Albuquerque evening citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1905-1907, 1906-12-07
Special 10 The Evening Citizen.

Special TO The Evening CltlZen.
Washington, d. c.. Dec 1.-THE re-
port of Chas. J. Bonaparte, secretary
of the navy, was made public today
1t differs from the other reports
made public since congress assembled
on the 3rd inst, in that it contains
very few figures. After some recon-
mendations as to changes in organi-
cation, proposed by recently ap-
pointed board OF officers, Secretary
Bonaparte makes among others the
following recommendations:
The Grade of Vice Admiral.
The plan of the board on personnel
includes the creation Of three vice ad-
mirals The department recommend
ed in its last report that at least two
officers of this rank should be pro
vided A bill was subsequently pre-
pared and submitted to the commit
tees on naval affairs of the two
houses providing that the command
ers-in-chief of the Atlantic and Ash
attic fleets should have the title, rank
and pay of vice admirals while hold
ing these positions but no longer.
Any one of these three plans would
afford a remedy for a situation which
is already annoying and. in some
measure, injurious to discipline, and
must become more so with the grad
ual increase of the navy and which
viii be peculiarly unsatisfactory at
the time of the approaching celebra-
ton at jamestown, on which occasion
many foreign naval officers of very
high rank may have to be received
and entertained. | very earnestly
if ha
tire plan submitted by the personnel
board should not be embodied in law
at the approaching session, this fea-
ture of It will receive legislative sane
ton. at least to the extent of provid-
ing the navy with two officers of rank
and title corresponding to their tunc-
tions
The General Board.
While however, there shall be ON
the active list of the navy an officer
of a higher rank than vice admiral,
he should form part of the general
beard as matter of right, and such
officer. or the senior of them, if there
be more than one should be ex-officio
its president II would be well to
provide by law for the organization
of the general beard, provided that
its duties should be always liable TO
modification by naval regulations. In
any event however, the members of
this board, other than the officer or
officers forming part of it by virtue of
their rank. should be specially desig-
mated ny the president or the depart
ment and should he liable TO relief at
any moment. so as to insure absolute
harmony between its views and those
of it, suDeriOrs.
Chiefs of Bureau.
/ further recommend that the four
years term and necessity for con
frmation by the senate of chiefs OF
bureau he abolished; that these po-
sitions be recognized distinctly as
military assignments and not civil
Offices, and that they he filled and
held in the pleasure of the president
This recommendation extends TO the
proposed chiefs of section. if the
plan of reorganization before suggest
ed shall be adopted OF course, il
is not intended To interfere in any
way with the present law respecting
the rank and pay of chiefs of bureau
The Enlisted Personnel.
I'm my last annual report | describ
ed as altogether ar variance with the
facts an impression which prevails
in some quarters and seems to be de
liberarely fosterei by certain agen
cieS. that it is difficult 10 obtain re
cruits for the navy 10y reason Of an
aversion to military service on tn,
part OF our population II is true that
the navy was not then, and Is moi
even now, recruited 10 its full
strength. as allowed by law, but, a,
explained in that report. this fact il
due 10 the stringeucy of its require
ments and not to the lack of appli
cants., only one out Ct every three ol
four of the latter being accepted as
recruit. A further reason for iJ'
being below It's standard i'm number.
was then. I'm my opinion, the insult
dcieut attention which had been siyeI
20 TeCTuiting.
A Naval Reserve.
In every foreign country possessinl
HrsrClass navy. provision is made
for "a iarge reserve of trained seamen
90 be added to the enlisted personne
Of the navy az the outbreak of war
Our provisions for this contingency
are manifestly and fagrantly made
qUate Beyond a few men on the rg
tired l.st for the most part too old o.
render effective service. We have I'