Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-12-01
ployed under him is commended.
PERSONNEL.

PERSONNEL.
1t is the earnest desire of the depart
inent that House bill No. TO- i03. which was
presented to the House of Representatives
by the naval committee at the last session
of Congress. be promptly taken up on the
reasscmbling of Congress and passed.
This bill was reported to the House as u
substitute for House bill No. 7ii3, which
was drafted by a board appointed by the
department, consisting of the then AS
sistant Secretary of the Navy, Hon. Theo-
dore Roosevelt, as chairman, and a num-
Der of officers of the line and the engineer
corps as members. The bill provides
I. For the amalgamation of the officers
of the line and the engineer corps of the
navy.
2. For an increase of 80 officers in the
new line of the navy.
B. For a regular and constant flow of
promotion.
4. For reimbursement of the numbers in
the different grades of the construction
corps.
D. For the retirement of officers who
served Crcdtably during the civil war in
the next higher grade.
6. For change in the title of naval
cadet to that OF midshipman.
T. That the course at the Naval hcad-
envy be decreased from six to four years.
s. For the appointment of 100 warrant
machinsts.
Q. That the pay of the now line Of the
navy shall be the same as that of Of
ncers of the marine corps or infantry of
the army
10. That the term of enlistment be in
creased to four years. and that all en-.
listed men of the navy shall have the
privileges now granted by law to enlisted
men of the army and marine corps
II. For Il reorganization of the marine
corps.
The naval officer of to-day must not
alone have Il knowledge of seaminship
and navigation, but must he trained in
the techniCaitics of electrical eng n"cring.
ordnance. the use of the torpedo, be-
grounded in higher mathematics. and IA
miliar with the customs and practices of
the service in its associations with for
cign naval and diplomatic representatives..
He must be II many-Sidcd man, ready at
the orders OF the department to TAX" up
any branch of duty and perform it intel
ligently. The officers who come into the
service from civil life. while full Of zeal
and energy necessarily lack the training
and experience which qualify them to
perform many Of these duties. Congress,
In the act authorizing appointments from
civil life. limited such appointments to
the period of the emergency created by
the war with Spain.
In this connection the department SGg-
costs tho proprety of legislation. such
as formerlyexisted, whereby the way may
be opened for men in the ranks To rise ny
merit to official grade. This might be
done by authorizing the President to an
nually appoint, in accordance with Sec
ton l5l5 of the revised statutes, five naval
cadets from the naval apprentices possess
sing the legal qualification, who have
been at least two years in the service. one
year OF which has been spent on board
Il naval vessel commissioned for sea SER
vice.
REWARDS OF OFFICERS.
The injustice of the present system If
rcwarding officers for conspicuous con-
duct in battle and extraordinary heroism
Is so apparent that the department desi es
to set before Congress the facts in full
and to recommend "A change in the pres
ent law ON this subject.
As "A result of the recent war certain Of
ncers Of the navy who doscrV" reward.
and who under existing law could have il
in no other way, We're promoted over the
heads of their brother officers who. by
reason of the necessity for their services
on other duty not less important had no
chance to participate in the battles of
Manila and Santiago. This worked n
hardship in many cases and in some in
stances prevented officers who are of
great desert from the chance of reaching
the highest grade of the navy
The promotion Of certain captains who
participated III inc DittIt Ol chHlllSb rem
dcrs 1t practically certain that others will
be retired as commo1ores. VINO in The or
dirary course of promotion, would other
wise have reached the grade Of rear adj
miral and been retired as such This
will make n difference in the retired pay
of these officers of $50 year in each
case and is indeed IA direct punishment tc
them. Whereas having performed ardu'
Gus duties during the period OF the wal
IN q highly efficient manner, they are
rather entitled to he rewarded.
This method Of promotion has the ctfec
in some cases Of setting back officers wht
have previously been adanCod. Captains
advanced for good conduct at the hattlt
of Manila have lost numbers by the pro
motion of other captains who participa tee
in the later battle Of Santiago. In tn,
event Of prolonged hostilties 1t is quit,
| possible that an officer, rewarded in thi:
manner, might not only lose all the ben
ehts of his promotion but even finally tinr
himself lower on the Est than At the be-
ginning of the war.
This method of reward is not satisfac
tory, it is believed, to anyone. No duty
| for instance. in time of war, is more i'm
portant than that performed by the bu
7 renu chiefs OF the denartment or by th'
officers at the navy yards and stations il
: our fleets are to be maintained in. an cf
iicient condition. And yet these officers
5 who have borne great responsibilities anC
, worked day and night find themselves mo-
, rewarded but punished to the extent 81
, relative reduction in numbers, and of de
, lay in promotion, with the resulting los'
Of nay. To correct this, tn departing nj
recommends legislation to the end thai
; some ether system Of reward for merit b,
adopted. so that i'm rcwarding one o!icel
injustice shall not bc done to another; anC
also, that in those cases in which officers
have during the present war been jumpe,
II shall Ice provided that this shall no
operate to their Disadvantage and tina
they shall still. have their regular promo
I ton as before. Bills have been drawn fo
both these objects. ana will be submittc,
, to Congress,
REVIVAL OF THE GRADES OF Az
MIRAL AND NlCE-ADMGRAI.,
0 Section 1862 Of the Revised Statutes pro
vides that:
[ The active list of the line officers of tn
A navy of the United States shall be divide,
A into eleven grades as follows, namely
First, admiral: second vce-admral: thir
t read, admiral, fourth, commodore. etc.
= This section of the Revised Statutes fur
= ther provides
. That vacancies occurring in the grade
2 of admiral and vice-admral shall not b.
+ illed by promotion, or in other manner
. and that when the offices of said grade
= shall become vacant, the grade itself shall
Y cease to exist.
4 These grades were created fer the pur
$ pose of rewardirg certain officers who rem
dcrcd distinguished service during the civ
f il war The grade of admiral ceased I
+ exist upon the death Of Admiral David l.
+ Porter, and the grade Of vco-admira
l.. ceased to exist ON the death of Nice-Ad
mlral stephen c. Rowan.