Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1905-02-02
TO GRADUATE IN THREE YEARS
SECRETARY MORTON'S BILL
REDUCES THE TERM
Of The Midshipmen at The Naval
AeademY-To Serve One
Year at Sea.


the Navy Paul Morton, bill of great
Importance in its effects upon the per-
sonnel of the navy was introduced in
Congress yesterday by Representative
Foss. chairman of the House Com
mittee on Naval Aaffirs.
The bill was drawn by the Navy
Department and was sent TO Chairman
Foss by Secretary Morton, with the re-
quest that it be passed. Ii is claimed
that the navy is now topheavy because
there are more ships than can be i'm
mediately officered without thorough
reorganization of the personnel. AT
present the course of the Naval Acad-
emy is four years, and midshipmen
are required TO serve two years at sea
after graduation
Secretary Morton's bill provides for
a reduction of the terms of midship-
men at the Naval Academy and re-
duces their sea service to one year. In
this and other ways the Navy Depart
ment expects, through the passage of
the Administration bill, to provide
officers for the navy. The opening
section of the bill provides THAT the
class of midshipmen which, under ex-
listing law, would be graduated from
the United States Naval Academy in
the year next after the passage of this
act shall be graduated at the end of
three and one-h half years OF tine aca-
demic course; that all subsequent
classes, until and including the class
which enters the Academy in 1918,
shall be graduated at the end of three
years, and that the classes entering the
Academy in 1914 and thereafter shall
be graduated at the end of four years
and in order to maintain the number
of midshipmen at the Academy after
the passage of this act at the same
number as before, whenever any mid
shipman shall have finished the three
years of the academic course pre-
scribed, the succeeding appointment
may be made from his Congressional
district or at large, in accordance
with exitsing law, until and including
June 30, 1918. :"
1t is provided that all midshipmen
appointed to the Academy shall not be
less than 10 nor more than II years of
age on October of the year they en-
ter, and that after graduation from
the Naval Academy midshipmen shall
serve one year at sea, and shall be
commissioned as ensigns without COM
petitive examination, but subject only
To the examinations now provided by
law for other commissioned officers of
the navy, and that ensigns after one
years service as such shall be pro-
NOTED to junior grade Lieutenant, sub
ject to the examinations which are
now required by law.
The second section of the bill pro-
vides for the establishment of re-
serve list of the navy to be composed
of line officers transferred to the re-
serve, as provided by the proposed
bill, who shall under restrictions to
be laid down, perform only shore
duty. 1t is provided that on June 30
Immediately following the passage of
the act all captains of the line of the
navy on the active list who shall have
reached the age of so years shall be
placed ON the reserve list created by
the bill, and that after that every cap
tain on the active list attaining that
age shall be placed on the reserve list.
The age of captains for transfer to
the reserve list is to be so years during
the two years succeeding the passage
of the act, and shall then be reduced
one year for each succeeding period of
two years after that time until the
age for transfer shall have become 90
years.
The bill contains six sections. The
sixth and final section of the bill pro-
yides that the grades of the active list
hereafter designated are TO be so in
creased that, omitting officers borne
as additional numbers on the list,
there shall be 10 more medical inspec-
tors, making % in all; 10 more pay
inspectors, making % in all; 9 more
paymasters, making So in all, and 40
more past assistant and assistant pay
masters, making l45 in all provided
that the grades of medical inspector,
pay inpscetor and paymaster, as here
by incteased, shall be filled by promo
tion in each calendar year of not more
than so per cent. of the total increase
in each of these grades, and that the
annual increase Of not more than 20
assistant paymasters authorized by
the act of March 3, 1908, shall be con-
tinued until the total number provided
for in the bill shall have been OBJ
tanned.
1t is finally provided that assistant
paymasters shall be promoted to the
rgade of past assistant paymaster after
three years service as assistant pay
masters upon passing prescribed exam
nations.