The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-11-06

States navy somewhat the aspect Of a
game of leap frog on a large scale. with
a multitude Of participants in brass
buttons and shoulder straps. IL Is hard
to imagine where anybody will find
himself at the conclusion Of the en-
t~ertainment.
That the whole system Is wrong and
absurd Is acknowledged even by the
navy department. which II very anx-
ious TO have 1t changed by act OF con-
gress. In fact. IL has already recon-
mended to that body a new plan which
will almost undoubtedly be adopted at
the next session. The scheme covers
the entire business OF promotion in the
service, with a special provision re,at-
ing to the advancement of officers for
exceptional merit. Under this new
method there is to be no jumping and
no gain Of numbers on the naval list
by the men who are TO be recompensed
for e~allantry or other reasons. The OIL
Ger will get as his reward a medal and
an increase of pay. In the American
navy of the future some officers will
ave a special rating as "medal-of-hon-
or-men." and as such they will regu-
larry draw an addition of ) per cent.
to their salaries. This augmentation
will apply always after the medal-of-
honor has been bestowed. even after
the recipient has been retired. and
thus he will experience during all the
rest OF his life a continuous benefit.
Under the plan described II will be a
grateful government that gives the re-
ward. and not the comrades OF the
beneficiary.
The new plan OF promotion will in
troduce the element OF selection in
such q manner as to weed out of the
service the least desirable men. At
present, advancement in the navy Is
purely by seniority. which means the
survival OF the good stomach and
strong nervous system. The officer of
only passable efficiency has merely to
keep clear of our martial. and ne
goes steadily up through the list. ar
irving at the rank Of admiral in the
course of time. There is no question
here OF the survival of the fttest in
respect to ability. This arrangement.
Il Is admitted. does not tend to produce
tie best results. but. for obvious rea-
sons, there has been much opposition TO
the radical change that is unquestion-
ably needed - change involving the
adoption OF q system Of retirements
voluntary and involuntary.
The authorities of the navy depart
ment have made a study of the systems
of promotion adopted In foreign
tries, but mons of these appear to be
ideal. In the British service there is
~ age limit for each grade. III a lieu
tenant. for example. arrives at a GER
tain age without being shifted by
seniority to the raj next above. h.
drops out of the service entirely, n
1t is the same way with a captain or
with an officer of any other grade.
This prevents stagnation i'm promotion,
but IL has the serious disadvantage or
dropping out many fine officers who
ought not to he dispensed with. The
efficient man Is apt to be dropped as
the most incompetent one. the whole
business being simply a gamble n
operating by blind chance.
The French system Is better. COM
bining as IL does the principle OF SEN
iorlty and selection. In the lower
grades of the service one-third of the
officers are promoted by selection. and
two-thirds by seniority. For instance.
IL during one yea go ensigns are to
be made lieutenants. the first 40 en-
signs on the list go up. but the remain
ing 20 are chosen purely on the
ground of fitness and with no reference
to seniority. AS they rise into the
higher grades, the proportion OF OFF,
GERS selected in this way become
greater, until. when the rank of cap
tain is reached. all the promotions are
made for fitness only. This seems a
very excellent scheme. and so Ii is in
all Out one reSDeCi. Inc men WHO uD
not obtain promotion are naturally dis
gruntled. and so there is always in the
French navy a percentage Of officers
hi are disappointed and discontinued.
Deeming themselves victims OF injus-
tice. they lose the elan and interest in
their work which are such necessary
qualities in an officer.
The plan that has been recommend
ed to congress for our own navy re-
quires hat there shall be at least so
many vacancies In zach grade every
year. II the required number o. vac3n-
cies II not created by retirements n
casualties, they must be made arbitrar-
lily. There Is to be a list of officers who
put themselves DOWN as applicants for
voluntary retirement. and the presi-
dent will be at liberty at any time to
grant as many of these applications as
he chooses. with a view TO making
requisite vacancies. the officers thus
disposed of retiring with the rank mex
above thai which they actually hold
when dropped from the active list and
with three-fourths of the sea pay OF
this superior grade. II Is to be noticed
that the president will be able TO exer-
else selection in this matter. choosing
for retirement the officers deemed least
valuable.
IL is not supposed. however. hat the
vynole number of vacancies required
would be created in this way. Naval