New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-15
Active Reserve List Cop
led from British System
Leading Feature.
PLUCKING BOARD
ALSO is ABOLISHED
DanieIs's Committee Of Officers
Completes Ttask Covering
Whole Field.

W Washington, Jan. IA DllI Piof'"
ing for the entire revision Of the laws
governing promotions in the United
States Navy has been drafted under
the direction of Assistant Secretary OF
the Navy Roosevelt and committee OF
naval officers designated by the Secre-
tary for that purpose, and is ready now
for the final approval of the latter OIL
fetal. The measure, which revolution
ICES promotions and retiretments IN the
navy, will be introduced in the House
of Representatives the early part of
next week.
The first step of the new bill pro-
vdes for the abolition of the famous
plucking board. The abolition of this
unpopular organization will therefore
no longer depend upon the enactment
of the specific piece of legislation in
troduced by Representative Wither-
spoon, of Mississippi, but is included In
this general personnel law.
Under the terms of the proposed law
all graduates Of the Naval Academy
Immediately upon graduation will, as
at present. become enslgns, in which
grade they will remain for three years.
At the expiration OF this term in the
grade they will be eligible for promo
ton, and Of each class of ensigns 100
will be advanced to the rank of lieu
tenant, junior grade. in the line of the
navy. From the remainder of the class
appointment will be made TO such va
cancIes as may exist in the construc-
ton corps, the civil engineers corps,
the pay corps and the marine corps,
and, beyond that. all OF the other en-
signs viii be paid an honorarium OF
one years pay and released from the
service, ready to enter either the mer-
chant marine or take up such other
civil avocation as they may elect.
Gives Young Men a Chance.
Ir the opinion of the trainers of the
bill this will provide that Young men
of an average of twenty-five years of
sge--will stand a better chance in the
workaday world outside the service
than if they were retained indefinitely
in the list and dropped out Of the run
ming between 'he ages Of thirty-five
and forty or even beyond that age. In
the opinion of the trainers, also. the
ratio between men of various ranks in
the navy should be based upon he ex-
perience Of all the navies Of the world
! during the centuries in which navies
! have existed.
It is felt that these ratios are arbi-
trarv. and for that reason the bill sets
/ clear limitations upon the period an
officer may spend in any one grade.
/ TIE following is the schedule Of these
periods: Ensign, three years; lieuten-
rnt, Junior grade. six years; lieutenant,
| six wears; Lieutenant commander, six
years; commander, six years; captain,
seven years, and rear admiral until the
/ legal retirement age.
With this end in view the bill then
provides that the groups Of 100 lieu
tenants of the junior grade shall serve
i'm that rank for six years, at the eX-
piration of which they will take exam
nations for promotion. Those who fail
will 90 out of the navy. Six years later
these same classes OF lieutenants Of
the Junior grade will again come UP
for professional examination for their
advance TO the grade of lieutenant.
For Active Reserve List.
The officers failing to pass the two
tests will be relegated here to the ac-
tive reserve list of the navy, subject
10 the call of the President to active
service in the grades of lieutenant
commander, commander, captain and
rear admiral. This is the new feature
of the law, the creation of this active
reserve list. Officers upon this list
NAV be promoted only one grade for
distinguished gallantry in action or
highly meritorious services, and only
nv order of the President.
Under the new law the total service
of officers attaining the rank of rear
admiral will average thirty-four years
in the grades leading up to that honor.
The age of fifty-six years is regarded
as far better for man becoming an
admiral with six years OF active SER
vice ahead of him than has been the
case latterly, when men were promoted
10 the grade of rear admiral and some
times served therein hardly more than
a few weeks before retirement for age
was forced upon them. =.
The creation of an active reserve list
is modelled closely after the British
system of promotions.