New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-09-06
PROMOTIONS IN THE NAVY.

So much has been admitted on all sides, In
and ont of the service. concerning the hard
ships which the present system of promotions
in the Navy causes MS 10 leave littlc doubt that
an effort will be made 10 accomplish sub
stantial change of some sort At tho next session
of Congress An officer who in time Of war is
kept on duty M home feels in most cases Keen
disappointment ut being deprived Of the op-
portnnity TO win distinction and prcfcrment.
and the moral satisfaction which be may tie
rive from the consciousness that he Is faith
fully performing Indispensable work can scarce
~ be n full compensation. as human nature Is
constituted. But when. in consequence or the
promotions bestowed on others for gallant ana
conspicuous services In action. he Is himself
actually subjected TO loss Of numbers and
secs his chance Of advancement in tho ordi-
nary course diminished. with a strong proba-
bility that no may bc retired for age NJ lower
grade than he would otherwise have reached.
his situation becomes truly gricyouS and well
nigh lntolerable An officer so placed. as one
has recently remarked with n certain grim
humor. Is compelled 10 spend the rest OF ms
days In explaining that he Is not drunkard
or n thief. Or. If that is rather fantastic
copccpton of the case the fact remains that
the unmcrtcd burden Is hard to bear for many
rca sons one Of them being connected with th"
cvcrnsiStcnt financial question The pay M
best is small. and the necessary expenses az
an officer are relatively large. When. there
fore. AMI perhaps at a time when the cost ~
maintaining his family and educating his chill
drcn IS at its max imum. he is forced 10 forcgo
the advance which he had rcckoncd on. or T.
retired with lower rank and pay than he would
have enjoyed excepting for the glorious half
hour" wlrirti cnmc to another. his position i
such rs 10 Justify even stronger rcmons,ran -
than have yet been heard. The possibilities of
the system. even in the case Of an individual
presumed to profit by II. are strihingly, AMI
indeed ludicrouSly. illustrated 10y the story that
one Of Admiral Dewcy's captains having been
advanced seven numbers has already lost three
of them anil IS somewhat apprchrn>!ve lest
he NAV ultimately suffer actual degradation for
having helped TO fight the enemy to a finish In
Manila Bay.
The mischief is obvious. but the remedy j.
not so plain system Of brcvcts has been
suggested. bnt IS neither welcome nor feasible.
Army brcvcts have produced many complicated
and incongruuus situations. and the Navy does
not want them. 4 medal for conspicuous ser
vice is included in the scheme which Secretary
Long is now understood TO be formulating, but
decorations are foreign 10 American tastes and
habits and Il is not certain that the Navy would
regard such u distinction with favor. An In
crease in pay. without ircrcasc Of rank. has
been thought Of rs a suitable and practical re-
ward and Il mentioned detail Of the Sec
rctarys plan: hut there are objections 10 this.
one Of which is that an officer who has sud
denly gained glory in brilliant action may not
be Onc-half so well qualified for the perform
ance OF routine labors rs another who having
had no such opportunity. might for years there
after be subjected to the hardship Of seeing one
below him on the list drawing more pay for in
ferior work Of the same class which he was per
forming with the highest efficiency.
With the development OF the Navy more
places In all grades will presumably have 10
be created. and this will in measure repair
the wrong now inflicted. But such an Increase
may come slowly. and in the mean time there
seems 10 DO No reason why tho law should not
be made 10 provide that m officer over whose
head others have been raised should be retired
when the time comes with the rank and pay
which no would have had except for such ac-
cidcntal promotions. Such an arrangement
would not wholly lift The burdens now undc-
servodly carried by men 10 whom through no
fault of their own an enviahe opportunity has
been denied but il would tighten them. There
would bc no present relief but there would he
future security. The suggestion seems 10 be
worth consideration. innsmuch rs there is some
danger that the obstacles 10 completely salts
factory change may indefinitely defer action
Of any sort.