Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-03-19
Many Good Pieces OF Legisla-.
ton Passed BY National.
Lawmakers
BY c. s. ALBERT.
correspondencel

1
sixty-thir Congress in supporting the
naval program of construction and de-
velopment, the following points are
| made:
Perhaps the best piece of legisla-
tien for the navy passed in a decade
is the provision in the present bill au-
thorizing q naval reserve. 1t creates
| a naval reserve composed of only hon.
Iorably discharged men from the navy,
on graded pay according to the length
LOT time they have served This not
only provides reserve of trained and
experienced men. ready upon a days
notice to man our reserve ships and
ITO supplement the war compliments
of ships of the battle fleet, but perhaps
its most important feature Is that
| which permits men to- enter the re-
serves on graded rates Of pay, accord
| ing to the length of service in the
navy. This feature will greatly in
crease the efficiency of the enlisted
personnel by inducing the experienced
men to remain in the service for long
er periods and thus cause the bulk of
the enlisted personnel to be composed
of trained and experienced men. I'M
der the conditions OF today, only one
third of the entire enlisted force of
the navy are men who have had more
than four years service. The other
two-thirds are now serving in their
first enlistment. This has been the
case for many years. 1t Is believed
that this feature of the bill will place
our enlisted force on better status
than that of any other navy in the
world. The bill provides for a new
position in the navy, to be known as
the Chief of Operations, who, under
the direction of the Secretary of the
Navy, will be in charge of the opera
lions of the fleet and preparation of
plans for it's use in war This new
position, it, is believed, will coordin-
ate more perfectly the work of the
War College, the General Board, the
Office of Naval Intelligence and the
carrying out of maneuvers by the
fleet. The wisest men in the navy
believe this provision will make the
organization as perfect as. it is pos
sible to make any organization, and
viii centralize In the Navy Depart
ment all the utilities which go to make
for the preparation for war.
AdmiraIs and -vice-Admirals.
For a long time 1t has been felt
whenever there were any joint opera
tions between the nayies of this coun-
try and of other countries that the
American navy has not had the .po-
sition to which 1t Is entitled because
other countries, some of them with
much smaller nayies. have given
higher rank to the commanding Of
lficers We have now in the American
navy in command Of fleets no admiral.
The only admiral we have is Admiral
Dewey, who Is at the head of the
General Board, and does not go to
sea. The Conference Committee has
agreed upon a provision which will
remove this handicap under which our
navy has been compelled to operate,
| Il is provided that the Commanders
Ein-C Chief of the fleet ON the Atlantic,
Pacific and Asiatic waters shall rank
as admirals and viee+admirals. This
rank is not created to be conferred
upon any officer permanently, but he
occupies il only so long as he Is i'd
tcommand afloat. The American fleet
has become so large that the officers
who direct Il are entitled to the high
est rank given to officers of any navy
| in the world.
Plneking Board.
| The conferees following what was
the clear direction Of Congress in both
branches has abolished the PIucking
Board. It is adyertent to the neces-
sity of some legislation to permit Of
Ulcers to be promoted to the highest
grades before they are old men, But
there has been such q difference Of
opinion as to exactly what provisions
would accomplish this with justice to
1.-THE officers and the country that, the
c0nferees have decided to omit the
Substitution of something in the place
Of the Plucking Board until the next
Congress. when the needs of the per-
sonael wiz be taken UP.
/ Pay Clerks. y..t
/ 1The position Of pay clerks in the
fnavy has up to this time been most
unsatisfactory one. Every paymaster,
lupen being detailed to ship, was al
i lowed to- appoint his own clerk and
upon his detachment the appointment
lot the elerksw automatically revok-
led This gave no permanent status
Ito the pay clerks and caused great
deal of sconfdsion in the changing Of
duties of paymasters. The measure
providing forssa permanent corps Of
lpay clerks is an excellent one for the
General duties to be performed and it
Il