Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1907-09-06
OLD CAPTAINS
TO THE REAR
Big Shake Up Comes in
the Navy
MD OFFICERS TO TIE FROM
Nearly All of the Vessels ia fleet
Going to Pacific TO Be Command
ep BY Young Men--VeteranS Are
TO Be Put on Shore Duty.
KID OFFICERS TO TIE FROM
(special to Times-Recorder)

Especial to Times-Recorder)
WASHINGTON, ~ C, Sept 5.-The
biggest shake-up in the history
of the United States navy is now in
process of arrangement by the Secre-
tary of Navy, who has the approba-
ton of President Roosevelt in the plan
as outlined.
OF the officers now commanding tao
eighteen battle shiiS-stne gsllsamaE9
the long voyage from NQn. SIC TO
the Pacific for worId-beating 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 fighting line and send the
elders to the rear and the eighteen
captains who will command and be
responsible for the $100,000,O00 worth
of ships to be sent through the Strait
of Magellan to the Pacific will be men
younger than the captains now in
command.
These Captains Will Sail.
The following captains will hold
their ships and make the trip: Potter.
of the Vermont; Vreeland, of the
Kansas; Osterhaus, of the Connecti-
cut, and Wainwright, of the Louisiana.
Wainwright was found to be well on
toward retirement time, but his ser
vice during the Spanish war advanced
him to rank SO rapidly that he is one
of the first in line for a rear admiral
ship and will escape being put ashore
during his latter years of activ SER
vice and when the flower of the nevy
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 1918, only six years
hence, and it is said that his case is
in doubt.
Old Captains to the Rear.
The intention of the Navy Depaft-
ment to relegate elder captains to ihe
rear and put the younger ones / in
command Of the great, new baSl9
ships of the fleet became knoys
through an official communicates u
the first of the captains to prepare for
duty ashore. This communication was
delicately, even kindly, put, and it in
formed the particular captain that his
relief from sea duty at this time was
no criticism of the department on his
capacity as the commander Of a first
class battle ship of the United States
navy. 1t is said to have also extend
ed in explanation so far as to give
comfort to the captain by assuring
him that the other captains, save the
ones named to retain their commands,
will also be put ashore.
Retirement Plan Discussed.
Back of the shake-up is the interest
ing fact that for years it has been a
mooted question whether there should
be a new system of retirement, a re-
tirement for age in grade, as it is
technically called in the service. A
retirement for age in grade would
mean much for the younger officer
who has advanced rapidly, but for
the older officer, who has not advanc-
ed so rapidly, it would mean less ac-
tive duty and less chance The sim
pie experiment of putting on shore
duty those officers who will not be
able to serve two years in advanced
grade before reaching the retirement
age is tantamount to the old proposi-
ton of 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
Just who will take the places
Of the captains to be sent as
hore no one knows outside of the
department. BY the time the fleet
is ready to start on its long voyage
there will be plenty of men of the rank
of captain, younger men with plenty
of eagerness to engage in the re-
sponsible task of carrying the cream
of the navy on such long test of en-
durance.