The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-12-05
SAYS NAVY NEEDS
| YOUNGER MEN,
Secretary Moody Would Force
Retirement Of Aged Com
handing Officers.
GENERALIZATION OF CONTROL.
Change in Manipulating Naval
Department Deemed Advis-
able-Suggests Better In
ducements to Attract
Enlistments.
GENERALIZATION OF CONTROL.

Washington, Dec. 4.-The annual report
| Of Secretary Of the Navy Moody was made
public to-day.
He urges more Capitalization in the con.
trel Of the navy. the retirement of Off.
younger men at the head of affairs. and
an increase OF the navy from year to year
on calm and conservative basis. and the
class OF citizens to service in the navy.
To accomplish centralizaton of control
OF the navy Secretary Moody makes three
Suggestions:
OF navy yards which will increase the
power and responsibility there over and
for work progressing therein.
Second: The consolidation Of the bu-
reaus In the department.
Third The creation Of general staff.
which shall be responsible for the eficien-
cy of the vessels afioat and the personnel
Information upon which plans for active
operations may be formulated and act as
the military adviser Of the Secretary, ,hav-
ing no authority except such as may be
conferred upon 1t from time to time by the
Secretary.
AGE AND. COMMAND RANK.
of the several officers in command Of
the eleven battleships Of the navy now
In commission. two are So: one Ia IS. three
of age. The, ages Of the officers who, in
course Of time, viii bsSelected to relieve
them Will be about the same. The duty Of
tssbns ama meets Of
experience and ability, but also makes
heavy drafts upon the energy and nerv-
Gus endurance Of the officers charged with
cess or failure of the navy in important
crises may depend.
THE Chief OF the Bureau Of Navigation
again brings to attention the importance
of devising some plan by which officers
will attain command rank and duty at an
earlier age than under the present sys-
TEN. 1t Is true that. during and since the
been found on account OF lack Of endur-
ance on the part Of any officer in COM
mand. but 1t Is reasonable to look forward
to times Of greater strain in peace as well
known. and to provide therefor.
I'm discussing this subject the Chief of
the Bureau suggests as the only remedy
for the evils attending the tardy attain
nent OF command rank-a defect inherent
in other military and naval systems
early compulsory retirement in the higher
grades He says:
The process is simple and need be ap-
piled to not more than two grades. 1t
may be briefly described as follows: An
officer Of so years Of age who has not at
a Captain who at S has not reached the the
grade of Rear Admiral will retire.
1t should be stated that this method
= In some other services ACCOMPANIED by
for promotion in grades below that of
Captain -
CITIZENSHIP OF ENLISTED MEN.
ut is gratifying to note that the per-
centage OF citizenship In the enlisted force
number of enlisted men in the service June
80. 1903. including petty officers. seamen
and other ratings, landsmen for training,
and apprentices, was 27,25. OF this num-
Der 1913 per cent were native born and 1913
per cent naturalized citizens. the total
percentage of citizenship being. therefore,
per as wtn per
landslnen for training. the percentage OF
native-born citizens was 80; naturalized or
having declared Intentions. 81 per cent;
aliens resident in the United States and
nonresidet, three-tenths of per cent only.
OF apprentices enlisted, IS per cent were
native born.
expresses the belief that by these means
by the Offering Of greater rewards to those
who remain in the service, by better pro-
visions for retirement, and by the OPEN
navy to warrant officers-the service will
In the future offer advantages comparing
favorably with those to be found in most
trades Of the country; and that the con,
the discomforts incident to ship life should
not and will not be sufficient to prevent
good men from making service in the navy
q permanent occupation.
NAVAL SIAl1ON IN TEiAiFtlNEo.
Although 1t is almost five years since
We acquired the Philippine Islands, mo
steps have been taken to establish a naval
base there. We have in Asiatic waters
large feet. comprising not only smaller
vessels, but cruisers and battleships.
There is no naval base at present nearer
than Puget Sound or San Francisco Bay.
In time of universal peace it Is possible to
repair our ships in the dockyards at Hong.
Kong and IN Japan, and to transport with
out molestation stores and supplies to
Eastern waters. II we were at war with
any Power these facilities for repairs
would not be available. and the possibility
of furnishing stores and supplies would be
greatly lessened. II other Powers were
at war in those waters i would be DIFF
ciIifies for the repair of oCr ships.
"The modern vessel of war is a compH-
Gated mechanism. frequently requiring res
pairs. and. at comparafxeiy abort inter-