Evening journal., 1897-12-31
TO BETTER THE NAVY
Mr.. Roosevelt Suggests How
This May Be Effected.
OFFICERS MUST KNOW ENGINEERING.
stagnation In Promotions to Be Avoided
by Removal OF Men Who Are Not
Up TO the Mark of Modern
Requirements.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 31.-Assistant
Secretary Roosevelt has submitted to
Secretary Long a most exhaustive re-
port upon the personnel of the navy. He
was charged with a special board TO
consider the report upon means to break
up the present stagnation in promo>
tions. to settle the long standing diff
ferences between the line and engineer
corps and to devise a method for the
betterment of the condition OF the en-
listed men aboard ship.
All Of these things have been done in
bill which is submitted to the secre-
tary for his approval. But Mr.. Roose-
velts presentation of the evils of the
present situation and the reasons which
have Influenced the board in making
its recommendations are set forth in
the accompanying report in stronger
light than has ever been thrown upon
this complex subject. and it is presum-
ed that it will have influence with con-
gress. to which the matter is soon to
be submitted.
Mr.. Roosevelt says:
"I am able, without qualification, TO
report to you that the bill they have
produced would. if enacted into law, be
of literally incalculable good to the
navy and would make our naval serv-
ice the pioneer in the proper solution
OF problems. some of which are old but
some of which are so new that they
have not yet been solved by any naval
nation.
THE board recommends (a) that the
line officers and engineers be amalga-
mated: CD that when the number Of
officers to be promoted is so far, in ex-
cess Of the vacancies as to cause stag
nation IN the service the, requisite NUM-
sber Of vacancies shall be caused by
wedding out the men who are least fit
70 meet the heavy requirements Of mod
ern naval duty; (c) that the enlisted
men aboard ship be given the same re-
ward of pension and retirement enjoy
ed by their brethren who fight ashore.
while the uppermost machinists are
made warrant officers, to rank with the
gunners and carpenters.
1T is absolutely essential" Mr.. Roose-
welt continues, that the best naval Of
ficer of the future shall be proficient In
engineering. The problem of combin-
ing the line and the engineers is COM
paratively new The system of promo
tipn by pure seniority Is admirably cal
culated to produce long stagnation in
the lower ranks, to secure the attain
ment of command only after the age
when a man should begin to exercise
command has passed and finally to
make the promotion of an office depend
ent not upon the jealous performance
of his duties, but upon the possession
of a good stomach and of an easy ma.
ture. while a positive premium is put
upon the man who never ventures e
take risk. and who therefore never
does anything great. but who also OF
course avoids the chance of what would
seem failure in the eyes of the less ven
turesome.
1.-THE only way to meet this condition
is to provide for the elimination o
some Of the officers in the lower or mid
die grades and thereby to hasten tn,
flow Of promotion and to reduce th'
age at which command rank is reached
It was deemed best by every membe
of the board TO try the process Of elm
mating the officers who were redundan
rather than of selecting the highes
for promotion"
In conclusion he says: 'The bill is 81
obviously in the interest O. the who'll
service, it will so inquest ably bene
fit that service and raise profession
of the United States naval officer to
still higher level, that it seems unlike
ly that there will be serious objection
TO what it proposes to do. save perhap
on one point. This is the matter of ex
pense. If the recommendations of tn
board are carried out. if the increas
of officers which they deem desirable
required by law, and If these officer
are paid as the marine corps and arm
officers are now paid, there Will be al
additional cost of nearly S600000
should not recommend the expenditur
,of such a sum for any but an impor
tant object. Nevertheless. sir. 1 not on
. = IL. riecommend.it it in this case, but 1 WIS
TO state with all the emphasis possibl
that in my judgment the question G
- expense is unimportant compared wit
the benefit to be gained"