The San Francisco call., 1904-02-22
TO BUILD MORE
SHIPS FOR THE
AMERICAN NAVY

The naval increase recommended by
the House Naval Committee provides
for one battleship. two armored
cruisers, three scouts and two GOLFERS,
at an estimated total cost of $29, 1856, 900.
The appropriation for vessels in course
of construction and those to be built is
$31, 1926, $50, against s25, ,632 for the
current year, an increase sof $5,901, ,228.
The programme is reasonable as to the
amount of money, and is likely to be
increased, rather than to be reduced;
but the number of fighting ships is in
with at least one more battleship. AS
to GOLFERS, which are to carry 5000 tons
of coal and are to have a trial speed of
sixteen knots, and for which $1,250,000
is asked, there is no pressing demand.
The navy has already sixteen colliers
with carrying capacities ranging from
2o78 tons to 4575 tons. There are scores
of merchant steamers available for
such purposes, and it would be more
reasonable to provide for more fighting
ships. rather than to increase the aux
iliary list.
Secretary Moody calls attention to the
fact that the practice of detaching a
ship from the fleet and sending it to a
navy yard for minor repairs is waste
full in time and money and detrimental
to efficiency. During the year ending
July /. 1903, the percentage of time
spent by ships at navy yards undergo
ing repairs was: For the Alabama, So;
Tnd o. Ma rhT-
setts. q; Texas, go, and Olympia, Is
per cent. These ships, attached to the
North Atlantic fleet, were supposed TO
be in commission for active service,
..but once at a navy yard" the Secre-
tary says, "the temptation to take ad-
vantage of the opportunity to make
and continue repairs Is natural TO
this it is not amiss to add that the
officers and crew would, as rule,
rather complete the cruise at navy
ward than to hurry away and encounter
the discomforts at sea.
RETIREMENTS IN p'HE NAVY.
Retirements in the navy, voluntarily
and by age limit, have been somewhat
frequent of late and promotions as a
consequence are rapid. 1t is to be
noted in this connection that voluntary
retirements of captains and command
ers are rare, and that ii is only when
an officer reaches the grade of rear
admiral that physical ailments or do
nestle affairs impel voluntary retire
ments. It is less than a month ago
that Rear Admiral Lamberton, in
command of the South Atlantic squad
ron since January l, 1904, retired be-
oh and
Rear Admiral Cotton has hauled down
his flag in the European squadron
after less than ten months commission.
Sickness at home is the cause assigned
for his application to retire. Some
years ago bonuses were offered by Of
ficers to induce others above them to
retire in order that the lower number
officer could be promoted to a higher
grade before his retirement and thus
obtain higher rank and increased re-
tired pay than he would otherwise get
| in the natural course of promotion.
This practice has ceased, but the fact
that as captains the retired pay is
$500 less than that of rear admiral is
likely, in some cases, to put off volun
tary retirement until the higher grade
has been reached.
Notwithstanding the frequently oc-
| curing retrements in our navy. on
account of age or from other causes
the flow of promotion TO command rank
at an age when an officer is ordinarily
in the prime of life and mentally and
! physically sound and vigorous is still
exceedingly slow. and will be so for
! ten years to come unless the general
law regarding retirements is changed
! AS it is now there is nothing to pre-
vent an officer remaining on the active
| list until he reaches the age limit of
62 years.
COMPULSORY RETIREMENT PLAN
Secretary Moody recommends COM
so years, have not become captains,
and retirement of captains who have
not reached the grade at So years. As
shown in the appended table eleven
rear admirals in command of squad
rons range in ages from 60 years 10
months to 81 years months, and aver
age SO years months, while in the
British and German navies the aver
ages are about five years less. The
battleship captains in our navy, now
ranging from SO years months TO Sc
years months, should be reduced to
an average not TO exceed 50 years:
AGES or SQUADRON AND BATTLEsHIP
COMMANDERS IN UNITED STATES
NAVY JANUARY l. 1901