Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-11-17

chips until they are too old to undertake
newly such responsibilities
To command a m odern warship requires
qualities far higher than were needed by
the captain OF sailing frigate twenty-five
years ago. The fighting vessel of today Is
the most complicated product of human in
genuity. 1t is filled with every form of
applied science. including novel machinery,
high-speed engines, new types of guns and
new kinds of powder. Nearly every part of
the whole apparatus is a recent invention.
The commanding officer must understand
everything perfectly. He is responsible for
everything. The fires cannot be lighted,
the engine wheels cannot turn, the ship
cannot be moved. not a cent can be paid
for supplies without his authority. To be
able to direct in battle such a machine
three or four times as big as any in the
service a quarter of century ago, re-
quires a cool head. great executive ability,
and other qualities not generally to be
found In elderly men who have not had
early training In command.
The mere habit of command acquired by
its long-continued exercise Is necessary
for the successful performance of the du-
ties of a commanding officer. The success
of a ship In battle depends almost absolute
ly upon one man. He must act for HIM
self. The admiral OF fleet cannot con-
troll his ships as the general of an army
directs his subordinateS, for obvious rea-
sons.
Stagnation in pr 'motion Is hard on the
officers. but IL Is small evil compared with
the danger to the country resulting from a
lack of experienced captains. The navy is
primarily a machine for war, and its eff
Rectiveness as such Is seriously impaired, 1t
q claimed, by the trouble referred to. The
Htuation at present Is that all the men
toming into command rank are close upon
ftxrx - I'M tsf M h.
ng be DONE this age will Increase until
most of those who become commanders
will be flfty-four or fifty-five years old be-
lore reaching that grade.
n something that happened during the
Evil war. From 1861 to 1867 enormous
glasses were entered at and graduated
from the Naval Academy at Annapolis.
some of these classes numbered as high rs
$50 members. For the sake of illustration.
Jet the navy be represented by series of
yteps. Each step Is occupied by class
From Annapolis and therefore represents
, year. the classes being graduated annu-
PLY. Obviously, by the operation of the
Jaw OF retirement, one class vanishes from
the top every year and a new class comes
in at the bottom, all Of the other classes
moving up step. Thus the flow of promo
ron Is absolutely regular.
Duo to tho Hump"
Unfortunately. however, this is not the
actual situation. The great classes grad
tated during the war times occupy several
times as many steps as they ought to. One
class, instead Of holding one step, occupies
four steps, and 80 on. Thus the classes
below are kept back, the lieutenants are
gray-haired before they get out of that
grade, and away down on the list are en-
signs thirty-four years old. The great
Glasses constitute what Is called the
"hump." They fill up at present the en-
fire grades of der and
ant commander, as well as the first ono
hundred places on tho list of lieutenants.
They are all pretty nearly the same age.
Thus, before long we shall have, 1t is as
serted, admirals and lieutenant comman-
ders who differ very little in age and
length of service.
There will come a time, a little more
than ten years hence. when the law COM
pelling retirement at sixty-two years of
age Will sweep these men off of the active
list by Wholesale. Then will ensue an ex-
traordinary transformation scene. The
officers who now are below the hump will
be rushed up through the various grades
with almost ridiculous celebrity. They will
find themselves captains of great ships-of-
war before they have had time to learn
how to command small vessels. Huge
notwithstanding fortresses that cost
S5,OOO,OOO to build-will be commanded by
men who have had very little experience
In such tremendous responsibilities. 1t Is
q perilous situation to look forward to.
The Plan Proposed.
naval board, appointed to consider the
situation. has made to Congress certain
recommendations, which will be the basis
of the bill passed for doing away with the
existing trouble. A part Of the hump" is
composed of twenty-four officers, who by
reason of merit, were taken into the reg
ular service from the volunteers after the
war. They are to be set aside as supernu-
meraries. This does not mean that their
rank, pay or promotion will be interfered
with. The privilege of voluntary retire
ment Will be granted to them, but they
will not be required to retire until they
Scach stXty-two. In this way, while in
1ufing them not at all, twenty-four va
cancies will be created for promotions
whereas at present there are sixteen adj
miralS and cornInodores, the latter grade II
Is proposed to wipe out entirely, and there
will be twenty admirals. The number of
captains-now forty-fve-will be increased
to siXty-fiye. A certain number of promo
lions Will be made each year. If there are
not enough vacancies In the higher grades
to make room for the required promotions
q retiring board, composed OF admirGls
will select officers for compulsory retire.
ment
The marine corps, II the report of the
board Is adopted, is to be done away with.
That Is TO say. no more enlistments are to
be made 1t Is believed that the time has
board ship to keep the sailors in order
Bluejackets VIII take their places on ship
board The duty of guarding navy yards
and shore stations. now performed by
marines, Will be assigned to CORPS of
watchmen appointed from the marine
corps and the navy at large For this
work VIII be chosen enlisted men OF more
than twenty years service They will get
$40 n month, and at the end of ten years
will be permitted to retire on a pension of
$50 a month. Marine officers graduated In
1885 and subsequently viii be transferred
to the line OF the navy, taking the rank
they had on graduation. The other and
older officers viii serve on boards and
perform other duties on shore.
The corps o. engineers of the navy, as
recommended, will be reduced from 1S3 to
eighty. The eighty Will, be assigned to
the duty OF experimenting the designing
and construction OF engines on shore. The
remaining lO3 Will be transferred to the
line. To do the work which they have
hitherto done on board OF Ships warrant
engineers viii be employed, men being
picked for this purpose from civil life
They viii receive 500 year. which will
be Increased TO so with length OF serv-
Ice. At sixty they will be retired with
three quarters pay, ~
The CuInber Of naval surgeons will be
reduced. No more paymasters will be en-
listed from OWL life. The number OF pay
mas ters row on the list will be reduced by
making only one promotion for every two
STATEMENTS. Officers OF the line will be