The Washington herald., 1914-07-20
ADIEU, PLUCkING;
HOWDY, FAIRNESS
Abolition of Board Marks an
Important Epoch IN
Navy's Annals.
NEW METHODS SOUGHT
Assistant Secretary Roosevelt to De-
wise System of Admission. Pro-
motion and Retirement.

aecelerating retirements In the navy
probably will result from the present
agitation against the naval 'plucking
board" The board Is under fire just now
because of the plucking OF Capts. John
H. Gibbons and Frank X Hill. but the
resentment Is merely a continuation Of
previous sgitations and protests against
the system, which has been in vogue
since 1880
While realizing that the ''plucking
board appointed when the nation was
embarrassed by a navy. half OF which
was modern and the other half anti
quated has outliyed it's usefulness, an
effort Is being made to establish some
new method Of promoting the efficiency
Of the navy by wedding out inefficient
officers.
VIII Make Inquiry.
As a means to this end Secretary Dan
iels will shortly designate Assistant Sec
rotary Franklin d. Roosevelt as president
OF a board to be composed of officers of
long experience. which this summer will
investigate and report upon the whole
question Of personnel In the navy. or. less
technically expressed. to consider how
officers shall be admitted to- promoted in
and retired from the service with the
greatest possible degree Of fairness to the
officers themselves, and At the same time
fostering the highest possible state Of
efficiency in the servics.
This board will attempt to draft a
bill covering this entire question and ell
mi pating the present ''pluckIng board"
The bill will be presented to the Naval
Committee Of the House, which Is already
OF the opinion that something must be
done.
The "pIucking board" was created by
. In 2aA L., L., -. n
which Theodore Roosevelt, as Assistant
Secretary Of the Navy. had a very large
part. II was established to serve q very
good purpose. and IL is generally con-
ceded that for many years II excellently
served that purpose and promoted the
Of the navy and the best in
terests Of its officers. The general con-
clusion now seems, however. that con-
iitions in the navy have so changed that
he ''plucking board is not a satistac-
Tory institution.
"Humps" in Service.
The ''plucking board was brought into |
being because OF the fact that the normal |
number of vacancies in the higher grades |
iue to deaths. injuries. designations and |
because of age, was not |
facilitating the promotion Of officers in |
he lower grades fast enough. There |
sItN UP the service winch
'esulted in many absurdities and also in |
Justices. |
Officers grew gray haired in the grade |
II lieutenant. while many OF the most
efficient officers were forced TO retire for |
ige upon reaching the grade Of captain. |
officers could not be detailed to the |
iuties for which their age and experience
itted them. whilS younger officers were
greatly embarrassed and discouraged in
- Ill
ong periods on the paltry pay OF a mid
hipman or ensign.
II was recognized that since the nor
nal vacancies were not sufficient to ad-
NIT OF the necessary rapidity Of pro-
notion. particularly as the increasing
ize Of the navy and the increasing size
Z the graduating classes at Annapolis
'rought more officers into the service
nd made promotions more necessary.
ONE way OF artifcially creating vacan-
les must be devised.
Then Came Board.
The result was the ''plucking board"
omposed OF five rear admirals chosen
very year by the Secretary Of the Navy.
his board is required to go over the
ecords OF all officers above the grade of
unior lieutenant and select those whose
ecords indicate the lowest degree Of
and value TO the service to be
retired from active service
nd pensioned on three-quarters Of the
ctive pay of the grade in which they
Tere when retired.
This report is annually submitted to
he President, and from il there is no
ppeaL Its approval by the President
nds the naval careers Of the officers
hus designated as those who can best
e spared.
The law provides that in the United
ties navy on the active list there shall
e not more than IS rear admirals, cap
ISL, ll2 commanders. 10 lieutenant
Ommanders. 800 lieutenants and 3l5 lieu-
,nants OF the junior grade. II provides
IL ther that there shall be each year not
" er than fifteen vacancies above the
-aJe of commander, twenty above the
dde of lieutenant-commander and TWEEN
= n.ne above the grade Of lieutenant II q
re vacancies by death. Injury, resigna- '
on and retirement did not meet these c
Imbers the 'plucking board" was TO {
axe UP the difference. =
PIucked Fifteen Annually.
Though the board was, on the Othe :
and, restricted to the compulsory retire
snt of not more than fifteen officers
] told. captains, commanders, 4
and 2 lieutenants, s
most every year it has been obliged to n
uCk the full number of fifteen {
Thus there have been forcibly elimi- 2
lted from the naval service more than T
officers during the fifteen years opera t
ons Of the 'plucking board" In early I
.ars though there was naturally much 4
-mpathy for individuals thus retired. 1t =
as generally conceded that the great
aJority of the boards selections were
r the good Of the service.
The board eliminated a large quantity
dead wood at q period when the rapid
'olution of the old fighting ships into
gantic fighting machines was chang
& the service so rapidly that 1t ru-
Tired the highest efficiency and energy
keep up with the procession. To the
hcers below IL meant a normal rate of
and self-interest, II no other
ason, gave to the ''plucking board the
dorsement OF the service as a whole
a necessary expedient.
In recent years, however, it has an
ally become more difficult for the
ri n he aaIa.ffnus