New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-27
Promotion by Competition
Substituted by Navy
Personnel Bill.
PLANS FIVE YEARS
FOR REORGANIZATION
Line as Well as Medical, Pay
and Other Corps Covered by
Comprehensive Measure.

Washington. Jan. DO Secretary Dan
.cis to-day made public the terms OF
i che navy personnel bill, prepared by a
I board consisting Of Assistant Secretary
Franklin ID. Roosevelt, Rear Admra.
I Victor Blue, chief Of the Bureau OF
/ NAVIGATION. and ID. W. Taylor, chief
naval constructor. The measure fol-
/ low. trs scheme Of reorganization de
/ scribed exclusively 30 Inc Tribune
January 10. It covers the reorganiza-
. ton of the line o. well 49, the medical,
pay. construction and civil engineer
corps.
The reorganization OF the line is
designed 90 extend over % period OF
about five years with the arrangement
. that when completed the hue will con-
I -.-t OF is rear admIrals, - captains
$50 commanders. 800 Lieutenant com
manicr- and such numbers OF heuten-
ants. Ieutcuauts junior gradel ard
cnsirrs as may be graduated from the
academy and thereafter qualify for
promotion hv examination.
The pluckng board is abolished.
Iu place of this unpopular organization.
+ promotion by competitive methods and
f the selection of the most efficient OIL
GERS are adopted. together with the
creation Of an active reserve list ON
GERS OF the line and staff VINO fail 10
make the required standard in exam
nation and record Will be shifted TO
.hc active reserve list, az half pay OF
their rank. and thereafter Will not be
promoted except for special mcutori-
Gus services, and then only one grade
+ al time by Executive order
/ I'm arranging the competitive method
Of promotion three factors are consld-
cred profes ioral knowledge for winch
the test s examination; the Official rec
ord of past performances, or the 'et-
fc.cncy record and service opinion
obtained from the recommendations OF
officers senior FOO the service 20 the can
didate for advancement
The makeup of the officers roster
under the reorganization plan proposes
taking the present basis Of from 200
to 500 midshipmen entering the Acad-
envy at Annapolis each year. MS lst
after four years Of work, with the con
sccuent elimination Of the least nt'
viii be reduced ,o about 100. These
will Doe advanced 90 the grade OF en-
sign.
The midshipmcn viii serve as en-
signs for three years, or until the
average age Of the class is approx
uatolv twenty-five. whom g competitive
examination win be held establishing
their order Of merit. or The original
80, then probably reduced by natural
causes 20 1876, class OF lDO VIII De
continued in the line, and approximate
+ lv twenty-five others viii be trans
ferrcd 10 the staff corps and 20 the
marine corps. The remaining, about
ten in number, viii be honoraDly DIS
charged. with one years pay. This.
nH.rn O. H
have reached the age OF thirty-hve or
FORTY wears, disposes of the men not
/ considered useful to the navy at the
age of approximately twenty-five and
permits them while still young men to
seek employment in other fields.
The 100 ensiCns remaining m the lire
will be commissioned leutenants
. Junior grade. At the end Of six years
those remaining win be promoted 20
. Eeutenarts. subject 10 examination
They will remain lcuteuants TOR SIX
wears. At this point vii. begin promo
ton by selection and the transfer TO
the active reserve list OF those not pro-
noted Normally. two out Of every three
/ ieutenants will be promoted to lleuten-
ant commander.
/ At the end of six years about one
/ half Of these will be promoted TO com
mander and the other half transferred
20 the active reserve list. After SIX years
about one-half of the commanders VIII
become CAPTAINS. At the end of the
next seven years the class originally
composed of $50 ensigus viii, on ar
irving at the top of the list Of cap
tains at the end Of thirty-four years
service. be reduced 10 approximately
ten on the active list. or this number
/ five will 90 up to the grade OF rear adj
miraI and the remainder viii be placed
on the active reserve list
The same principles arc applied to
i the staff corps. save that the officers
with the rank of commander are twice
+ that of the number of the grade Of cap
tain. the increase in the lower rank
being spread over period Of about