New-York tribune., 1910-02-27
PRESIDENT ON NAVY
H.fN1S YOUNG BLOOD
IN COMMANDS.
Legislation TO ImWoue Eff
c-.->:s:cy Of Fighting Force
Urged.

Washington. Feb 2e.--Young blood IN
the commands OF the navy is the key
note OF q special message President TAFT
day sent to Congress urging legisia-
:ion for improving the personnel of the
:ightiug force ard to remedy what the
President calls IAN abnormal condition,
the result Of past legislation.
Under conditions now existing. tie
President declares, the promotion Of
officers of the lover grades has become
stagnated 10 the great detriment Of the
service and the country, and because
nearly every officer who retains his
health is allowed 10 pass through the
various grades and be retired AS rear
adIniraL the greater number of COM
T1arding officers have had inadequate
experience.
Under tho existing system officers be-
ing trained now in command of battle
ships and armored cruisers cannot serve
as flag officers on account Of their short
rinc on the active list after reaching
that grade
To remedy these conditions, the ''reSl-
dent Endorsed a bill prepared by Secre-
fary Meyer which would promote officers
10 tho grade OF rear admiral at an ever
age age Of hfty-four to fifty-five years
and to captain at the average age OF for-
iv-siX or forty-scven. These changes,
the President saws. do not provide men
young enough for the duties of vessels
or for the best success in a feet engage
Tnent should war come. but he considers
1hcnl q decided Improvement, and he in
inmates that at some other time it might
fo advisable 10 make even further re
duction in the ages
Some Of the most important changes
The President recommends follow:
HIGHER GRADES NEEDED.
To create higher ranking flag officers.
The size Of The feet now demands two
grades above rear admiral In the At
lantic feet there should be an admiral
in command. vice-admiral for the sec
ond squadron and rear admirals for each
Of the other two divisions.
Tho personnel of officers and men
should bc based on the tonnage OF ef-
fcctiyc ships and increases or decreases
e,f ships would increase or decrease the
personnel in q fixed proportion Pro
vision should be. made against sudden
fluctuations in the personnel. however
With aee0oo tons of ships now
authorized the ultimate personnel would
reach aoGo line officers and midship-
men and Ga00p enlisted men The Off
GERS. as now, would be drawn from the
Naval Academy. with additions from the
ranks.
lon Of he fsSf
scheme would fix the rate Of pay of re-
tired officers on their time Of service.
The President believes that too many Of
ncers reach the rank Of senior rear ad-
1niral and retire without adequate return
to the government A sliding scale OF
retirement pay. according TO the years
Of service. would be arranged. In the
next eleven years, if the proposed meas
ure becomes a law, there will be about
13S retirenents from ordinary causes,
against so in the last eleven years. with
a cost Of one-fourth of the latter
In urging the need of the proposed
legislation that the younger officers may
he eligible for promotion and become
qualified TO command the fleets and
squadrons, the President points to the
fact that under the present arrangement
16o officers would enter the Junior lieu
tenants grade each year, and that only
40 q year would be promoted out Of il.
i am strongly of the opinion" he
says, that the future of our navy will be
seriously compromised unless the ages
Of our senior officers are materially re-
duced and opportunity given for ex-
perience and training for battleship and
feet commands
table giving the average ages of the
sdmirals Of six great national fleets
showing the rear admirals of the Ameri-
can feet to be the oldest, with an aver
age Of fifty, accompanies the message
Considerations of proper military eff
cheney as well as a due sense of national
dignity and self-respect as befitting this
great nation urge that the existing sit
uation shall cease the President SAYS
II conclusion The wisdom Of Con-
gress, urged by the overwhelming voice
or the people OF our country has pro-
Tided US with ships Of the best quality.
1t is necessary that orr personnel of Of
hoers match these superb vessels IL the
navy is to be at the efficiency which is
vitality necessary for its chief purpose
and the only reason for its existence"