The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-12-13
them,
Service and Efficiency.

Actual service" the secretary
adds. crowned with efficiency, and
not age, should supersede the inflexi-
BILE rule of retiring all officers at a
given age. 1t Is suggested that the
present law retiring officers at sixty
two years of age be changed SO as
to provide that officers be retired for
ty-one years after their graduation
at the naval academy. The effect Of
such legislation would make the ay-
erage age OF retirement sixty-three
years. In the army the statutory age
of retirement is sixty-rour years
~ renew my recommendation for a
change in the law of retirement pay,
so that 1t shall be graded. the pay
to be based upon the length of serv-
ice. 1t should also differentiate be-
tween total and partial disability. The
retired pay of the navy last year ag-
gregated $3.3SS.S26.35. 1t Is an
abuse of the republics generosity to
give three-fourths retired pay to all.
The law should be changed and re-
formed"
Turning to the problem of finding
adequate auxiliary ships for the navy
in war time, the secretary says he has
not included any vessels in his build
ing program. except those which must
be used constantly for the navy. in
peace or war. On war basis, he
adds, the navy would need 400 addi-
tional ships. or a tonnage of III"
600 to carry fuel and supplies and do
other auxiliary work. About 500, 900
tons for this work could be drawn
from the present merchant marines,
he says. but some method must be
found 10 supply the rest.
"The solution for the government
the report continues, "is to construct
from time to time. a sufficient and
suitable auxiliary fleet. proportioned
to the needs of the navy and to have
such auxiliaries operated in commerce
during peace times in such Il way as
will preserve them and train the es-
sential naval reserve OF men. anG
while doing this relieve the govern
ment of the burden of cost Of mainte-
nance through the income or earnings
of the essels employed In commerce.
Such policy would give TO the navy,
without cost for Its operation during
peace, a perfect auxiliary. or course
these ships should be built upon navy
plans and manned by American cltt.
zens trained under navy regulations
which would make them efficient IN
time OF war"
To Meet Competition.
In recommending again the con.
struction of government armor.
plate factory and also urging that z
projectile factory be added to the
navy's equipment and that every navy
yard be equipped for construction as
we'll as repair work, Secretary Dan.
iels again lays stress on this theory
that the government should be abb.
to build any part of the equipment
needed for the navy from battleship.
to aeroplane motors In order thai
true competition of private bidder.
for government contracts may be OBJ
tanned together with an actual knowl
edge OF what the cost of construction
should be.
In addition to the foregoing the re
port includes the following recon-
mendations:
/. An increase OF 1850 men II
the enlisted personnel OF the navy ant
marine corps; an adequate increas,
of officers to be provided by enlarg
ing the force Of midshipmen at tn,
naval academy to the full capacity o
the Institution, by admitting to JUNO