The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-25
A NAVAL ACADEMY BILL
Secretary Long in Favor of lncreaS-
ing the Number of Cadets.
Additional Officers Needed to Meet
the Requirements of n Growing
Nnvy-AyniiabIe Men scarce-A Re-
port Submitted to the Committee
on Naval Affairs of the Senate.

The Secretary of the Navy has trans
mitted to the Committee on Naval Affairs
of the Senate the views OF the Navy De
partment on Senate bill 3f42, ''to increase
the number of cadets to be appointed at
large by the President to the United States
Naval Academy" 1t is said that an in
crease in the number of officers in the
Navy is necessary. Il is said. however,
that the relief afforded in the enactment
Of the bill indicated will be insufficient to
meet the demand for additional officers.
The attention Of he committee is called
to communication from the Department
of February >. transmitting the draft of
bill authorizing that upon the compile
tirn Of the four years course at the Naval
Academy. the place Of a cadet should be
considered vacant ard another nomination
should be made TO fill the vacancy thus
caused. This measure would, in the opin-
ion of the Department, cause a more
gradual increase in che number of gradu-
ates of the Naval Academy, and thereby
better meet the needs of the service.
On this subject Secretary Long has said:
With the progress Of naval construc-
ton and the consequent addition 10 the
Navy from year TO year of vessels of the
various classes, large and small, an in
crease in the number OF officers and men
available TO provide the requisite compile
ment for new vessels is necessarily re-
quired; and this increase should bear
some proportion TO the annually augmented
strength of the Navy. At its last session
Congress authorized an increase in the
number of enlisted men and boys from
13. 7jG to 10000, and the Department finds
il necessary now to request that steps be
taken to provide additional officers the
Chief of the Bureau Of Navigation. whose
duty il is to establish the complement of
al ships in commission, having reported
that the number of officers available for
such duty is. and for some time past has
been, insufficient.
Among the several methods by which
the number of officers might be increased.
Congress has considered without favorabiy
acting therpupOu a proposition to reduce
the course at the Naval Academy from SIX
to four years. and thus adding TO the mum
her Of graduates Of that Institution avail
able for appointment as commissioned OIL
GERS of the lowest grades. Assuming that
Congress may be averSe to the adoption OF !
this method. il is suggested as an alterna- /
tive plan that the districts represented re |
epecfivelv by the cadets who have COM
nleted the four years course of study at
the Naval Academy be treated as vacant. !
and such vacancies filled at once. without |
awaiting the result Of the two years cruise |
at sea This requirement Of two years at
sea before receiving a commission may, if /
this plan be adopted. still be retained, |
since Che services of naval cadets during |
such two years cruise may be utilized in |
the performance on board ship OF duties |
not materially ds5imtllr from those to !
which junior commissioned officers of the !
Navy are assigned.
If the plan thus outlined is not viewed /
with favor. IT is suggested that the re |
duirements of the service would be met by |
a provision authorizing the annual appoint |
ment of two additional cadets at large from |
each state. such appointments 10 be made |
either by the President CT upon the nomi- |
nation of the Senator's from The States to !
which the appointments are respectively |
accredited asmay be deemed cNpedient-
1t is noted that any plan eiiecting an |
increase in the number OF cadets grad
uatcd frcm the Naval Academy would fail
to accomplish the desired result unless the
limitations imposed by existing provisions
Of law upon the number of officers 10 be ap-
pointed annually are removed.