The sun., 1896-09-20
NEW Ia MS FOR TIE FRENCH NAVY.

/ have now again the honor to represent
Justin MCCARTHY.
NEW III MS FOR TIE FRENCH N4VY.
The Grades and tho Methods Of Promotion
Tho Naval College RetirinG Ages.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 1s.--In these days. when
the question of the reorganization of the per-
aonnel of our navy Is before the country. there
is special interest In the work which France
has accomplished for herself In tho Same drec-
tion during the past summer. She has always
given her Minister of Marine remarkable
latitude TO make changes at his discretion.
However, what has recently been done 10
wholly in the form of legislation, so that the
results remain instructive for us,
One of the complaints, made In the French
service, as In ours, has been that oflcerp reach
tho higher grades too late In life. According
10 Engineering, which reviews the whole subject,
this was due to the promotion requirements of
the old law OF 1882 in rssprct to sea service,
although these may hardly seem to us TO be
excessive. For example. q common seaman
only needed to serve six moths before he
could go up u grade; to be First Lieutenant.
only two years on a French war vessel as Lieu
tenant OF tho second class. or Lieutenant of
frirate, as the grade is called. was reqrired:
to he Captain of corvette. four years as First
Lieutenant. two of them in the French navy:
to be Captain Of q frigate, three years as Cap
tain Of n corvette. two OF them passed in navi-
cation; to be Cdpttdine dc raissedu, or Captain
OF 4 ship of the line, II that is an equivalent
tern. two years as Captain Of frigate, with
command at sea for at least four years from
n specified time These rules were necessarily
modified by changes, but 1t turned out, says
the authority referred to, that more than one
fourth OF the First Lieutenants were at least
old The ohfnrfiopa tn TN far
In life before assuming the responsibilities
of independent command were thus expert.
enced in tho French service, as In ours.
However. the French as an Offset, were able
either to give to some such officers other than
sea duties. II of marked ability. or to retro
them. II not SO while Captains OF q higher
grade than that of the friEate were promoted
by selection. so that the age drawback was not
felt among them and they were also often
either retired or put on shore duty. Selection
itself had some drawbacks. chiefly that OF
using It for officers soon TO retire, who therefore
did not render much active service In tho
The new la " provides for IS Vice Admirals
corresponding In tho army to Major Gener-
ais; - IN the rank of Rear Admirals. or C0ntre-
Amfral. as the French grade is called. c0rre-
sp9acng to Brigadier; Generals; l25 Caphaines
de pdtssedu, corresponding 10 Colonies: Els Capt
tniies De yreQdts. corresponding tc Lieutenant
de pemi5rs ciasse. CORES bonding to Captains in
tho army; Ike number II Lieutenants Of tho
second class. and then 42o Ensisnsi correspond
hsro Rs are S t70 a,pass de pr> csse Hasi.Sr on
candidates OF the first class. and a variable
number OF candidates OF the second class. tho
latter being graduates Of the naval school. but
still under instructon and .ence not yet in
not etained on the peace footing. while also
excluded are Captains who have devoted them:
to ers n on g 'hs line .asS OF
Captains. besides, los First Lieutenants. and
aG At 5s as such
There has been discussion IN france, us mere.
over over the question whether ofaesrs ought to be
whether petty -onicers should be eligible for
commissions The latter is the existing prac-
only one Captain Of the first class ard two OF
the second and twenty.six Lieutenants have
Ts" aS r%Ta nearly Til I'll Ea Es sSE
Gnires an ,, entrance sxaiminstien sia and then
9 oF hs ses sp
other examination, and ansiy two S Years. 11 on a
sqmotines, taken from tho Ecoie Poiytech:
niqpe, which furnishes 90 many other othcors,
niy for naval officers has been criticised; but
the new law provides for tho nomination OF
candidates OF the first class. who have then to
serve TWO years at sea, and pass very thor
AS to tho rank and ilo, including petty
sailors, and boys, they are still eligible for a
fose Major, reeruted from tbe te qasrPer,aas ana
YET are, not In the regular list already sDoken
Sf I,bn having only partial TECHNICAL education.
years OF service at seat but 10 20 up to tho COM
5sss:fni sIsss: fidlsss, %%ss eonDlotsd VIII
Tho nominations for Lieutenants are two
thirds by seniority and one-third BY selection,
seniority aud ons-half By sssu,ion s sftsr fou.
class Dc pd,Sssdu, all By selection, after three
ysiSrs iH .sryisS At seS; Al t sSr Rear hdmiras and
after hree Years commsnd at sea or sso fosr
years. OF which two are ~ command Of a divi..
sion Of ,hreo ships, while for Vice. Admiral
The former habit OF taking long terms Of shore
duty as equivalent to sea service is abolished,
dettsnces. expedltloh1 on land. and SO on.
same as er ON saso ssse sse
Ad%5ai S5 A $3.50 SsP'sn Of re rst class
LIEUTENANT, from s74O 70 S84G year.
The question Of s Shs retiring Ing aEe was earnest
feeling In favor of reducing IT being developed,
but the question Of expense finally carrying
first class are retired for age at 90. aad OF the
second class at bS, and First LieutenAnts ~ So.
while tho hlRner OmCerb are retired on Appli-
cation. Vice AdmirAls arc passed 10 the re-
serve for age at IS, and Rear Admirals at o.,
but may he retired for disability earlier II un-
Mt for active dutier.
Finally. according to the summary already
quoted when the fleet must he mobililod, In
emergencies. officers from the reserve IAN be
taken. first those OF higher ranks and more re.
cent retirement, thon from thoSe who have
been retired for periods up to Ave years and
then thoss beyond hive years Captains OF
IN rchAntmen, less than SO years old. II capa-
BILE, can also be required to perform service.
Ono provision which has no counter part In
our navy 10 that whieh rstires officers at dlf-
ferent ages In different Rrades, instead VI hAV-