The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-07-06
YOUNG ADM|RALs
ARE NOW SOUGHT
IN BRITISH NAVY
Flow of Promotions Since Jan
uary 1 Tends to Reduce Of
flcers' Average Age.
POLICY OF ADMIRALTY
FAVORS ADVANCEMENT
Our Naval Correspondent Writes
OF System for Obtaining Younger
Flag Officers.
Especial Dlspatch)

H'"poN, july b.
HERE has been recent,v
email run OF promotions to the r,s ,,..
on the British navy. M fo,,,o 49,.
twelve captains have hocr ,,,d. -
admirals since January /. the latest hair,
"iham c. Pakenham. a specta
wi from 1oso's flag ship OF the battles OF
'he Russo-Japanese War and now Fourth
oea Lord at the Admiralty. whose rrroro-
tlon Is just announced
Ihe average age OF the twelve r.sr a.,
mirals is below fifty years-to he n-ac,..
IL Is forty-nine years six and one.b,,,
months Rear Admiral Horace T.
hood. the youngest. is only forty-two vear.
oio ana is the second youngest flag Of
i'cer on tho list Rear Admiral David
beatty who Is also forty-two and wa,
maze rear admiral at the early age OF
lthirty-eight. holds the record IN this "a
ispcct
1t appears to be the general view tina,
car ao'nirais should not be much. If any
'h'ns. above fifty years old when pro.
inoteo. History seems TO support th,,
view. FOR Nelson was only forty-soven
"hen he won the Battle Of Trafalpar and
Drake only forty-eight when he defeated
the Spanish Armada. OF the cases uber.
oiaer officers were in command the vic.
tories OF Rodney and Howe. who wer.
lS'"tE-three ana s!xty-nine respectively at
inc battle OF the Saints in l7s2 and that
lor June j. 1894. might have been mora
complete had younger and more enerre,,.
Tor about half the officers on the flag Ia,
AZ any ono time: thus many never hoist
admirals been fighting them
But there IS only sufficient .r,,,o,.
'''eiF Rags ~ all. or those who do. only
small proportion fly them for more than
Tour or five years. 30 that they. too. hav.
10 pass ten years or more on half nav
ashore. Even 50 fortunate an Officer a..
Lord Charles Beresfcrd flew his flag at
sea for only eight years.
The earlier an officer reache. tho far
list. the shorter his period OF service az
captain. The twelve new rear ADMIRAL.
mad each completed about ten years IN
that grade whereas fifteen years was con.
sldered a short time TO be on the ceptain,.
list a few years back. and both Lord
Charles Beresford and Sir Arthur Wilson
were captains for fifteen years Unl!k. IN,
adm!rals. the captains In the British nav
are nearly all employed. and It Is unusual
to' Gil officer IN th!S rank 10 be long on
han pay except when first promoted. A
disadvantage OF early promotions. there
fore. is that they take away captains from
useful and lucrative appointments to mako
them rear adrn!rals with nothing 10 do.
ana this at a time when they are usually
at their best
| The mistake OF premature advancement
| 10 flag rank often has been exemplified
In the careers OF Princes who have entered
| the navy. The late Duke OF Edinburgh
was a captain at twenty-five and q rear
admiral at h!rtyfour. but he reached the
summit OF his profession too quickly and
regretted the fact IN after years that there
vas no appointment suited to his high
rank in which he could continue his naval
career.
While many British naval officers have
| thus to end their active careers earlier
than used to be the case, owing to the op-
portunities for service at sea after promo
ton 10 flag rank being so comparatively
! few, 1t is recognized that to alter the pres
ent system would be disadvantageous from
the national standpoint. But there ara
| those who advocate earlier promotions to
the captains and commanders list to in
crease the time served in those grades
especially az the lieutenants have now TO
serve from one TO two years longer before
being promoted than they did until a short
time ago.