Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1907-01-28
MAY PROVE A BOOMERANG.
Letter Sent BY Midshipmen In Interest Of
The Personnel Bill.

tH@ bttt'
senator Hales action in the Com
mittee on Naval Affairs, in introduce
ing a resolution directing the Secre-
tary of the Navy 10 investigate wheth-
er opportunities of naval officers and
friends in favor of the Naval Person
mel bill are in violation of the naval
regulations prohibiting officers from
using influence to effect proposed leg
islation. has created sensation in
naval circles.
The fact that some persons, presum-
ably a coterie of naval officers, sent a
circular letter 10 every midshipman
asking him TO write to his respective
Congressman and to his father urging
the passage OF the Personnel act was
certainly known and winked at by the
high civilian officials at the Navy De-
partnient, and possibly by the Presi.
dent himself. Such a step is said to
be violation of Paragraph 23l, U. ;.
Navy Regulations, and also Of Par
agraph No. 232.
shortly after the Personnel bill was
sent to Congress py the President the
following letter, which ii was pro-
posed the midshipmen send to their
fathers, was sent to each midshipman
by some one whom it is believed vio-
lated the above regulations
United States Naval Academy,
annapolis, Md, Jan. /, 1907.
"My Dear Father Since j feel that
you are so deeply interested in my
career that, if the time should come
when your help would make that ca
reer a successful one you would will
ingly do all that lay in your power TO
do, and since such time is now at
hand, am writing to ask you earnest
ly 10 exert yourself TO the utmost in
my behalf.
"a bill is now, or soon will be,
before Congress for consideration TO
increase the efficiency of the commits
stoned personnel of the naval service.
The ultimate fate of this bill means
for me success or failure in my chosen
profession, and to show you the advis-
ability of this measure, its economy,
etc., from a political standpoint, j
send you statements from the thinking
men of the country who have consid-
cred the subject, i. e., the President.
Secretary of the Navy and the board
of naval officers appointed TO consid-
er the matter. Believe me, however,
am not making plea for the service
at large. 1 am working TO further
my own ambitions of serving the Uni
ted States in positions of high rank at
an early age and my reason for in
closing these papers is not TO stir
you up as a public-minded citizen to
adjust an important factor of our
national welfare, but to let you know
that, while furthering my own indi-
vidual ends, you would be doing moth
ing that patriotic or thoughtful man
should not do.
81 am going to give you one SEN
tence embodying the entire reason of
my anxiety to urge legislation.
If this bill passes, in five years 1
will be n ---, in ten years / will be
a ----, and in fifteen years -.
If it does not pass it will be prob
ably fifteen years before / reach a
grade higher than junior lieutenant.
To add to these startling figures
would be but to reduce the strength
of the conviction they carry. / do
not have TO tell a man who has pur-
sued life's work what success or
failure in that work means to him.
~ can ask you, sir, to regard any
thing you can do to put this measure
through as the greatest of the many
services that a father renders his
son. Use every method in your
power. Letters, kilograms, the news
papers, anything and everything that
will force Congress to put this through.
1T cannot be too much TO ask you
to give me as much of your time at
a supreme moment like this as pos
sible. This is a short session of Con-
gress, and for that reason you may
think this an ILL advised time to make
your attack. The movement is gen
eral throughout the country, and any
thing you will do will augment the
force already assembled. / am not
writing on impulse. These figures l
have seen. As things exist now, mine
being one of the big classes, / will
be caught in hump and promotion
will be like it was when man was
40 years old before he got to be a
lieutenant.
"If this letter is not strong, it is
because / cannot make it so. But if
it appears little hysterical, it is be-
cause / haven't time to comb it out.
/ must do as / ask you to do-'act
and act quickly. But if hysterical,
remember through it all that my pro-
motion for the next twenty years is
wrapped up in the fate of this bill.
am, etc.
This letter, as things have turned
out. may do more to injure the
chances of the Personnel Bill than
anything which has happened since
its introduction. 1t was accompanied
by a letter sent to each midshipman,
which it was proposed should be sent
by him to the Representative or SEN
ator who appointed him TO tthe Acad-
emy. Fathers of midshipmen and
Congressman have been daily deluged
with these letters and the Navy De-
partment has been called upon to in