Evening star., 1915-01-17
PADGETT ADVOCATES
RANK Of ADMIRAL
Chairman of House Naval
Committee Would Abolish
"PIucking Board"
CHIEF OF OPERATIONS
KEEP FLEET READY
Increase in Sumarines-$l 600, 900
for rAeronautics-Advancement
Open to Enlisted Men.

Comments of interest not only to
naval officers but to the general pubic
are contained In the comprehensive re-
port on the naval appropriation bill
rnade public yesterday by Chairman
Padgett of the House naval affairs
committee.
Tho report has as wide range as
any similar document issued for many
years. The bill creates the long
fought-for ranks of admiral and vice
admiral for commanders Of fleets;
opens a new avenue for continuous
promotion for warrant officers who
have hitherto had to stop one step
short of an ensign; abolishes the pluck
ing board, and creates an entirely new
naval policy of placing almost entire
command of the navy in the new Chief
of operations In addition the report
carries a compendium of naval intelli-
g~-ce of international character in
compact form.
The report is from the pen of Chair
man Padgett. He was assisted in much
of the detail by Elisha X. Theall, clerk
to the committee.
Plucking Board Abolished.
The naval appropriation bill will be
4 tomb for the "pluckins board" and
the report carries but short epitaph.
The acts of the plucking board have
been the cause of much dissension and
strife. The committee has recommend
ed reinstatement of several officers re-
Gently retired by the board.
The report says:
The committee recommends that Sec
act apnrnve6
March J, 1899, be repealed. This is the
repeal of what is commonly called the
'plucking board section of the person.
mel act
provision authorizing the President, by
and with the advice and consent of the
Senate. to place all officers who have
been plucked or who have been placed
on the retired list by the action of any
board in the Navy or Marine Corps on
the active list, provided their cases
either committee on naval affairs of
the Senate or House of the Sixtythird
Congress.
The President is also authorized, by
and with the advice and consent of the
Senate. to transfer to the active list of
the navy any other officer who may
have been retired under the provisions
OF the plucking section, provided such
officer passes a satisfactory physical
and professional examination as now
prescribed by law"
Rank During Assignment.
For years naval men have urged that
the commanders of fleets shall have
the rank of admiral, but Congress has
frowned on it. This committee, how
ever. taking the bit in the teeth, goes
straight ahead and gives the reasons
for recommending this change. as fol-
lows:
The committee recommends that the
comn1ander-in-chief of the Atlantic
feet. commander-in-chief of the Pa
cidc fleet and the commander-in-chief
OF the Asiatic fleet shall have the rank,
while SO serving, of an admiral in the
navy. with the annual pay of $4,000.
The second in command in these fleets,
while so serving, shall have the rank
of vice admiral and pay of $4,000 per
annum.
1T is believed that the responsibility
commensurate with the Office of first
and second commands of the United
States fleets, involving international
work, warrants the advance in rank
and pay. 1t has been apparent for
some time that an increase in rank of
the -in-chief was necessary
for the proper military efficiency of the
fleet
The United States Navy has reached
such proportion that the separation
or the navy into fleets, squadrons and
divisions requires the comma nderS-in-
Cnfe1 ana second IN command OF meets
TO be of higher rank than of squadron
and division commanders. This is nee
essary for the maintenance of proper
discipline and the more efficient man
agement of the navy sf1oat. At pres
ent the comma ander-in-chief, squadron
commanders and division commanders
are all of the rank of rear admiral.
which necessitates. in naval organi-
zation. that the senior of the rear ad :
Tnirals must be detailed to the senior
commands.
Submarines and Aeroplanes.
Praise for the submarine boat, "A gen
tie hint to the Navy Department to
get busy" on aeronautic development
and plan for greater efficiency of the
naval militia arc features of the report.
An acknowledgment TO Secretary DAN
tcls that economies approXImating
si.77o.000 had been brought about by
Secretary Daniels is made in the re-
port, and an outline of the about to- be
created bureau of operations and the
centralizing of naval authority in :.
chief OF that bureau is given in inter-
esting detail. Owing to the great in
terest now being taken in naval de-
Helopment and the preparedness and
unpreparedness Of the various elements
OF the American onensc and defense
the report will probably be widely read
throughout the service.
In speaking of the seventeen sub
marines which the committee recon-
mends, although Secretary Daniels
asked for but eight. the report says:
In the building program the COM
rnittee recommended seventeen subma-
rfnes, and last years naval act carried
eight. The effectiveness of the subm:t.
rins IN the European war demonstrates
10 to be naval weapon of great value
and the committee believes that Con.
xress Is warranted in authorizing the
-,
of naval war craft. The airshIp fol-
scouting purposes has likewise demon.
strated Its effectiveness. and the com.
mittee has recommended an appropria,
tion of $1.000.000. as hereinafter pro.
vtded-
while the committee believes in the
effectiveness of submarines and air.
ships, it does not believe that sufficient