Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-09-05
SHAKE UP NAVY LINE.
Present Battleship Captains to Be Sent
Ashore.

Navy. who has the appreciation of
President Roosevelt in the plan as out
| lined.
OF the officers now commanding the
| Is battlcships which will make the long
voyage from the Atlantic to the Pa
cific for worldbeating cruise. only
| four will make the trip. The President
| and the Secretary of the Navy have
agreed to forward the long desired plan
of advancing young men to the fight
| ing line and send the elders to the rear
and the IS captains who will command
and be responsible for the slOO. 900 0N
worth of ships to be sent through the
Strait Of Magellan to the Pacific will
| be men younger than the captains now
| in command
The following captains will hold their
ships and make the trip: Potter, of the
Vermont; Nreeland, of the Kansas; o.
terhaus, of the Connecticut. and Vain
wright, of the Louisiana. Wainwright
was found to be well on toward retire
menr time, but his service during the
Spanish war advanced him in rank 50
rapidly that he is one of the first in
| line for a rear admiralship and will
escape being put ashore during his lat
| ter years of active service and when
the flower of the navy is to be tested
in such manner that the eyes of every
naval power of the world is upon his
flag.
Among naval officers of high rank it
was said today that Capt. McCrea,
commanding the Georgia, might also
be kept in his command making five
of the present captains to stay aboard
ship for this cruise. But his date Of
retirement is 1913. only six years hencH.
and il is said that his case is in doubt.
The captains who will be sent ashore
to make room for younger officers of
the same rank are Sexton Schroeder.
of the Virginia; William w. kimball,
of the New Jersey; ]. r. Murdoch, of
the Rhode Island; Samuel =. Comfy, of
the Alabama; GCtfricd Blockingcr, Of
the Illinois; Herbert WinsloW, Of the
KearSargc; Edward 3. Barry. of the
kentucky; Lewis c. Heilncr, Of tie
Ohio: Giles +. Barber. of the Maine;
John Hubbard, of the Minnesota; G. n.
Merriam, Of the Missouri. and. prob
ably. Capts. Albert G.. Berry and Tco-
doric Porter, of the armOred cruisers
Tennessee and Washington, respect
lively.
The intention of the Navy Depart
mcnt to relegate older captains to the
rear and put the younger ones in COM
mand of the great. new battleships of
the fleet became known through IN
official communication to the first "f
tho CAPTAINS to prepare for duty ashorr.
| This communication was delicatelY,
even kindly put. and it Informed the
| t,;y hot pplInt
sea duty at this time was no criticism
| of the department on his capacity rs
tie commander of first-class battle
| ship of the United States navy. IL Is
| said to have also extended in tXplaill-
| ton 50 far as to give comfort 10 t!lc
| captain by assuring him that the oth r
| cantainS. save those named to retain
their commands, will also be pat
ashore.
An Effort to secure the name OF this,
| the first of the captains of the Neet 10
| be put aside was unsuccessful
The plan for a change in the COM
mandcrs Of the ships has 50 far al
yanccd and so much of detail OF the
plan has become known III tn" line OF
the navy that there is no other topic
| of converse ton among the officers Oh
the fleet which Admiral Evans Will take
| from the Atlantic to the Pacific. II
was said today by naval officer OF
high rank that the plan was I" put on
shore duty all captains who ma
reached an age where they could not
| expcct to be advanced to q rear admir-
alship and then serve two years beforl
retirement.
"-rhcrc arc plenty Of rear admiralE,
said this officer, but they are close to
the age Of sixty-two. when they Will
have to retire. The plan seems To be 20
keen Younger men in command OF blG
ships. advance them to the grade oil
rear admiral, and have them in service
n longer time at that grade 1t seems
TO be the wisdom of the President and
the Secretary of the Navy to push the
Young men forward, and, although IL
will cause regret, perhaps. at this time,
it may prove advantageous in time OF
trouble"
Tho shake-uD will occur wholesale
lust after the finish of target rractic"
and mancuvcrs off Cape Cod this
month.
Back of the shakc-up is the interest
ing fact that for years it has been a
mooted question whether there should
he a new system of retirement, retire
ment for age in grade. as it is tech
nicalIy called in the service. a retire
mcnt FOR age in grade would mean
much for the younger officer who has
advanced rapidly. but for the older
officer, who has not advanced so rapid
". it would mean less active duty ana
less chance. The simple experiment OF
uniting on shore duty those officers who
will not be able to serve two years in
advanced grade before reaching the re-
tirement age is tantamount to the old
nroposition to advancing the younger
and swifter-moving set of officers to
the front. where they can get the best
chance Of added rank and better SER
vice in the navy
Inst who will be placed in command
of the captains to be sent ashore no
one knows outside of the department.
Rv the time the fleet is ready to start
on its long voyage there will be plenty
Of men of the rank of captain. younger
mon with plenty of eagerness to engage
in the responsible task of carrying the
cream of the navy on such long test
Of endurance