Devils Lake inter-ocean and Devils Lake free press. (Devils Lake, Ramsey County, N.D.) 1905-1909, 1907-12-06
NAVAL PERSONNEL.


Promotion of Officers by Strict Seniority
Not q Good Principle.
bespeak the most liberal treatment
for the officers and enlisted men Of
the navy. It is true Of them, as like
wise of the officers and enlisted men
of the army, that they form body
whose interests should be close to the
heart of every good American. In
return the most rigid performance Of
duty should be exacted from them.
The reward should be ample when
they do their best, and nothing less
than their best should be tolerated. 1t
is idle to hope for the best results
when the men in tie senior grades
come tc those grades late in life and
serve too short time in them. Up to
the rank of lieutenant commander pro-
motion in the navy should be as now,
by seniority, subject, however, to such
rigid tests as would eliminate the I'M
fit. After the grade of lieutenant COM
mander-that is, when we come to the
grade of command rank-the unfit
should be eliminated in such manner
that only the conspicuously fit would
remain, and sea. service should be a
principal test of fitness. Those who
are passed by should after a certain
length of service in their respective
grades be retired. OF given number
Of men it may vel! be that almost all
would make good 'lieutenants and
nf
manders, while only minority will
be fit to be captains and but three or
four to be admirals. Those who OBJ
ject to promotion otherwise than by
mere seniority should reflect upon the
elementary fact that no business in
private life could be successfully man r
aged If those who enter at the lowest
rungs Of the ladder should each in
turn if he lived become the head Of
after he had held the position q few
months. On its face such a scheme is
an absurdity. Chances for improper
favorftism can be minimized by
properly formed board, such as the
board of last June which did such con-
scientious and excellent work in elm
ination.
If all that ought to be done cannot
now be done, at least let beginning
be made. In my last three annual
messages and in special message to
the last congress the necessity for leg
islation that will cause officers of the
line of the navy to reach the grades
Of captain and rear admiral at less adj
vanced ages and which will cause them
to have more sea training aud ex-
perience in the highly responsible du-
ties Of those grades, so that they may
become thoroughly skillful in handling
battleships, divisions, squadrons and
fleets In action, has been fully explain
ed and urgently recommended. Upon
this subject the secretary of the navy
has submitted detailed and definite
recommendations which have received
my: approval and which If enacted In
to law will accomplish what is imme-
dfately necessary and will, as compar-
ed with existing law, make saving
(. Of more than S5,00O.000 during the next
seven years. The navy personnel act
of 1899 has accomplished all that was
expected of it in providing satisfactory
periods of service in the several sub
! ordinate grades, from the grade Of en-
sign to the grade of lieutenant COM
: mander, but the law is inadequate In
: the upper grades and will continue to
7 be inadequate ON account OF the ex-
pansfon sof the personnel since its en-
actment, Your attention is invited to-
the following quotations from the re-
port Of the personnel board of 1906, of
al which the assistant secretary Of the
navy was president: zs.v If 49, .41
II q e Congress has authorized consider
2 able Increase in the number of mid
v shipmen at the Naval academy, and
4 these tnidshipmen upon graduation are
4 promoted to ensign and lieutenant 0unS
Tor grade). But no provision has been
made for q corresponding increase In:
II the upper grades, the result being that
& the lower grades viii become so con-
gestsd that a midshipman now In one
OF the lowest classes at Annapolis may.
possibly not be promoted to lieutenant
B until he Is between forty-tive and fifty
years OF age. So Ut will continue Hn-
sS$ der the present law, congesting at the
and congesting at the bottom {. e he
NJ country fails to get from the officers
NJ of the service the best that Is in them
By not providing opp ortuniity for their
normal develop rent and training The
N board beaievas that this works . seri-
50us detrimenE to the efficiency of ne
2 navy and in . real menace 10 The pub tts
lie safety !,
As stated In my special message to
Z Shes last congress, I'M firmly OF the
u apfnion HAT unless The present co1aai.
don of the thigh lei. ON e tsaions per
aonneI IS gectined BIZ jiud ieious Iegfsla,
sS5 fiieT, uture our Iaay be
u svels conn rolnIseta Il also a,i's
Ssss gently necsss aEy iinerease the
sSs cheney of ths led Teal oss
Z nav Special lessisl Ton 20 ssliis end
s Inns already been pro osad, and 4 trust
ss 2k ma be- enacted delay.