New-York tribune., 1909-04-19
THE N4VY'S NEEDS.
Lack of officers for Ships No1o in
Commission.

Rear Admiral Evans in Hampton's Magazine
At the present moment We have not sufficient of
condition is growing month by month as new
ships are ordered into service There is not a
single batteshp in the feet to-day that has her
proper complement OF officers 10 fight her the
until the number OF Officers is largely increased
and this Increase must be in the upper grades as
When this increase has been authorized some
more rapid in the upper grades, thus bringing
younger, men TO command and hag ranks. A large
OF bringing about the efficiency which all de
the mem now 8 the s as aHd Command ranSs Theg
are as efficient and able set of men could be
since the Civil War closed.
Better men to command battlcshps acting singly
than our present captains cannot be found in any
service IN me world and say this after over ive
ha the same cannot be said q them when ' in % eet
snrinq Of 1907 and for his reaso, $50 oI uffl ~ tbe
country had provided feet for them 10 drill with
they would have been just as efficient In manpu-
vres as they now are in handling single ships.
When the officers who now doing watch duty
40 command our battleships the ideal commander
than some of the critics their school of thought
would like. We must console ourselves with the
in the Atlantic ee STSi Th 3s one p0ssbs
@ % fe m Noble Rn aT s So wRsg
when he fought the battle of the Sea of Japan.
now commands the greatest feet
So we may conclude that our condition bad as It
undoubtedly is, is not so desperate some OF the
critics WOulc nave us believe, OF all the plans
suggested for bringing younger officers to the head
Of the list none seems to take account the at
the fact that they must serve six years in this
G Fae e oT at & and o r gS m TsT
them commissioned as ensigns upon graduation.
seen recommended by many boards OF visitors at
the Naval Academy: but II requires action by Con
Grange and SO lar that body has refused to make
1t seems t2 me advisable that the age Of adm!s;
then # & the graduates were eommissoned com as en- en-
race for command rank. The midshipman, so
called after graduation does the duty Of ensign FOR
e sSd nj Is Exeh m menarge OF the 9efE IN at Pea @
doing the duty of lieutenant while drawing the pay
and wearing the uniform of a mdshPman ,, /
On the cruise of the Atlantic feet to the Pacific 1t
was frequently the case that half the battleshps
deck condition forced upon US by the shortage Of
officers f,e1f Of Of proper rank and experience
muth @ m G1 @ TGF eTo upon The n f Wa nd IN
way It was advantage to the midshpman I say
In way, because, while 1t gave him experience In
tunty Of learning practically the duties of 1unor
officer WHICH are OF vital Importance The proper
sentis requisites Of naval ofcer, and this funda
as junior officer than in a higher grade.
A scheme OF selection somewhat on the following
the case and give R the best results Promote GER
tain number OF ensigns by selection, say one-thrd
times passed over to be dropped, or retired Pro,
half by seniority-oficers twice passed over to be
dropped. Promote wo-thirds of the lieutenants by
those twice passed over. In the grades OF lieu
tenant commander and commander all promotions
by seniority. All selections to be made by a board
If we add TO this proviso that the officers to be
promoted from each grade shail have a nxed
be good one. Certainly some such scheme must
be accepted II we wish to change the present
would favor il