The evening times., 1900-06-01

Naval officers generally are greatly agi-
tated by the action Of Congress in adopting
an amendment TO the Naval bill providing
for the employment of retired officers upon
any service that the Secretary OF the Navy
may designate.
They say that the new legislation will
infict many hardships upon the men in
active service and it is likely that an ef-
fort will be made TO have the provision
eliminated. or at least so modified as to
limit the employment OF retired officers 10
those who have not been retired for age or
after forty years of service, and who are
reported. after physical examination. fit
for duty.
Rear Admiral erowninshieId. in a letter
to Secretary Long. declares that the pro-
vision amounts really to the abolition OF
the retired list of the Navy. He says:
The objection to such measure as ap-
Piled especially to the Older officers on
the retired list, is the great uncertainty
that will always exist with such officers
regarding their status. The state OF rest
to which they are entitled from their age
or long service and which they were
promised on their entry into the service.
will be done away with and they Will never
know from one day TO another when their
liberty or retirement may be disturbed.
An officer during his long years of SER
vice looks forward 20 the time when he
shall reach the age of sixty-two. or shall
have served forty years as the time when
the Government s pied re to him will be
FULFILLED and %rhen he nIy enjoy the rest
he has earned. For fOrty' years he has ar
ranged every affair with this pledge IN
view. The livelihood OF his family may
depend upon the keeping OF this pledge.
The proposed legislation disregarcs the
compact which the officer is helpless TO
compel to be kept
Many officers believe that the probable
evil effect of the proposed legislation upon
the efficiency of the whole body OF the
Navy is most serious. They say il will BE-
a blow at the esprit du corps, which will
so weaken ii by internal jealousies and dis
sensions that the efficiency of the body will
be greatly injured. Officers on the active
list. trained9 nto sdhorCinatioa 10
those whoIECa Stlfsy consider properly
placed over them by law, it is
claimed, will ind II very hard to give
cheerful obefpsnee to otiicers who during
the years or recent advancement in naval
matters have been passing their time On
the retired list out OF all touch with all
modern naval matters and exempt n ON the
hardships Of the service.
1t is asserted IS a possibility that By the
operation OF such law an certain OF Its
applications an officer Of long experience as
a captain might find himself superseded by
a man who had been retired about the time
he went on the captains list ordered back
to active duty.
1t is also claimed there will be inevita-
bic confusion in relation to all matters CT
rank and precedence. An officer re ireG
years ago as an ensign. whose classmates
may now be captnins. might find himse
serving under junior lieutenants, lieuten-
ants. and lieutenant commanders who &. ad-
uated in the Naval Academy many years
after he did.
II is generally feared that the assign
ment OF retired officers 20 active duty
would work great detriment 10 the charac-
ter and high standard of the active list.
Officers OF the retired list might be Civ
such choice naval assignments as CON-
mands OF squadrons or OF navy yards. Off
GERS Of the active list would thus lack the
experience and stimulus which such COM
mands would give them. and would remain
idle or in subordinate positions.