The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-07-19
BOARD DOOMED
is THE VIEW IN WASHINGTON
Secretary Daniels Will Appoint Officers to Devise
New Scheme to Insure Naval Promotions
Without Causing Injustice.

fed the House committee, according to
It's recent report, that these charges did
not Justify the action OF the board and
the committee recommended the rein
statement Of Capt. Rust
Last year there were two conspicuous
cases Of this kind. those of Captains Tenn
pin NJ. Potts and Washington l. Cham
bers. Both House and Senate Naval com
mittees have recommended after investi-
cation the reinstatement OF Capt. Potts,
and II Ia probable that similar action will
come eventually In the case Of Capt.
Cha mbers
Capt Potts was retired because. the
board said. he had not had sufficient sea
service 70 enttle him 20 serve as Rea,
Admiral to which grade he would have
bean promoted on July had he not been
plucked. To this Capt. Potts replied and
showed evidence to suhstantiate his state
ments that he had repeatedly expressed
a desire TO 60 10 sea when assigned TO
shore duty. especially during the admin
| istrstion OF Secretary Meyer who made
him one OF his aids and close advisers
Capt Chambers's case IL unique In that
he In the officer responsible for the in
| ausuratlon Of the development Of avia-
ton In the United states navy and who
brought II TO n higher state ~ efficiency
| than In the aviation corps OF any other
navy, though he was hampered by lack OF
funds and officers. Capt. Chambers
showed that he expressed repeatedly
| willingness and a dnsire for sea service.
but was induced To remain on shore duty
| 10 continue the important work OF which
he was the sole initator. Even to-day,
| though he Is now on retired pay, Capt
| Chambers Ia giving his services To the
navy and Is In charge or the scientific side
! OF the development Of aviation in the ser
| vice.
| Gibbons and nm.
Now come this year t q cases OF Capts.
| Gibbons AMI Hin, whose plucking has
aggravated the case against the 'pluckng
board" The selection Of these two OFF,
| GERS was deplored publicly by Secretary
! Daniels who pronounced them most
capable officers. and i has been the gen
eral opinion that the navy would not gain
by the elimination OF these two officers at
this stage In their careers.
A bill for the relief OF Capt Gibbons
In already before Congress and one will
soon be offered on behalf OF Capt. Hill.
The House committee contends that the
hoard might hc:er have chosen certain
officers who are known To have on their
records charges involving intoxication.
! The problem OF effecting satisfactory
substitute for the board s admittedly one
OF the greatest difficulty. Boards OF naval
officers have for years been strusrling
= with the personnel Issue, but the numer-
Gus schemes devised have not Involved
! the abolition OF the plucking board. The
scheme which will be considered this sum
mer by the navy and next winter by Con-
gress will undoubtedly, however, include
a proposal for eliminating the necessity
for such a device as a plucklng board.
/ There Is n growing sentiment for
modified system Of selectivc promotion,
, In which officers will be advanced on the
basis OF merit alone. the least efficient
4 i,, kaF Ag,
until they have served thirty years. when
they will be permitted TO retire volun-
tarily on three-quarters pay.
| The naval service as whole has AL
] ways opposed selective promotions, partly
| because Il liked TO he assured OF regular
advancement and partly because II feared
that politics and personal considerations
would dominate any scheme of so-called
promotion on merit alone.
SeIcctive Schemes.
There have recently been suggested.
however schemes OF selec,ive promotion
by which the selection from the lower
grades to the h!gher II to be done by off,
GERS In the higher grades. For example
suppose there are FIVE vacancies In the
grade OF Rear Admiral. each Rear Ad-
mrnl will be asked to submit list OF
ten captains best fited FOR promotion to
the Admirafs grade.
Out OF these lists the secretary or the
Navy will take those ten whose names are
recommended by the largest number OF
Admlrals and from this list Of ten by
checking up with the records OF the offl-
GERS themselves the President will select
the I'VE who in his opinion should receive
the promotion. \ similar scheme will ap-
ply to all the grades down 10 that OF
Lieutenant.
Another scheme much favored by mem
bers Of the House committee Is that there
be created n reserve list Of officers which
shall be composed OF those considered
least efficient or who may be left behind
in a system OF selected promotion. These
officers, II is proposed. shall remain on
active duty 81 that the navy shall have
the benefit OF their services until they
have served thirty years, when they will
be permitted to retire
These schemes II is believed, will result
In the adoption OF some satisfactory
method which will serve the best interests
OF the navy. render Justice to the officers
and make regular promotions possible.
There now seems to he no doubt that an
other year will And an entirely new