The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-03-01
PROMOTION ron NAvY OFFICERS.
The Prircipie- OF Voluntary Rstirement and
of SeIeetien in Li.e ReorganizntIor.

PROMOTION FOR NAVY UFEICERS.
The Pr,rcipie- OF Voluntary Retire msnt and
or seieetie- q. I.i.e Reorsasi1atior.
WASHINGTON. Feb 2S.-One forecast ofthe So
luton which Secretary Herbert may propose for
the navy personnel problem indicates that he
will to begin with. conflne himself for the
present to promotion In the line.
This. II practicable. would probably be the
best m ode OF disposing Of one difficulty which
meets the whole plan at the outset. Reorgani-
zation lie desired. II II can be had conformably
with their wishes. as much By the stan as By
the line: but II IL quite certain that In the
navy. as In the army the two projects are not
necessarily connected with each other. In the
army theartillery and tho infantry have certain
reorganization measures pending. and some
OF the rtaff departments also desire enlarRe-
ment. but the attachment OF the latter projects
to the former might be more likely To ruin both
than to help either. In times like these pro-
motions involving n greater total expense for
the entire service may have to be ty INSTALL
ments, lest Congress should be indisposed to
favor them. Secretary Herberts views are
undoubtedly. for the present, primarily for
Improvement in the line OF the navy. for the
reason that he believes that coming to COM
mand rank ut an earlier date In life is the prin-
cipal change required in the public interests;
and that 10 purely line question.
Another argument In favor OF postponing
stan reorganization is that tho latter may have
n better chance. with the line problem solved
and out OF tho way. One tendency seems lately
to have been to point out how the desired in
creases OF expense in the line might be coun-
terbalanced by reducing tho staif corps and
the marine corps. An extreme example Of this
senae i TeaSe H. HAZE L aos. mot
seem at oil likely that that measure could be
nee Is 5y the oes. the
and tho marine CORPS. there would be still less
liability OF making any OF the changes DIRECTED
effected on its own merits.
But while all this Is apparently evident, the
its own projects. sincerely believing them 10
be quite as essential as those OF the line. must
reorganization can practically be discovered.
At all events, 1t appears likely that the Secre-
'uf ths general feasares ascrbed to the Sec.
retarys plan. one Is an immediate method OF
relieving the aetiy" list so as to secure more
q system OF selection. temperiug that OF GEM
iorlty. Both are surmised to he somewhat
Ihythian Board. That board proposed to re-
duce tho present personnel OF officers by cre-
arinr those Who should not be placed p upon
either; In doing this II sought redistribution
spondenoe between length of service and
rank. The total number on the active list was
to be retained as now with modification OF
nom nation Of olncers for retention on the ac-
Herbert wishes, to bring about the, desired
Voluntary retiremen, Of ofiicers '0'' " '"'
One way in which this could perhaps be
officers who served in the civil war voluntary
retirement on the rank and pay OF the next
higher grade TINS Is not new proposition.
il lay wing oftan bean made h0th in tha
and the navy for the purpose Of making va
cancies for the younger men. and thus increas;
rank and pay is lie incentive to rotirsmsSt.
and Il is justified on the ground tina. the war
Letting the. offcsrs who served in the
i is among these that what Is esiied the eo oa.
gestion Of the list Is most apparent This has
narnonSsd because ms tho cal for GleeTs was 50
i'm N edlately following 1t. before the conditions
had again been made normal the Naval Acad-
Der OF graduates; These. entering the service
AT that time in its lowest grade. have moved
number OF classes at the academy. which IL
INCLUDED in II. All along, its course upward
that voluntary Retirement is proposed to these
one OF the arguments In opposition to this
plan is that these veterans who have been
tried and true In battle. are the very men the
navy needs to retain. instead or others TO
But as a fact the proposed inLuccment is not
so large as to promise any very great clear
the pay Of grades is Offset by the. counter DIFF.
ference between active and retired pay and
although there may he charms In having the
the retired list with eS%fGI!aSls in
Hctivs list do not seem so onerous
n time OF peace as to make rush from 4 20
the retired list customary. even among those
who under the existing statutes. could seek
the latter. Mr.. Tracy. therefore. proposed that
voluntary retirement. with advancement to
the next higher grade, should hs omen, on their
own application; not only to war veterans. but
to all officers who have passed more than NJ
teen years in one grade: and. finally, that Of
be allowed to 20 upon the reserve lisT upon
their own application. without further promo
tlOn. and subject only 10 shore employment.
Only after such voluntary action had proved
tiTemsnt
As to selection which Secretary Herbert is
arguments for and against it are familiar. Its
liability to misuse by prejudice and Ayoritism.
rs illustrated in the experience o. France me
years ago, IL often spoken or But on the other
that block in promotions complained Of, and to
prevent officers from coming to command
rank at the height of their powers
to Brgadler-General and from Brigadisr.
General TO Major General are always by sAlec-
tion. although. il Ia true, there is no provision
foreign naval services We and Germany and
Austria AdheTing to stAid seniority like the
'nited States hut In England. France. and
Italy there 10 selection ~ prom tlon from part
the rest Whatever may be the conclusion OF
Secretary Herbert on this point 1t Is not Ut all
likely TO be extreme.
CoFI.ar. Hank Park Hand.