South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-04-16
ADMIRAL IS NOT
DISTINCTIVE NOW
New Act Enables President to
Confer Title on Three For
Rear AdmiraIS-DeWey Was
the Only Admiral.


WASHINGTON, April is. - The
time-honored title OF admiral Of the
navy no longer Is distinctive IN the
United States. Following the passage
10y congress Of an enabling act, Pres
Wilson has raised 20 the rank OF full
admiral, three DISTINGUISHED rear ad-
mirals OF the United States navy.
They are Rear Admiral Fletcher, who.
following his services during the
American occupation OF Vera Cruz.
was given the command Of the At
lantic fleet, Rear Admiral Howard OF
the Pacific fleet and Rear Admiral
CoWles Of the American fleet in Asiat-
&c waters.
Heretofore. when the admiral Of
the navy was referred 10 il was only
possible TO mean one man. The title
was as unique as the title of the
president of the United States.
The same situation still prevails In
the lana wing Of the United States
military. There IS only one lieutenant
general Of the army. Before the ere
alton Of the new high naval officers,
George Dewey was the admiral Of the
navy and when one referred 10 the
admiral Of the navy such reference
was all sufficient without mentioning
the name Of the man. That distinc-
tion no longer appertains to the hero
OF Manila bay. He now is only one
OF the four admirals OF the navy.
Nelson A. Miles, the civil war veteran
and famous Indian fighter, still re-
mains the lieutenant general of the
army without more elaborate desig-
nation. tie is the only one of his rank
and probably viii rema'l so until his
death.
Heretofore there has never been at
any one time more than one admiral
Of the navy. There have been three
especially famous admirals-JOnes
Farragut and Dewey. John Paul
Jones was the first admiral Of the
American navy and perhaps the most
famous Of any American officers of
that high rank. Admiral Farragut,
who gained such distinction by the
operations in Mobile bay, is the sec
Ond great admiral in the history of
the country, and Admiral Dewey, who
defeated the Spanish fleet in Manila
bay during the Spanish American war
is the third Of the trio Of famous
American admirals
Heretofore, no admirals have been
raised to that rank in this country ex-
cept by special act Of congress. Such
acts have been passed to reward the
recipients of the honor for especially
gallant and meritOrious services in
Ime OF war. The new law makes the
grade Of admiral one to which naval
officers may be appointed By the
president OF the United States. IT al
so establishes the grade of vice adj
miraI. a rank TO which several rear
admirals are expected to be appointed
shortly.
The basic reason for the establish
ment Of these two new grades is given
as the necessity for the placing of
American naval officers on equal
planes with foreign naval officers. The
navtes OF the principal foreign ma
lions have numerous admfrslS and
vice admirals and therefore. in cases
of international reviews and at other
occasions when there is an interna
tlonal gathering Of officers. American
rear admirals, though distinguished
and old in the service, are outranked
by young foreigners Of less experience
but higher rank. This situation be-
came intolerable, il is said. and so
congress relieved the situation bv es-
tablishing the new grades The propo-
si1on of reviving the rank of com
modore, a title under which many
American naval officers have gained
Iame IN the past. also has been CON
sldered from time to time by con-
Eress but no action to that end vet
has been taken.