The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1909-04-19
SOUNDS WARNING TO CONGRESS
NOT ENOUGH OFFICERS IN Navy

should the United States be-
plunged into sudden war with an.
other power there would not be SUI.
fcieut naval officers I'm commission
to properly handle the battleships
now flying the Stars and stripes, is
the startling declaration made by
Rear Admiral Roblcy y. Evans in
an article entitled "Our Undermined
Nayy-and Congress in Hampton's
Magazine for May Coming from such
authority as Fighting Bob this state.
mont carries an appeal as well as
profound warning Admiral Evans
vigorously emphasizes that "at the
present moment We have not suffici-
eut officers for the ships now In com
mission and this condition is grow
ing worse month by month as new
ships are ordered into service. There
is not single ba-tleship in the
fleet today that has her proper com.
plamout Of officers TO fight her to
bcs. advantage, and this can never
be- corrected until the number of
officers is largely increased. and this
increase must be iu the upper
grades as well as in the lower.
when this increase has been au.
thorizcd some plan must be devised
by which retirement will De more
rapid in the upper grades, thus
bringing younger men TO command
ard flag ranks.
"a large retired list will cost
money. but ! see no other way OF
bringing about the efficiency which
We all desire and in saying this
] disclaim any detection on the men
now I'm the nag and command ranks.
They are efficient aud able as any
set Of men could Dee under the con
ditions which have surrounded them
since the Civil War closed
Fighting Bob puts the remedy foI
this deplorablc condition squaroly
mp 20 the American people and con
gress. declaring: whenever the
people of the United States want a
change in the conditions described
which are undoubtedly not so good
as they should De-, and are willing
20 pay for a better condition they
have only TO force their representa-
tiyes in congress 10 give them what
they want. The navy is theirs and the
money 20 make II what it should be
comes from them. They cannot have
a good thing without paying for IT,
furthermore. IL they decide that Off
GERS and men shall be in proper
proportion TO the ships they have
now. or must have in the future
then they must pay for them
Another disquieting admission IS
that on the cruise of the Atlantic
fleet TO the Pacific under his com
mand 1t was frequently the case
q that half the battleships were in
charge of midshipmen as officers OF
the deck, a condition forced upon
us by the shortage of officers OF
q proper rank and experience.
J. THAT this practice was wrong and
dangerous and put much extra work
q upon the captains was well known &c
all, but there was no help for It
p and in way II was an advantage
b. 10 the midshipman. ! say, in way
because, while It gave him expert
ence in handling the ship, It de-
prived him of the opportunity OF
learning practically the duties Of a
junior officers, which are of vital
; Importance. The proper handling OF
r enlisted men is one Of the most es
seutial requisites Of a nayl officer
and this fundamental part of his
- education can be better learned as
junior officer than in a higher
grade.
"a scheme of selection somewhat
on The following line would. i'm my
Judgment, meet the necessities OF
the case and give the best results
Promote a certain number of the
eusigns by selection, say one.third
the other two-thirds by seniority
officers three times passed over 10
be- dropped or retired Promote half
The junior lieu,onauts by selection