New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-10

works oat this way: These nine rear
scmirals. sitting as promotion board.
VIII select a certain number or
captains from the captains list who
are eligible for promotion. In every
case where n caNtain is selected six
of the rear admirals out of the nine
must agree on his eligibility. The list
Of captains thus selected is sent to
the President. who can then do with
the list rs he sees fit. lie can reject
the list altogether. he can APPOINT Ger
tain names and reject others. or he
can send back 10 the board for an
entire new list.
This plan looks we'll enough on the
surface-as II was intended TO do.
But who appoints the promotion board
vice. Nothing like that. The board
is appointed by the Navy Department,
which is under the Sccretary's thumb:
every member Of the board will have
70 receive the Sccretary's personal ap-
proval. Then, when the list Of sue
Cessful captains is ultimately sent to
tho President. to whom does the latter
turn for advice but to his Secretary
Of the Navy? In other words. If Il
captain gets on the list. bv any chance,
of whom tho Secretary does not ap-
rrove. the President viii merely fail
10 appoint him.
Officers Under Control.
The above plan does not stop with
the captains II includes also the
ranks of commander and lieutenant
commander. In other words. every
officer Of command rank in the service
has been brought under the personal
control of the civilian Secretary of the
Navy.
The Secretary doubtless calculated
that the public would be blinded to
these provisions of the bill by the fact
that the bill will provide for the build
ing Of eight capital ships. Eight
capital snips is the greatest number
that any one in authority has advo-
Gated. and by providing for so large a
number the public and Congress might
not notice the political features of
the bill. And this guess is borne out
by certain other measures of the bill
which partake Of the nature or pat
ronage and graft. pure and simple.
II is further provided in the amended
bill that thirty civilian engineers every
wear, for ten years. 300 engineers in
all. shall be appointed by the Secre-
tary of the Navy and assigned TO duty,
with the rank of ensign. Think of II!
Three hundred civilians, knowing
nothing whatever of the navy, to be
appointed naval officers. with the re-
sponsibiity of an ensign's rank! This
section of the bill goes on to provide
further that after two years service
on any battleship above and including
the cruiser type one year at An
napois and an examination. these 300
engineers shall become full officers Of
the line in every respect.
Ranks Needlessly Padded.
Naval officers point out that there
was no need whatever of thus padding
the ranks at this time. BY charging
the capacity of the Naval Academy a
class could be graduated in ample time
TO officer the new ships, which will
take three and four years to build,
when placed in commission. The 300
engineers are simply so much more
patronage placed in the hands of the
politician Secretary of the Navy.
This provision of the bill does not
stop with the engineers. A body of
civilian aviators are also 10 be chosen
by the Secretary and assigned to the
feet After serving their apprentice
ships these civilians are also to be APP
pointed to full rank as naval officers,
not as aviators, but with full response
bility as naval officers on the bridge or
elsewhere
No more desperate innovation than
the above has ever been attempted
against any military organization, in
the opinion of those few naval officers
who have learned what is about to be
done. How, they ask, is a civilian en-
gineer. with two years experience in
an engine room aboard ship and a year
at Annapolis, in any way qualified to
take the bridge of battleship and to
manage her as navigator? Or how
would he be qualified to go into l6-
inch gun turret on the new ships and
command the gun crew Of eighty men