The Washington herald., 1907-07-04
Fifteen Members of Line Re-
lieved from Duty.
MAKE WAY FOR OTHERS
Action Taken to Cause Steady
Flow of Promotion.
Five Captains, -Four Commanders,
-Four Lieutenant Commanders, and
Two Lieutenants on the .List-Re-
ceive Rank and Three-fOurths Pay
of Next Higher Grade-SeiectiOns
Made by Special Board.

Five captains, four commanders four
lieutenant commanders, and two hsuten-
ants Of the line OF the navy were placed
on the retired list by direction Of Presi-
dent Roosevelt yesterday. These retire
ments are known as compulsory, the
officers retired having been selected by q
board Of flag officers appointed for that
purpose, with Rear Admiral Robley d.
Evans as president
The authority for compelling the retire
ment of the officers chosen is found in
section Of the navy personnel act Of
March 8, 1899. which provides that If
sufficient number Of vacancies IN the line
of the navy did not occur In any year
board Of rear admirals should select ad-
ditional officers for retirement 10 create
a specified number of vacancies. The
object OF this provision WIS 10 prevent
stagnation fu the line and cause a steady
flow Of promotion. Under the law the
officers retired will receive the rank and
three-fourths pay OF the next higher
grade.
LIST OF heIlre nenEss
The list Of compulsory retirements fol-
lows:
Captains, retired with rank Of commo-
dore. a grade which does not exist on the
active llst-Albion V Wadhams, comman-
dant Of the Norfolk Navy Yard; James
II. Bull. commandant Of the Naval Train
ing station at San Francisco and com
mander Of the receiving ship Pensacola. /.
Richard G. Davenport, commanding the
battle ship Georgia: Rodgers H. Gait. on
court-martial duty at the Norfolk Navy
'--' ''--~'- - Sawyer. commanding the
lsellation and comman-
al Training Station at
Tired with the rank
Colwell. now at the
se, Newport, for IN
c. Cutler. equipment
Navy Yard. John
avail War College for In
liam Winder. on court
- At the Boston Navy Yard.
.--s-------- commanders, retired with the
~
commanding gunboat Annapolis at Tu-
tuila naval station, Samoa; George Nal
lison. assistant to the inspector Of equip
ment at the works Of the Newport News
Shipbuilding Company. William H. Nc
Cram. in charge Of naval recruiting sta
ton at Memphis. Tenn. Charles $.
Stanworth, recently assigned as execu-
tive officer Of the armored cruiser Cali
fornia.
Lieutenants. retired with the rank Of
lieutenant commander. Charles Webster.
executive officer OF the Prairie; Newton
Mansfield, under medical treatment az
the army general hospital, Fort Bayard.
y. Mex.
Establishes New Record.
This is the most wholesale retirement
by compulsion that has taken place since
the naval personnel law became effective.
Heretofore the naval administration has
declined TO construe the retirement fea-
ture literally and for several years the
compulsory retirements were limited 10
two lleutenants for each year The
general board Of the navy determined
recently that in order 10 have a steady
flow Of promotions this year It was nee
essary TO retire tweuty-three officers
between and including the grades of
captain and lieutenant. Seven captains
and commanders retired on their own ap-
plication after forty years service. leav-
ing fifteen additional retirements which
were carried out by the Presidents ac-
tion yesterday The retiremeHts date
from July 1.
Under the personnel law only captains
and commanders are permitted TO retire
on their own application. Most Of the
lieutenant commanders and lleutenants
retired by compulslon had applied for re-
tirement, but the law gave no authority
to the President 10 grant their requests.
It is an injustice, therefore. TO regard
these as having been selected for retire
ment because they were believed 10 be
Of retention on the active list.
In the case Of Lieut.. Commander Nal
lison. he had been disabled on the cruiser
Olympia when an ensign. and 1t was nee
essary to amputate one Of his legs. On
account Of this disability. Lieut.. Com
mander Madison voluntarily asked for
retirement but his request was refused
on the ground that no authority existed
for granting It. The cases Of Lieuts.
Webster and Mansfield were practically
similar. Lieut. Webster has been in poor
health for years, the result Of severe duty
in the Philippines, but has managed. in
the face Of this, to perform his duties as
a naval officer. He asked voluntarily for
retirement hut was refused for the same
reason given in the case of Lieut.. Com
mander Madison. Lieut. Mansfield. who
applied for retirement also on the ground
of ill-health. is very III at Fort Bayard.
n. Mex
known as "PIuclSing Board"
The retiring board or ''plucking board"
as it is called in the service Is not Obliged
to give any reason for recommending the
retirement Of an officer and for that
reason, and that its proceedings and rec
ords are confidential, it is impossible to
get an official explanation of the causes
which led to the retirements.
Capt Davenport became involved in a
controversy through his reported action
in leaving his ship in time Of danger in
the Samoan hurricane Of 1882 in which
three American and three German war
ships were lost. He was executive officer
of the Nipsic, and it was alleged that
Continued on Page o, COIumn1.
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