The times., 1897-05-08
RETIREMENTS In The NAVY
Agreement Between Ranking Off
GERS to Facilitate Promotions.
If Carried Out There VIII Shortly
BE Many Changes Among Ad-
miraIs and Commodores.

An agreement has been reached among
several of the highest ranking officers Of
the Navy whereby, If it is successfully car
ried out, there will be the largest number
OF retirements of admirals and commodores
in the next two months that the Navy has
witnessed for many day.
Under the program, Admiral Miller, who
goes to Europe with the Brooklyn as the
naval representative of the United states
upon the occasion of the Queens jubilee,
will not succeed Admiral Beardslee in com
mand OF the Pacific station, butts TO apply
to be placed on the retired listimmediately
on his return home in July. Commodore
Dewey, In this event. is TO command the STA
ton, and A dmiral Beardsleeis to be assigned
To duty at Washington.
The effectiveness OF the plan, however, in
a measure, is dependent upon the length OF
the jubilee ceremonies. for IL they extend
beyond July / 3 and Admiral Miller is com
PEELED TO remain abroad until then as the
nations naval representative, 1t may mis-
carry and upset the hopes and ambitions OF
q number OF officers. The whole affairs
said 10 be arranged in thefnterests OF Com
modore Phythian, former superintendent OF
the Naval Academy, and Commodore Wal
lace, commandant of the Newport training
station, both of whom retire shortly under
the present order OF things before attaining
the rank or rear admiral, upon which both
have had their eyes for some years past
In the course of the nexttwo months Ad-
miral Brown, the senior man ofthe service,
and Commodore Ph ythian, the third ranking
commodore, both retire under the sc limit
Phythian, however, does not stand near
enough the top to benefit by Brown sretirc-
ment. and therefore, unless he can gettwo
vacancies before July 81 when he goe esput,
be will never reach the rear admi raj grade
Both Admiral Miller and Commodore Nor
ton. his supeTiors, are said to he willing
to retire in order to assist Phythian IL the
affair can he fairly adjusted to all con
cemed This can be done only by Com
nlodore Phythian making good To these
officers the difference in pay between
what they would draw in their respective
grades on the active list from July / until
they retired Miller in November, 1898
and Norton on August 10, 1898 Commodore
Phythan is said TO be willing TO make such
an arrangement and Admiral Miller and
Norton are expected to accede.
II this plan is effected Admiral Miller will
return home Immediately after the cere-
monies in London, ask to he retired and
have his request granted. Thereupon Nor
ton, who will then he the senior commo-
dore, Matthews having been promoted by
Browns retirement ON June Is, VIII ad-
vance also one grade, leaving Phythian at
the top of the commodore's list until lis
retirement. Both Miller and Norton have
each over year before them on the active
list and some of their friends do not believe
they would sacrifice their chances for i'm
portant flag commands in order to give
Commodore Phythian a lift.
Should Admiral Miller, however, he com
PEELED to remain in London until late in
July the plan would miscarry, but it ras
been arranged now with a view to his re-
turning early in the month so that the
scheme may work successfully. Commo
dore Dewey, at any rate, seems slated
to command the Pacific station early IN
the summer. Commodore Norton is now
in command OF the Washington gun fac
tory, Commodore Phythian in charge OF
the naval observatory al Wa shngton, Com
modore Dewey is president of theinspe, ton
and survey board and Admiral Miller in
command of the Boston navy yard.