Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1917-09-14


alone in the number that there is
cause for congraulation 1t is even
more in the character and the fitness
/ of the young men who have donned
the bluejackets. For years before the
war, the Navy. by reason of oppor-
tunity for education and promotion,
4 had secured better trained and more
ambitious company of youths than in
other days when there was little or
no chance for bluejacket to rise in
the service. The bluejacket of the
Navy of today may aspire TO wear the
star of an Admiral This war has
made it possible to promote hundreds
OF the most capable sailors in the
world TO be commissioned officers
Every promotion has been given be-
cause of approved capacity demon
strated through years of faithful
/ services.
Navy Needs Officers.
1T is vital to a powerful navy to
have powerful guns and powerful
ships. but they are only so much well
fashioned steel unless they are man
ned by officers and men with trained
minds and hands, with steady nerves
and heads. We have today in the
Navy all the men we need until ships
under construction and repair are
furnished and put in commission. The
greatest need, therefore, is for Off
GERS who know how to sail ship,
how to man its guns, how to organize
il TO fight
''The Navy's reliance upon the Ma
val Academy for educated and capable
officers in peace times is well placed
Since the war began this fine institu
tion. unsurpassed in the world, has
been doubled, but today its facilities
are inadequate TO graduate officers as
rapidly as they are needed. This too,
after we graduated two classes this
year.
"Other sources. therefore, must
then be relied upon for officers in
emergency.
'The first reliance is upon retired
officers who have Naval Academy
training, but who have been retired
by the age limit, or for some illness
that did not enable them to perform
all the duties of naval officer afloat
or ashore No matter where they are,
these men always respond instantly
and most of them have returned TO
the service they love- Not a few of
them have been assigned to important
posts. They are rendering valuable
service. Until recently the retire
ment age was sixty-two, but recent
experience with hearty retired officers
has justified the wisdom of extending
the age of retirement to sixty-four
Sources OF supply.
THE second source OF supply for
capable naval officers is from the
ranks Within the past two months
794 capable men have been commits
stoned as Ensigns or Junior Lieuten-
ants, and from this wonderful body
of exceptional warrant officers the
Navy will find men worthy of the COM
missions they have earned Already
as armed guards and in other places
of responsibility some of these men
from the ranks have justified the wis
dom of their promotions Others who
are found qualified will be advanced
while still further promotions will be
earned by the most capable of those
already selected.
THE third source to which the Navy
looks for officers is to the well organ
lied Naval Militia. 1t has not been
disappointed in expecting these men
to give themselves and their train
ing tall too brief) to the service
Some of them are filling responsible
positions. All are going to school
afioat studying to be better masters
of the profession in which they had
enjoyed the experiences of days of
peace.
Chance For Civilians.
But all these sources combined
have not served 10 give as many Off
GERS as the expanding Navy needs, and
we are turning with confidence to the
civilians with love of the sea and
some knowledge of seamanship to
qualify themselves for command
Before war was declared there were
some Reserve Officers who had shown
talent and are giving evidence of abil-
ity, but most Of the men who are to be
initiated into the glorious company Of
naval officers come direct from civil
life, and upon their willingness to
learn, their swiftness. and their apti-
~ V1N