead of transferring the total
excess of i26 officers OF the dates given
to the reserve list, 100 will answer the
present hands of the service
Conferring actual rank upon staff Of
iicers will not, the report states, have
any injurious effect upon the officers
Of the service so long as their titles
remain distinctive of their duties and
the authority of the several corps re-
main. as now, established by the law
and the regulations of the navy. 1t will
remove the long existing cause of strife
and contest in the service and it is
therefore recommended that an actual
or positive rank be conferred upon all
staff officers and that equal pay be given
The report recommends promoting the
colonel-commandant the marine corps
to the rank of brigadier general and
adding an additional colonel, to be placed
on duty on the Pacific coast. to the
list.
A retired list similar to that of the
army, is recommended for the enlisted
men of the navy, and also that the oath
of allegiance and citizenship now in
force for the privates of the army be
hereafter applicable to Seamen.
The report SAYS that the opportunities
for the advancement of the enlisted men
of the navy is more difficult than exists
under many of the morarchical Govern
mentS of Europe, and yet, notwithstand-
ing his qualifications and zeal q conn
mission is denied him. Promotions from
the ranks are frequent in the army, and
these opportunities have undoubtedly at.
tracted the better element of our Young
men. Our vessels are manned by for
eign seamen. American boys will not en-
list if an officers commission is beyond
hair oh