New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-12-30
NAVY RESERVE PLAN
WINS TARS' PRAISE
Chief Petty Officers and Continuous Service Men Sup
port Proposed Legislaton-See Benefit to
Those Who Guard Nation on Seas.

prentice system are De"4lutItu ny
electrically fired guns, by the mysteries
Of radio, by the dreaded proves OF a
submarine. And with the higher ranks
thus filled, there has been small in
centiye for the first enlistment man 70
re-enlist.
A man, II is estimated, should serve
70 the end Of his third enlistment be-
fore his Indebtedness 10 the govern
ment is paid But a bluejacket, praeti-
cal above all else. knows that a. the
end of three enlistments he will be be
tween thirty and thirty-hve years o!d.
What is he TO do then? At any time
he may become disabled; al the end OF
any enlistment he will run the risk OF
being rejected on the ground OF dis
ability. And suppose re is married and
has a family. II is not matter OF
opinion, 10 is = matter OF experience
and fact, that but few men can stand
the rigors Of a modern engine room on
a dreadnought for even considerable
portion Of thirty years.
Plan to Benefit Sailors.
The proposed amendment to the
pending naval appropriation bill, sub
mitted Yesterday TO the Naval Commit
tees Of the House and Senate, provides
that a chief petty officer or continuous
service man may, if he choose, retire at
the end Of twenty years at one-half his
pay, at sixteen years on one-third pay,
at twelve years on one-fourth pay, at
eight years on $50 year, at four years
on $50 a year. IN return for this re-
tirement and pension they are 10 be en-
rolled or transferred 10 national
naval reserve. The enactment Of ma
tonal naval reserve would be new in
our history. But the report Of the
General Board OF October Il, 1914
points out:
"No nation in time % peace keeps all
the ships Of its navy fully manned and
in full commission. Blu, all leading ma
tons except ourselves provide an active
list, officers and men, sufficient 10 keep
the best Of their feet In full commits
sion and all the serviceable ships OF
their fleet in a material condition for
war; and. in addition, a trained reserve
OF officers and men sufficient 10 COM
plete the compliments and fully man
every serviceable ship Of their navies
and furnish a reserve for casualties
And again the report asserts: The
General Board cannot too strongly urge
upon the department the necessity Of
the repeated recommendation of the
General Board, made from year 10 year.
10 provide the feet with an active list
and trained reserve"
An exhaustive investigation among
chief petty officers and continuous ser
vice men reveals that they have no OBJ
lection TO service on such reserve.
On the contrary, il is acknowledged
that, if the amendment now proposed
by the department be enacted into law,
a man in return for active service Is
always sure of pension, can retire at
any time, and, while still az the call OF
his government, can support his fam
lily in some measure of security in civil
pursuits.
Status of Enlisted Men.
The Tribune is also able to present
certain facts which may have material
~ Influenced the department in its
change Of policy toward the enlisted
men. While sixteen American battle
ships lay at Vera Cruz. with an ag-
gregate Of more than 900 chief petty
officers and continuous service men
aboard, the question arose as 70
whether the Navy Department could
again be induced to take up the ques-
ton with the incoming Congress Of
graded retirement for the men. The
commander in chief gave it as his
opinion that every chief petty officer,
speaking merely for himself, could
write the department on the subject
through the regular channels.
Accordingly, q number of letters 70
the department went first from the
North Dakota. followed by others from
the Cunboat Paducah, the Louisiana
and the dreadnoughts New York, Utah
and Wyoming In response TO these
letters the Secretary of the Navy eX-
pressed himself as opposed TO retire
ment as such, giving IL as his opinion
that every man enlisting in the ser
vice should devote his life to his coun-
try. But he said that Rear Admiral
Blue, chief Of the Bureau of Naviga-
ton, had the question Of retirement
under consideration. Rear Admiral
Blue had this TO say on the subject:
My own idea is that after a man
has served twelve years in the service
he should be entitled to retire on pro
portion of his pay, although IN return
he should do something for the gov
eminent. ] have now Il bill under con-
sideration and in course Of prepare
ton for the creation OF a national
naval reserve 4tEdiu a ilfdNhit ol
this kind as the most important bill
relating to naval affairs which could be
presented TO Congress.
Chairman Padgett Of the House
Committee on Naval Affairs is not OPP
posed to a national naval reserve. The
successful enactment of this bill
should regard as the most conspicuous
service of my official career"
The limitations OF such a national
reserve. however, were clearly indicat-
ed by a naval officer. Such a re-
serve" said ne. would in no sense
mean that new ships or those compare
lively new were TO be moored TO the
docks pending the arrival of war or
periodical drills. There is too much Of
this as il is.
Comparatively new ships are tied
up at League Island, in Philadelphia,
for no other reason than that We have
not the men to man them"
He read from the report of the Cen
ersl Board advising that "All battle
ships under fifteen years Of age should
be kept In full commission, together
with all destroyers and submarines
under twelve years
"The contemplated naval reserve"
he added, from a military point OF
view should be merely TO man the
ships of an older type
Y>yTnUC At DATVTA