The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-07-02
b NAVAL OFFICERS, SOME DISTINGUISHED END ACTIVE CAREERS
Secretary Daniels Makes Public Names Selected for Compulsory Re-
 tirement

LOiis Ouiy ls-r lIltth Iid di officers, several of them captains with distinguished records, ended their ac- tive careers today upon the recon mendation of the naval "plucking board" Secretary Daniels made public the names of those selected for com pulsorN retirement this year, with a to ask for the repeal of the law of 1899 under which the annual ''plucking" Is done
 The officers retired, with their pres ent stations and home addresses, fol- low:
 Capt. John H. Gibbons, commanding g battleship Utah. Washington, D. c.
 Capt. Frank w. Kellogg, commanding battleship North Carolina, Waterbury Conn.
 Capt. John c. Leonard, commanding g battleship Virginia, Brooklyn, N. Y.
 Capt. Frank K. Hill, army war col- lege, Washington, D. C., Cincinnati, o. battleship Nebraska, Washington D. c.
 Commander George N. Hayward. col Her Hannibal. Chicago
 Commander John P. Patton, com manding battleship Tennessee and re- ceiving ship at New York, Colum- bia, $. c.
 Commander Provost Babin, en route to United States from Asiatic station, Brooklyn, N. Y.
 Commander William s. Whitted, in- spector Cramp shipyard. Philadelphia. Reidsville, N. C.
 Lieutenant Commander Walter M. Falconer, collier Leonidas, Springfield, Ohio.
 Lieutenant Commander Ulysses s. Macy in charge of navy recruiting sta tion, Philadelphia, Adrian, Mich. Lieutenant Commander Carlton Rear, gunboat Elcano, Washington, N. c. Lieutenant Commander John w. Schoenfield. battleship Minnesota, Westfield, N Y.
 Lieutenant Franklin W. Osborn, Jr, gunboat Castine, Eugene, Ore. Lieutenant William J. Moses, cruiser Raleigh, Seattle, Wash. Six Others Retired In addition to the pluclxing boards list, Secretary Daniels announced that the following six officers had been placed on the retired list at their own request: Captain Harrison A. Bispham, navy yard, Philadelphia; Commander Emmett R. Pollock, battleship Vermont, Bloom ington, H.; Commander Irwin V. G. Gil- lis, battleship Michigan, Washington, D. C.; Commander Raymond Stone, battle ship New Jersey, Mobile; Commander Simon P. Fullenwider. battleship Con- necticut, Raton, N. M; Commander Ed win H. Delaney (waiting orders at Washington, D. co. Cleveland, Tenn.
 A number of other officers had asked for voluntarily retirement and had all applications been accepted the board l would not have had to do any 'plucking. But last year the President decided not to l permit the voluntary retirement of any officer who has not had 20 years service after graduating from the naval academy. The law requires the creation of 40 vacan- cies annually, with 15 compulsory retire. | ments if necessary.
 Causes Surprise l Included in the list of plucked are the names of some officers whose prominence I in naval circles has caused great sur
 prise among their colleagues at their re- tirement. Captain Gibbons has been superintendent of the naval academy and
 naval attache to the American embassy l in London, assignments given to officers of the highest professional ability. Cap l tain Hill became prominent through his outspoken criticism of defects in the em- placement of armor on the older battle
 ships, which led to radical changes ir 1.-the designs.
 Some of the officers had been regarded as in somewhat unsatisfactory health | though not in a condition to warrant medical condemnation.
 Secretary Daniels explained there was
 nothing on the records of any of these officers to show they were not fitted fol any naval service in the matter of habit temperament and professional ability He pointed out that the pluclSing law
 sometime ago had resulted in the elimi nation from the navy of officers who were palpably disqualified but now the maya lists were in such shape that the board was confronted with the task of deter mining not who was unfit to be retained in the service but rather who could bes be spared out of the list of thorough. competent officers
 The Secretary added he hoped bill could be prepared before the meeting O
 the next Congress for the readjustmen
 of the personnel of the navy, whic
 would eliminate objectionable features o t1,a 1ot