The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-21
INC Reorganination of the Nnry.


The bill for the reorganization of the
personnel of the navy. which is pending in
Congress with a very good prospect of
becoming law in short while, is de-
signed for the purpose of removing the
friction between officers of the line and
the STAFF, providing for promotions and re-
tirements. and revising and in certain in
stances increasing the pay of men of the
navy to a sum at least equivalent to that
received by men in the army of the same
relative rank. The passage of the bill
would. furthermore, greatly facilitate the
work of manning the new warships lately
PUT into commission, and others which
may be acquired in anticipation of an en-
counter with SPAIN since a number of
commissioned and commanding officers
would at once become available
The feature of the bill which will prove
most pleasing to naval officers is that
which wipes out the old controversy be-
tween the line and the staff. Heretofore
the engineer officers 0he staf) have had
no actual rank; they were not even au-
thorized to give commands to the men
Gus of their rank and prestige. have not
affiliated with the staff officers. Under the
new order of things il is proposed that the
engineer corps shall be abolished, the en-
gineers becoming officers of the line, with
rank and pay the same as other officers
of the line. The younger line officers are
10 learn how 10 handle the machinery, and
the engineers are to receive line commits
sions and perform the duties of line Off
GERS in addition to those which they are
now charged. Thus before a great while
the distinction between the two classes
of officers will be wiped out, and har-
mony will take the place of friction. In
order TO compensate the engineers for the
time which they will be obliged to give to
line duties. there will be provided an ad-
ditional number of warrant machinists,
who win do the actual work of handling
the machinery.
The bill abolishes the grade of commo-
dore, on sea duty, for The reason that
most foreign fleets are commanded by
admirals, and IL is not desirable that an
American fleet in foreign waters should
be commanded by an officer of lower rank
than a foreign fleet in the same port or
neighborhood might be. The school term
in the naval academy is reduced from six
TO four years, and it is provided that all
cadets at sea at the time of the passage
of the act shall be given commissions as
ensigns when a graduation cruise of two
years shall have been completed. In order
to prevent stagnation In the service, both
voluntary and involuntary retirement are
provided for. After ensigns have served
three years they will be eligible 10 pro-
motion, and promotion will be in ac-
cordance with a merit system. All officers
of the line of the navy are to receive the
same pay and allowances, except forage,
as are provided for officers of the relative
rank in the army and the marine corps.
The term of enlistment for all enlisted
men is fixed at four years, and they can
be retired for service
1t is believed by Assistant Secretary
Roosevelt, who was chairman of the com
mission which drew the BILL that the new
arrangement will not only make the navy
more effective, but will make it more at
tractive for young Americans, since the
chances for promotion are increased and
the pay in many instances is made better