The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-03-02
DANIELS ASKS MERIT
PLAN FOR NAVY MEN
Bill Would End Promotions
for Seniority Alone and
Increase Personnel.
AIMED TO HALT POLITICS

WAsuixGroN. March IA navy per.
sonnet bill drafted under the direction OF
Secretary Daniels was introduced to-day
by Representative Padgett OF Tennessee.
chairman Of the House Committee on
Naval Affairs. it provides among other
things thai promotions in the navy shall
he ba sed on merit instead OF seniority
a. at present. This Is In conformity
with recommendations made by Admiral
winslow and other well known officers
OF the service.
The bill proposes the establishment or
q reserve corps OF naval ofhcers, tne
creation of the rank Of Brigadier-Gen-
erai in the Marine Corps. and the restor-
ation Of the grade OF IN
authorizing establishment OF the merit
! principle to govern promotions In the
navy the bill provides that superior
officers shall designate those In the lower
grades Who should be considered Tor 40.
yancement. Officers so recommended
! would be examined. and II they passed
automatically promoted. The OIL ere.
ates q board to pass upon the genera
fitness for service of all officers q, Inc
navy and the Marine Corps.
In order to clear the ranks OF the uh"',
examinations are prescribed three years
after graduation. and another
ton when officers have been III the ser
vice eight years. Thereafter xamina-
lions would be held every Ave years
The Measure imposes compulsory sea ser.
I vice and provides that officers shall spend
three years at sea in every grade IN
which they serve. Offcers who retire
before they are entitled to do so by ia~
would he required to enroll IN the reserve
and devote two months in every year TO
practice.
The rank OF Commodore was abolished
BY Congress At the close OF the Spanish
American war. y Was held by Admiral
Dewey when he commanded at the pattle
Of Manila Bay. Under the bill. durins
the first four Years Captains are to be
advanced in the order OF seniority 10 TINS
grade. Ultimately promotions to the
new grade would he made by the process
OF selection from Captains whose 'o'a'
service as Captains is not less thar sN
wears. OF which al least two wears mus
have been spsnt AZ sea. Commodore
may he assigned to the command OF ship
Of the first class. to the o'
notillas, divisions or ~squadrons or suci
, other duties as the Secretary Of the Nav,
may see NJ. They voul receive thu
same pay as Captains except that whei
commanding sauadronS divisions or no
tillas their pay and allowances are to b'
that OF a Rear Admiral.
Increases are to he made in all grade
Of officers under the rank OF Adinira
Of the navy. So that there would b
thirty Rear Admirals. such number o
Commodores AS may qualify, 100 cap
ta.ns, 200 Commanders, 400 Lieutenant
Commanders and such number of Lieu
tenants. Lieutenan,s ~ the junior grad
and ensigns as may qualify. These IN
creases are intended TO be spread over
period Of five years from July l. 1916
on n basis OF seniority In order to nj
up all the grades. after which promotion
by selection would he the rule. TIL
actual increases in officers representa-
would be twelve Rear Admirals. thirt
Captains, eighty-eight new Commander
and zoo Lieu;enant-Commanders.
Navy to Make Promotions.
The provision regarding promotion b
selection provides that the task sha
he lef, in the hands OF the officers o
the navy The Rear Admirals. Com
modores. Captains and Commanders {
select the lieutenant Commanders an
Lieutenants Rear Admirals. Commo
dores and Captains 70 select Command
ers. and the Rear Admirals to selec
Captains and C~ommodorcs. II is ex
Dptteu m tnls way 10 Keep ptlllitS Ou
OF the navy and prevent members q
Congress from having any say in IN
selections.
/ With respect TO the generalization c
= the Marine Corps the bill provides tina
, the total number OF enlisted men sha
z ne 20 per cent. OF the total author re
enlisted strength OF the navy and tha
the total number OF of GERS Of the Ma
, rine Corps shall be 4 per cent. OF III
/ total authorized number of enlisted mel
these officers TO be- distributed in III
various grades in accordance with
hxed proportion. The red!stributio
proposed would add u Brigadief-;enera
: one Colone', two I.ieu,enant-Colone
: and thirteen Majors, with three let
Captains and fourteen less First an
Second Lieutenants.
Substitutes Pluckinx BOARD.
r The personnel board bill is put for,
az A substitute for the plucking boar
: syetem, abolished BY Congress a yea
q ago, and Is designed to eliminate retart
ing promotions due to overNrowdin
I Without some nov 10 provide for mo
. rapid promotion and the placing of les
able men on the Ineligible list. mar
officers will have to he retired for age
the grade OF Lieutenant. At present III
dNrIake ake V"'hNu W a S"p'h Wv
promoted to Rear Admiral In sixty year
Commenting on a similar situation
Z the Marine Corps the committee say,
IAN examination OF the navy list dii
ck0se~ the fact hat the average age ,
: Captains OF the Marine Corps Is al
6 proXimateiy IS years and that OF Fir
: Lieutenants 81 years. Allowing for Il
}, seven retirements for age during the ne,
!. hfteen years and for natural ~casualtie
y We find that In 1890 the average age
Captains will be 81 years. and that
> First l.ieutenants ~ years and thi
twenty OF the Second Lieutcnants now q
the list will still be in that grade