The semi-weekly messenger., 1907-12-06

yentions were agreed upon embody-
ing the definite conclusions which
received my approval. and which. IL
enacted into Law, will accomplish
what In Immediately necessary. and
will, as compared with existing law,
make a saving OF more than Ave mil
lions OF dollars during che next seven
years. The navy personnel act or
1899 has accomplished all that was
expected OF IL in providing satisfae-
tory periods OF service In the sew
eral subordinate grades. from the
grade OF ensign TO the grade OF lieu
tenant-commander. but the Law Ia
inadequate in the upper grades and
will continue to be inadequate on ac-
count of the expansion or the per-
sonnel since its enactment. Your at
tention Is invited to the following
quotations from the report or the
personnel board OF 1905. OF which
the assistant secretary OF the navy
was president:
Congress has authorized a con-
siderable increase in the number OF
midshipmen at the Naval Academy.
and these midshipmen upon gradu-
alton are promoted TO ensign and
lieutenant (junior-grade). But no
provision has been made for cor
grades, the result being that the
lower grades will become so con-
gested that a midshipman now in
one OF the lowest classes At Annapo-
lis NAV possibly not be promoted 20
lieutenant until he is between 10
and so years of age. So IL Will
continue under the present law, con
gestinC at the top and congesting
at the bottom The country fails
10 get from the officers OF the ser
vice the best that is in them by
not providing opportunity for their
normal development and training.
The board believes that this works
serious detriment TO the efficiency
of the navy and is a real menace TO
the public safety.
AS stated in my special MESSAGE
| to the last congress: Il am nrmfS
| of the opinion that unless the pres
| ent conditions OF the higher COM
missioned personnel Is rectined py
| judicious legislation the future or
our navy will be gravely compromis-
ed" II is also urgently necessary
to increase the efficiency OF the
medical corps OF the navy. Special
legislation to this end has already
been proposed: and | trust II may
be enacted without delay.
1t must be remembered that ev-
erything done in the navy to mt IL
to do well in time OF war must be
done in time of peace. Modern wars
are short; they do not last the
| length OF time requisite TO build
| battleship; and IT takes longer 10
train the officers and men to do we'll
on battleship than 1t takes to build
! it. Nothing effective can be done Tor
| the navy once war has begun, and
the result OF the war, If the com
! batants are otherwise equally match
ed. will depend upon which power
! has prepared best I'm time OF peace.
The United States navy is the best
| guaranty the nation has that It's hon
or and interest will not be neglect
! ed and in addition II offers by far
the best insurance for peace that can
by human ingenuity be devised.
call attention to the report or
the official Board Of Visitors TO the
| Naval Academy at Annapolis which
has been forwarded to the congress.
The report contains this paragraph;
Such revision should be made OF
| the courses of study and methods or
conducting and marking eXamina-
tions as will develop and bring out
/ the average all-round ability of the
|
prominence in any one particular
study. The fact should be kept In
mind THAI the Naval Academy is not
q university but a school, the pri-
mary object of which is TO educate
! BOYS to he efficient naval officers.
| Changes in curriculum, therefore,
should be In the direction OF making
the course Of instruction less theo-
retical and more practical. No por-,
ton of any future class should be
graduated in advance OF the full
! four years course, and under no cir
cumstances should the standard or
instruction be lowered. The acade-
my in almost all OF its departments
is now magnificently equipped, and
it would be very unwise To make the
| course of instruction less exactlnB
than 1t is today
Acting upon this suggestion / des-
ignated three seagoing officers, Cap
! tain Richard Wainwright. Comman-
| der Robert S. Griffin and Lieutenant
! Commander Albert l.. Key, all grad
yates of the academy, TO investigate
conditions and to recommend TO me
the best method Of carrying into ef-
! feet this general recommendation.
These officers performed the duty
promptly aud intelligently, and, un-
der the personal direction OF Cap
tain Charles J. Badger. superinten-
dent of the academy, such Of the pro-
posed changes as were deemed To
be at present advisable weTs put into
effect at the beginning of the acad-
emic year, October /, last. The re-
suits, | am confident. wiz be most
beneficial 20 the academy. TO the
| midshipmen. and to the navy.
FOREIGN AE'EAITSS
In foreign affairs this. country's
steady policy is 10 behave toward
other natTons as stroHg and self
respecting man should behave to-
ward the other men whh whom he
is brought into contact. In other
words, oar aim Is disiI1erestedly to