The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-02-05
More Naval Officers Needed.

ZION Oh EOukTtsS W tit AaSS NAoS
are not at present in the naval service
a sufficient number of officers for the
new ships which are about to be put In
commission, and urges the necessity for
some legislation looking to an increase
in the number. Since the discharge or
the volunteer officers, after the conclu-
sion Of the war with Spain. IL has be-
come necessary, whenever a vessel is
put in commission, to withdraw one al
ready in the service, and place 1t in re-
serve. In addition to this the tours of
shore duty to which younger officers
are entitled have been curtailed, and
the secretary points out that unless
more officers are provided 1t will be
necessary to close some of the impor-
tant shore stations. For the four new
battleships, which Will be placed in COM
mission by September. there will be re-
quired 1855 commissioned officers, and
there are practically none available for
the purpose.
1t is hardly possible to improvise naval
officers for an emergency, as can in
some degree be done with infantry off,
GERS In the army. There are. in the
National Guard, always available officers
with sufficient military training to quail
ify them for positions as subalterns In
the army and in many cases for higher
rank. There Is no parallel force from
which TO recruit naval officers The
technical knowledge required in the
navy is of vastly higher character
than in the infantry branch of the
army. and approaches more closely the
artillery arm of the service; supple
mented with the additional professional
requirements Of thorough knowledge of
officer must be in respect to these lat
ter qualities at least the equal Of the
officers of the merchant service. This
combination of requirements is not
found paralleied in civil life.
For these reasons the volunteer ON
GERS who entered the navy during the
war with Spain did not constitute por-
ton of the fighting force, save in very
few instances. They were utilized with
good results in taking places which 9TH
erwise would have had TO be filed by
officers of the regular navy, where
knowledge of seamanship and naviga-
ton was the sole requirement volun-
teer officers were detailed to the Golfers
and hospital and supply ships. in al
most every instance, and in this man
ner released to the fighting vessels men
whose services would not otherwise
have been available.
That there Is at present a shortage
in the number of trained naval officers
is due solely to the shortsighted econ
omy OF congress. During one OF the
periodical spasms which seize that body
at regular intervals II cut down the
number of graduates OF the naval acad-
envy for whom positions could be found
in the navy. and provided that all ex-
eept limited number OF those grada-
ates should retire to civil life on the
complexion OF their course OF study.
After giving these young men the high
est professional training which Ia fur
nished in any navy in the world. Il
turned them back 10 civil life. in which
a large share OF their professional ae-
quirements had no available value This
force, SO improvidently parted with, u
10 had been retained In the navy,
would have met amply the present de-
mand for more officers. and at no time
would the naval lists have been over
crowded.
II would seem that II an additional
force Of officers is needed In the navy.
the most available source OF supply
would be the young men already trained
for the service and discharged into
civil life through unwise legislation: but
they could not be expected to go back
unless given rank somewhat approx
mating that held hy men OF their own
ase and date OF original entry.
George n. wisweil. 81 Milwaukee, has
I been appointed sergeant-at-srms Of the
next Republican national convention.
( This Information will gladden. the hearts