Evening star., 1898-06-13
COMING NAVAL CHANGES
Rear Admiral Kirkland Will Retire 70,
Age July 8.
Plan of Promotion in tho Event OF
Indian Campaign.

Acting Admiral William T. Sampson, COM
manding the naval forces operating in the
West Indies, whose actual rank in the navy
Is that of captain, will become commodore
on the Sd proximo by the statutory retire.
ment for age of Rear Admiral William A.
Kirkland. commandant Of the Mare Island
Cal, navy yard, who is now the ranking
officer Of the navy. In the event of the sue
cessful performance of ths important du-
ties assigned him in the West Indies in
Guiding the capture and occupation of San
tiago de Cuba and San Juan, Porto Rico, of
which his friends have no doubt whatever,
Capt. Sampson Is also assured of further
promotion to the actual rank Of rear ad-
miral. being this highest grade to which he
can attain unless Congress shall recreats
the grade of admiral or vice admiral for
his special benefit Those offices were es-
tablished during the war of the rebellion
and lapsed with the death Of their last in
cumbents Admiral Porter and Vice Ad-
miral Rowan. The plan of promotion adopt
ed by President Mckinley in the cases of
Admiral Dewey and his captains for their
great achievement in the harbor of Manila
will be undoubtedly followed In the case of
similar victories by Admiral Sampson and
his captains on this side Of the water.
Retirement of Other Admirals.
In addition to Admiral Kirkland, five
other adrnirals will retire during the next
few months by operation of law on account
Of age. They are Admiral Joseph N. Miller.
commanding the Pacific station; Admiral
Montgomery Sicard, president Of the naval
war board; Admiral E. o. Matthews, presi-
dent Of the examining and retiring board:
Admiral F. S. Bunce, commandant of the
New York navy yard. and Admiral c. S.
Norton. commandant Of the Washington
navy yard. With the exception of Admiral
Miller all of these officers are likely to be
retained In their present places after their
retirement during the continuance of the
war with Spain, because of the non-avail-
ability of officers the active list for the
| cuties performed by them. Retired officers
| are subject to duty of this kind in time of
war at the discretion of the President 1t is
different however with Admiral Miller He
Is In command of fleet, and retired officers
are not eligible for such duty unless srecial-
iy authorized by act of Congress.
Admiral KirkInnd's Case.
| The case of Admiral kirkland is remark
able from the fact that he is the first Off
| Ger from the south to reach the highest
| grade in the navy since the civil war. In
! fact, there are very few officers from the
| south in any of the higher grades. Ad-
| mral Kirkland is a native of North Caro-
| lima, and 1t is his purpose to make his home
| in that state when he is relieved from duty.
| OF the seven rear admirals. only two are
| in command of fleets-Admiral Miller COM
| manding the Pacific squadron and Admiral
| Dewey commanding the Asiatic squadron.
| OF the six officers having flag commands.
two are full rear admirals. acting
| rear admiral and the others are commo-
| dores. Admiral Miller, the senior officer,
| has three vessels in his squadron, and Act
| ing Rear Admiral Sampson, the junior of
them all, has over seventy vessels under
his command. The last named officer does
| not attain the actual rank of flag officer
until he becomes commodore next month
| by the retirement of Admiral Kirkland.
His rank captain, which he now bears in
| the naval register, would not ordinarily en-
| title him to a higher command than of a
| single vessel, and in putting him in COM
mand of the largest and most powerful
| fleet that ever gathered under the
United States flag the President found it
| necessary to give him the nominal rank
of acting rear admiral That designation
| clothed him with all the authority neces-
| sary to the execution of the highly i'm
| portant duty conflded to him, but carried
! with 1t no increase of pay emoluments
and no permanency of rank. No greater
| compliment was ever paid an officer of the
United States navy, and it is believed his
| work will show that it was not misplaced.