New Britain herald., 1915-12-13

forty years under the present plan. 'Is selection by merit practicable under existing form of government the secretary asks. Virtually all off ccrs admit it would be the best system, he says, but dismiss it with the statement that for political reasons it would become prom otion by olitical influence or faVorltlsm. He does not subscribe to this view. He believes a system of promo otion based rra ctically upon the vote of the offl- Cers senior to the grade under con- sideration would unquestionably select approximately the most etnclent officer in that grade. The result would be- he says, to give personal stimulus for professional efficiency to provide for utilization of every competent officer and to give higher commands to men peculiarly fitted to hold them.
 Regarding Retirement. Actual service" the secretary adds, crowned with efficiency and not age should supersede the inf1ex- ible rule of retiring officers at 62 years of age be changed so as to provide that officers be retired forty-one years after their graduation at the Naval academy. The effect of such legisla
  t!rement sixty-three years. In the Army the statutory age of retirement is sixty -four years.
 "T renew my recommendation for a change in the law of retirement pay so that it shall be graded, the pay to be based upon the length of service. It should also differentiate between total and partial disability. The re- tired pay of the navy last year az gregated S3,3SS, S26. 35. n 1t is an abuse of the republics generosity to give three -fourths retired pay to all. The law should be changed and reformed"
 Adequate Auxiliary Ships.
 Turning to the problem of finding adeouate auxiliary ships for the navy in war time, the secretary says he has not included any vessels in his | building program except those which ] may be used constantly for the navy, , in pea ecor war. On a war basis, | he adds. the navy would need 400 ad- i ditional ships or a tonnage of 1,172,- i 900 to carry fuel and supplies and | do other auxiliary work. About 800,- ] 900 tons for this work could be drawn 1 from the present merchant marine. he l says but some method must be found 1 to supply the rest.
 "The solution for the Government, the report continues, 'is to construct 1 from time to time, a sufficient and suitable auxiliary fleet, proportioned 1 to the needs of the Navy, and to have such auxiliaries operated in com merce during peace times in such a way as will preserve them and train 1 the essential naval reserve of men, and while doing this relieve the Gov- ernment of the burden of cost of l maintenance through the income of earnings of the vessels employed in commerce. Such a policy would give to the Navy. without cost for it's operation during peace, a perfect aux Hilary Of course these ships should be built upon Navy plans and manned by American citizens trained under Navy regulations, which would make them efficient in time of war"
 Armor-Plate Factory.
 In recommending again the con- struction of government armor- plate l factory and also urging that a projec- tile factory be added to the Nays equipment and that every Navy yard be equipped for construction as well as repair work Secretary Daniels again lays stress on his theory that the Government should be able to