The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-16

The announcement of Senators McComas
and Wellington that they viii not oppose
favorable action on the nominations of
all the Santiago captains and junior cffi-
GERS sent to the Senate Thursday BY the
President has paved the way for dispos-
ing of all the nominations except those of
Sampson and Schley. Should the names
of the others be acted on favorlbly by
the Senate. it is probable that Sena or
McComss will bring forward his proposal
TO create the grade of vice admiral with
two numbers in it. in order that sampson
and Schley may be promoted.
fhe Senate and House conferees en- the
Naval bill have under consideration an
amendment adopted by the Senate which
provides that officers promoted to higher
grades for war services shall fill addi
uonal numbers in those grades created
for the purpose of preventing injustice
from being done to the officers to be
jumped.
There is a belief prevalent In the Senate
that this amendment Will be attached to
the naval bill. 1t provides that the ad
yancement in rank of officers of the navy
and marine corps for services in the war
with Spain shall not interfere with the
regular promotion OF officers otherwise
entitled to promotion and that officers ad
vanced shall be carried additional to
the number of each grade to which they
may be promoted 1t provides also that
each officer so advanced shall be pro-
NOTED contemporaneously with the officer
next preceding him.
Naval officers have been figuring on the
relative advantages of the officers named
by the President for advancement for
their services in the West Indies. Hob
sons advance of ten numbers in the con-
struction corps, jumping him from the
relative rank OF lieutenant to the relative
rank of captain, skipping the grades OF
lieutenant commander and commander, is
said TO be equivalent TO an advance of 600
numbers in the line In the ordinary
course of events he would not. 1t is said,
attain the grade of captain in the con-
struction corps under twenty years. There
are only five officers with the relative
rank of captain in the construction corps,
and an advance Of ten numbers for Hob
son would place him No from the top
OF the list, next after Constructor Lin
nard. who entered the naval service in
1871.
Hobson entered the naval service in
1855. II was reported yesterday that there
was some dissatisfaction in the coastruc-
tion corps over the fact that so young
man as Hobson had been named for adj
vancement to the senior grade of con-
structors. but none of the officers on duty
here would say anything on the subject
for publication.
The failure Of the Senate TO confirm the
nominations for advancement of a number
of junior officers when the nominations
were made originally preventing these
officers from attaining the numerical po-
sitions TO which the Navy Department and
the President believed they were entitled,
viii rot be remedied by favorable action
-. rs-, gf.,.
mcnt CT these same officers sent TO the
S-Bste Thursday.
This condition has been caused by the
transfer of the Engineer Corps to the line
of the navy. When tine reward nominations
were first sent to the Senate the law di-
rectiEg the transfer had not been enacted.
Through the sitting in OF the engineers in
their relative positions in the list of line
officers. number of engineers were
placed just in advance of officers recon-
mended fer reward
Take for example the case OF a line Of |
fcer recommended for advancement five I
numbers. II four engineers were given I
positions Immediately senior to him, his
advancement Of this kind would be equiva- I
lent only 10 an advance of one number. I
whereas. il the original nominations had I
been confirmed, before the transfer Of the /
engineers 10 the line he would be now
relatively nine numbers above his present /
numerical position. In the case of one Of 4
fcer recommended for advancement ten :
numbers. there has been a loss TO him Of !
seven numbers through the transfer Of |
engineers 20 the lire
One OF tie engineers has Jared very /
badly through this same cause. He was I
nominated originally for an advance OF !
three numbers in the Engineer Corps. and /
Thursday he was named TO the Senate for /
advancement three numbers in the line
whom he would have jumped while the
Engineer Corps vas in existence are now
seven numbers a cad of him, that number
Of line officers intervening between his
position and theirs
Considerable comment has arisen over
the action OF the President in naming for
advancement only three numbers some /
former engineers now OF the line. who
were originally named for advancement |
three numbers in the Engineer Corps. at 4
that equivalent TO fifteen numbers in the /
line There is a disposition in some quar- |
ters, not informed as to the facts, to he /
lieye that an injustice has been done /
these former engineers, in that they were |
not named for advancement fifteen num- /
bers.
The explanation is this: The President |
and the Navy Department first prepared |
a list to be submitted to the Senate of |
the officers whose conduct in the destruc-
tion Of Cervera's feet was most conspic-
uous. They did not take into considera-
tion the fact, of which they were lot 1
aware, that an advance Of one numDer
in the Engineer Corps was equivalent to |
an advance Of five numbers in he line. |
They believed that in naming for advance
ment IN numbers engineer officers whose
services had been conspicuous, these of1- /
GERS would be given relatively the same 1
rewards as line officers named for ad- |
vancement three numbers. After COM 4
pleting the list of those whose services
had been most conspicuous. the Navy De- 1
partment organized board to examine
the records and determine what ether Of
hcers were entitled TO reward.
This board composed of officers familiar
with conditions in both the line. and En-
gineer Corps, recommended thar certain
engineers be advanced one number, know
ing thst this was equivalent to an advance
OF I'VE numbers in the line. The rec /
concentrations OF The board were adopted
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