The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-02-27
Needs of the Service Pointed
Out to Congress Yesterday
by the President in Special
Message.
elimination OF OLD
OFFICERS ADVOCATED
Thinks. the Age Limit Should
Be Reduced SO that Young
er Men Could Command the
Biz BattIeshipS.
(American News Service)

(American News Service)
Washington, Feb. 36.-President
Taft sent to the house today a mes
cage demanding improvement in the
navy personnel. 1t was in part as fol
lows:
81 wish to bring to the attention OF
the congress the urgent need of legis'
lation for the improvement of the per-
sonnel in the navy. l am strongly
OF the opinion that the future OF our
navy will be seriously compromised
unless the ages of our senior officers
are materially reduced and Opportun-
ity is given thereby for experience and
training for battleshiD and fleet COM
manders.
They Lack Experience.
s"The greater number of our older
commanding officers have had made
ouate experience in command. Expe-
rience in comand of a large vessel in
the battle fleet Is essential to the COM
mand of a division or a squadron OF
the fleet and preliminary training In
flag officers duties is necessary be-
fore succeeding to the chief command
of q fleet. We are now training Off
GERS in command of battleships and
armored cruisers. many OF whom can
not serve as flag officers on account
OF their short time on the active list
after reaching that grade. Nhe line OF
the navy is In an abnormal condition
the result Of past legislation.
There is still q hump in the flag
and command grades where is a
great deficiency of officers OF suitable
ages for the intermediate grades.
There is the beginning Of a new hump
in the lower grade and the total OF all
the grades is very considerably
short of the requirements of the SER
vice.
Are Not Young Enough.
The ages for rear admirals and cap
tains produced by the proposed meas
ure are not young enough, In my Opin-
ion for the arduous duties OF the mod
ern vessels of war and for the best
success in a fleet engagement, should
war come, but they are decided i'm
proveemnt To reduce the ages still
further would not increase the num-
ber, but for other reasons I am un-
willing to undertake further reduc-
ton at the present time.
1.-The creating of higher ranking
flag officers is military necessity.
Through custom and tradition, at a !
time when the service was small, |
grades higher than that of rear adj
miral were regarded as records of me-
rit for exceptional war service. The
size of the fleet now demands two
grades above that of rear admiral,
which still could not compare with the
grades to be found in foreign service.
An Admiral Needed.
'Tn our Atlantic fleet there are
four rear admirals. There should be
an admiral in command, a vice ad-
miral for the second squadron and a
rear admiral for each of the two divi-
sions. Considerations of proper mill
of national dignity and self respect as
befitting this great nation. urge that
the existing system shall cease.
The secretary of the navy has pre-
pared a tentative bill for reorganiz-
ing the personnel of the navy, which
Is at the disposition of the congress
should it be desired. This proposed
plan for relief meets with my hearty
approval.
The personnel OF officers and men
Is based on the tonnage of effective
ships. Increases or decreases of ships
lue to the authorization by congress or
% sale or disposal, will increase the ,
in a fixed proportion. In
line. however. the increase in new
will be offset by old ships ,
struck from the list. Adequate pr 1
'isions are made to guard against ,
sudden fluctuations in the personnel. .
The ratio provided is one hli1dredf1
Ind f1ve line officers and midship- l
men for every 1000 tons Of ships" ,