The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-11-28
BY T.. ID. johns.

AAtba naval personnel bill Is belng
prepnred by the Roosevelt board II VII
probably provide for an increase rom
sOo to 2soO in the plumber OF nne oll-
GERS in the navy In period Oh nNe
wears. This will be started by increasing
,bo strength nj the Naval Academy by
Soo midshipnen and the increment will
come in the personnel Of the navy as
midshipmen graduate -
The increase will probably be distrlo-
uted by adding twelve rear adrnlraIs,
thirty captains, go. commanders. Do
lieutenant commanders and forty-two
Iieutenants TO the line OF the navy. This
distribution of the Increase mas not oeen
approved by the board or the secretary
and will not be until the question OF an
increase in the staff officers has been
gone over by the board. Next week the
board will take up the question OF In
crease in staff officers. after which TINS
feature of the personnel bill will be put
into shape and submitted to the Secre-
tary OF the Navy.
By this plan the increase in officers
will keep pace with the building program.
The Navy Department has assurances
from the Senate and House committees
on naval affairs that any reasonable In
crease in the strength of the navy will
receive favorable consideration in Con-
gress next winter. The European war
has impressed members OF Congress
who have been giving military matters
serious consideration with the Importance
of having highly trained army and navy
officers. 1t is generally believed that
Congress will assume a different atti-
tude toward personnel legislation from
what II has in the past Up TO this time
only a few members OF Congress have
taken the recommendations Of the Navy
Department for personnel legislation Sc
riously. The rest of Congress has either
been Indifferent or regarded all personnel
bills as promotion schemes
As was stated in these columns last
week. promotion by selection will be
one of the distinctive features of the
Navy Departments personnel bill It
has been fully decided to recommend
this system to Congress. The more
the system is studied by the members
Of the board the stronger the conVic-
tions are that this plan will do much
to increase the efficiency of the navy
and at the same time maintain a sat-
isfactory flow of promotion. Under
this system II is estimated that lieu
tenants will reach the age OF 45 be-
fore they pass on the reserve list.
Every year up to that time they
would come up for promotion and II
they are not selected out for promo
of As years they would be placed on
the reserve list. Lieutenant comman-
ders would be at least 40 years of
age. IL is insisted. before they would
be due to pass on to the reserve list:
commanders, So. and captains, 81
years. Under these conditions, II is
argued. promotion by selection would
not be a hardship. especially II those
who fail of promotion would pass on
to the reserve list. Those on the re-
serve list would not be called upon for
active duty excepting In the event of
war.
Thirteen veterans of the Mexican war
and 26s of the civil war are on the rolls
of the washington Soldiers Home. ac-
cording to the annual report of the board
of commissioners. The total number on
the rolls of the home at the close Of
the year is 1888. During the year sSl
were admitted. f05 Withdrew. ls5 were
dropped or dismissed. and 16 died
This shows that there was an increase
of lo5 soldiers at tho home. The ages
of the soldiers range from q to S years.
All of them have had regular army
service Two hundred and twenty-seyen
served in the armies over twenty years
and i.Ga9 are receiving pensions
The home had balance In the treas
ury June %. 1875. of s.. S4s. 7SS.s3. The dis
bursements were sssSg1i.57. OF which $780,
z1LD was for p~rmanAnt improvements