The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-04-08

8. The expedition OF Connosor.
Perry to Japan.
III his first report he went into
thorough and detailed discussion .,
the personnel OF the navy, traced III.
history Of its development. pointed GU.
its defects. and made several pointed
recommendations for r~emedying them
After showing the h~aphaxard way IN
which the proper naval peace eStab.
iishment" had heretofore been de-
terElined without any definition hy
Congress Of the number 4 descrIp-
ton of vessels deerned necessary ror
the national MARINE" he said:
The numbers in the various grades
Of the personnel of the navy has. an
Ill within q recent period, been LETT
still more underlined that the number
Of ships. Since the reduction Of tie
uInb OF vessels and men, after the
re-establiShment OF friendly relation.
with France by treaty in 1901, no stat
ute for more h forty years ever Inn
tied the sum total OF persons 10 lie
employed in the navy or in its seX-
eral ranks and offices. The numbcs
Of commissioned officers in any grade
up TO and including q ~captaincy de-
pended on the President and Senate.
+. 1T Is not q matter OF sur
prise that a system which has grown
to its present dimensions without any
law Of increase should be found un-
shapely and disproportioEcd. An OBJ
| vious fault Of the present organization
Of the personnel OF the navy, as above
set forth, is the disparity etwee tie
head and the subordinate parts. The
natural desire for promotion has
brought into the higher grades $ great
er umbe OF officers than IS required
by the present force Of ships and men.
or than will be required in any state
OF things likely soon to occur.
Another defect in h present ostab-
lish]nent is the disparity be-
| tween the Ages OF subaltern officers
| and their grades, proceeding from the
fixed numbers in each rank. and In.
failure to provide for any promotion
except III cases Of vacancy. The senior
nassed midshipmen now in the services
are older than were Perry, Decatur,
and Macdonough when they achieved
their victories, with SO much rcnown
to the country. The as
pfring youth now entering the navy
may not hope to reach the rank OF
q commander in the period which IL
a~scertained to be the average duration
Of human life. This long apprentice
ship not only depreSses
his ambition by deferring his hopes,
but denies him opportunity for the
culture OF his Self-re1iance, confidence
in his own skill and judgment, and the
hundred nameless attributes Of 3 thor
ough officer which are only TO be ac-
CURED by being thrown upon his own
resources and responsibility"
To remedy these conditions ne Yec-
commended FIVE
!. such a reduction las1 would
adapt the supply Of officers 70 the
state Of the service, and. by affordins
employment to all, with occasional IL
tervals OF relaxation, would tend TO
advance the standard OF professional
skill and requirement"
z. Provision that "from time To
time to time, as officers may decline I'D
capacity for useful public service, eth
er from approximation or other
cause, they may be retired from tho
active ltAt on terms both Just and lib
eral-"
8. 'That in all future promotions
to q captaincy, or to a higher II
such shall be established, seniority
shall not be regarded, and merit shals
be esteemed the only criterion OF sue
cess"
4. tTo reduce the number OF mid
Eh1pmen go as to furnish only 80
many as may be required TO supply
the higher grades rs vacancies may
occur; OF Ito educate q number
equally as great as that now estabe
lished, and to fix an age In every
grade upon the attainment Of which,
IL no vacancy exists for promotion.
they may be retired from the navN.
5. Il also most earnestly recon.
I mend hat the service itself he ele-
: waited by recognizing by law the Of
| fee Of commodore, and by the cre1
ton OF at least two officers OF thu
rank OF rear admiral"
These recommendations he sup
ported with apparently unanswerablt
: arguments. A distinguished Senato,
: wrote to him Of this report, "a fol.
! lows:
You had a new field open 10 you
and we'll and ably have you occupied
every portion Of it. The report Is "a
: De properly characterized by q bolo
originality Of conception and q feau
lessness Of responsibility too ARE IN