The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1907-12-03
NAVAL PERSONNEL.
Promotion of Officers by Strict Seniority
Not q Good Principle.

of the army, that they form Il body
whose interests should be close to the
heart OF every good American. In
return the mA5t 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 the senior grades
come to those grades late in life and
serve too short 4 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 IN
tit. After the grade of lieutenant com
nlander-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 4
principal test of fitness. Those who
are passed by should after d certain
length Of service in their respective
grades be retired. Of a given number
OI uIell II IlttS we'll NC liitt utmost WI
would make good lieutenants and
most of them good lieutenant COM
manderS, while only minority will
be fit to be captains and but three or
four to be admirals. Those who OBJ
iect to promotion otherwise than by
mere seniority should reflect upon the
elementary fact that no business in
private life could be successfully man
aged if those who enter at the lowest
rungS Of the ladder should each in
turn if he lived become the head. of
the firm. its active director. and retire
after he had held the position a few
months. On its face such Il scheme is
an absurdity. Chances for improper
favoritism can be minimized by a
properly formed board, such as the
board of last June which did such con-
scientious and excellent work in elm
nation.
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 and 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-
dlately necessary and will, as compar-
ed with existing law, make saving
Of more than $5,0O0.000 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
be inadequate on account Of the eX-
panslon OF the personnel since it's en-
actment. Your attention is invited to
the following quotations from the re-
port Of the personnel board OF 1896 CT
which the assistant secretary OF the.
navy was president:
Congress has authorized a consider
able increase in the number Of mid
ship-en at the Naval academy, ana
these ElidshiDmen upon graduation are
promoted to ensign and lieutenant Gun-
1or grade>. But no provision has been
mace for Il corresponding increase III
the upper grades, the result being that
the lowe" grades will become so con
geGtad that midshipHan now il one
or the lowest classes at Annapolis; may
possibly not be promoted to lieutenant
until he is between fo"t--fve and fifty
years of age. SO it viii continue IN
Ger tie present law. cOngcSting at the
top and congesting at the bottom. The
country falls to get from the officers
OF the service the best that is in them
by not providing opportunity for their
llo. illttl CCN SlO lDiSAt ana lFulHlnT. Ine
! GARD believes that this works a se-i-
us dotTiment to the efficiency OF the
navy and is a real menace to the pub
lie safety"
AS stated in my special message to
the last congress, II am firmly OF the
opinion that unless the present condi-
t1on Of the higher commissioned per
ronnel IS recti!ied by judicious legisla-
ton the future of our navy will be
grarely compromised" 1t is also ur-
gently necessary to increase the ell
cheney Of the medical corps of the
hayy. Special legislation to this end
has already been proposed, and trust
1t may be enacted without delay.
1t must be remembered that every
thing done in the navy to fit it to do
well in time of war hurst be done in
time Of peace Modern wars are short.
They do not last the length Of time
requisite to build a battleship and 1t
takes longer to train the officers and
men to do well on a battleship than it
takes to build it. Nothing effective