The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1910-04-04

t WIN dPFlOpiIdI ctFt-
monies. The governor Of Florida has
been requested to designate a sponsor
to chrsten the big ship.
Encouraging Continuous Service.
The naval authorities are again civ.
ing their attention to the question of
increasing the percentage OF long -serv-
lee men IN the enlisted force The
small proportion OF those who reenlist
IS such as to cause much apprehension.
Under existing conditions the navy has
simply become huge training school.
HE enlisted personnel OF every ship IS
made up of men of little experience,
the great ma jority OF whom are in
their first term of enlistment. An en-
listed man must serve thirty years in
order to be retired. There. are numer-
Gus eases where men wish to reenlist,
but they can not be accepted on ac-
count of defect which is not attribut-
able to service, and accordingly fails
to obtain for them pension. 1t has
been suggested that a system of grad
uated retirement would be of advan-
tage in this particular Men could be
transferred to the retired list, after
certain periods of service, at various
percentages of active pay. In that way
they would be an inducement to serve
the full period, for if something occur
red by which retirement would be
necessary before the thirty years had
expired the man would not be put out
Of service with little or no chance to
make a living. Those who are inter
ested in the welfare of the navy can
not escape the conviction that this
question of doing something TO induce
| continuous service is quite as impor-
tant in its way as the provision for
w battleships.
Proficiency in Battle Practise.
BY a substantial percentage the Paci-
tic fleet, last year commanded by Rear
Admiral Sebree, achieved a victory IN
battle practise over TIT Atlantic fleet,
/ commanded by Rear Admiral Schroe-
der. Some OF the records have hereto
| fore been published, but under the new
/ system OF estimating the efficiency of
the fleet, not only IN the big-gun shoot
ing. but Ill general effectiveness, day.
night and torpedo battle practise, new
averages OF grading have been estab-
Iished. The result is that the grand
score Of the Pacific fleet is given at
-. 922 and that of the Atlantic fleet
at 2LG7S..
The first squadron Of the Pacific fleet
also holds the squadron record at 90
1876, the third squadron Of the same
fleet standing second at 2S.69S, the see
ond squadron of the Atlantic fleet
third at 9S62, and the first squadron
of the same fleet fourth, at 1910.
Of the fleet division, the second divi-
sion, first squadron, Pacific fleet, took
the lead, with a score of 30.224; the
second division, third squadron, Paci-
fc fleet, came next, with 30.173, and
the other trailed along in this order:
First division. first squadron, Pacific
fleet. 2SO49; first division, third squad
ron. Pacific fleet 27.346; first division,
first squadron, Atlantic fleet, 25.930;
scout cruiser squadron. Atlantic fleet,
207S0; fourth division, second squad
ron, Atlantic fleet, 20.240; third divi-
sion. second squadron, Atlantic fleet,
1880; second division. first squadron,
Atlantic fleet. 1851. and armored
cruiser division. Atlantic fleet, 1919.
The third f1otilIa. Pacific torpedo
feet. had the best record of torpedo
vessels, with 35.943.
The secretary of the navy has given
letters Of commendation for their eX-
cellence in battle practise to the Off
GERS. from the -admirals down to
the midShipmen. commanding the varl-
Gus fleets, sQuadrons and vessels.