Los Angeles herald., 1908-01-10

case carry with it command over any
vessel of the navy department; but such
command shall be exercised only by line
officers"
A large section of the bill deals with
the appointment of midshipmen to posi-
tions in the line and staff, and reads as
follows:
Academy Graduates
'NIidshipmen who successfully complete
| the six years course at the naval acad-
emy shall be promoted as may be neces-
sary and in the order of merit at grad
uation 10 fill vacancies in the lowest
command grades of the line and other
| corps of the navy to which such gradu-
| ates are eligible for appointment under
existing laws; and the number Of said
appointments which shall be made to the
| various corps of the naval service in
any one year shall not exceed seventy
five; provided that the foregoing provision
| limiting the increase in any fiscal year
shall not apply to midshipmen who may
| have entered the naval academy prior
| to January /. 1904 and have completed
their four years course at the academy.
"FThe order of merit of graduates of the
| naval academy upon final graduation and
the eligibility to appointment in the navy
shall be determined as now provided by
| existing laws and regulation ana the
assignment of graduates to the various
corps shall be made by the secretary
of the navy"
Discharge with Pay
The bill makes provision for honorable
| discharge and one years sea pay Tor
those who do not receive such appoint
| ments.
MldshIpmen may upon application be
honorably discharged at the end of the
four years course at the naval academy,
/ with a proper certificate of graduation.
July / of each year will be regarded
as the beginning of the year for reckon
ing vacancies for the purpose of THIS act
The bill provides that when an onicer
has been thirty years in the service he
| NAV upon his application and the dis
cretion of the president be placed upon
the retired list Also that when an officer
| has served forty consecutive years as
| commissioned officer he shall, II he makes
| application therefor to the president, be
relieved from active service and placed
upon the retired list.
| The bill requires that any naval officer
now or hereafter serving as chief OF
| a Lureau of the navy department shall
/ upon retirement have the rank, pay ana
| allowances of such bureaus CHIEF. IN
der the bill the pay of all commissioned
| officers, warrant officers, midshipmen
and pay clerks in the navy and marine
corps is increased 25 per cent. The pay
of non-commissioned officers, mates and
other petty officers, musicians and other
enlisted persons in the navy and marine
| corps is increased by 40 per cent, this
pay being exclusive of allowance and
combinations.
The introduction of the bill proved
the occasion for a general discussion
| Of naval affairs and recent occurrences
in connection with this branch OF the
public service. The Maine senator en-
tered upon full explanation of the
| provisions of the measure, together
with his reason for its adoption.
TiITman Questions Him
He was soon called upon by Mr.. Till
man. a member of the naval commit
tee to say whether the consideration
of the naval bill will probably bring
out the facts relative to the contro-
versy in the navy department MI
TiIlman added that he had considered
the advisability of Offering resolution
for such an investigation.
| Mr.. Hale replied:
aT have been asked a great many
times ir view of recent transactions in
the navy department whether 1 did not
propose introducing a resolution OF IN
| vastigation. The subject is doubtless
worthy of the consideration OF con-
gress, but after looking the matter
over as carefully as 1 have been able
to do, l have selected this method of
action, which involves the considera-
| tion by the senate of not submitting
the department to any investigation"
Mr.. Hale then proceeded with his ex-
PLANTATION of the bill.
Hale Explains Bill
The first proposition he said was TO
see that the business of the depart
ment shall be conducted as 1t has been
| in former times of great emergency
| and great peril to the country by the
bureaus and officers of the department.
every accomplishment of the navy,
| he said, ''has been made by the action
of these bureaus. 1t Is only In late
wears that boards have been organized.
MANY of them are composed of Of
fcers whom we can respect, but have
thought that those boards have created
! dissension in the bureaus where the
real work is done.
II have provided in this bill that un-
less boards are to carry out specific
law they shall not be continued or ap-
pointed in the future.
"That I believe is wise thing TO
do In order that jealousies and at times
unjust insinuations and aspersions cast
at bureau officers of the navy should
at least have no rallying point in the
department itself.
Command of Vessels
He spoke for the provision concerning
the line and staff officers and their du-
ties, saying he inserted the provision that
the rank of stan officers should not carry
with it the command of any vessel in the
navy.
There are two sides to this question
the senator added 'and I have simply
Incorporated that provision in the bill
in order that it may be considered by the
committee and perhaps by the senate"
Mr.. Hale spoke of the naval academy
and its magnificent equipment, saying
that there are now 1164 midshipmen at the
academy and on practice cruises and that
f would in his judgment soon be neces-
sary to receive in the higher ranks of the
! navy only a small portion Of these mid
shipmen who in number are greater than
the officers Of the navy ITSELF and to per-
NIT the balance to go into civil life.
Senator Gallinger objected to the prac-
tice of appropriating N000,000 or $i5.0O0,-
600 for q naval academy and then merely
giving education to men who are to enter
private life.
Refers to Brownson
Mr., Tillman again entered the discus
sion and then referred to the Brownson
incident He referred to magazine articles
criticislne the navy and charging that