Evening journal., 1918-06-21

A navy with 1871, ASS men, the num-
Yer just authorized by Congress. in its
personnel, will need $500 commissioned
sfflcers. At present 800 commissioned
officers are authorized for a strength OF
E,0o0 men in the permanent establish
nent There is a shortage Of 1900 OIL
GERS now; when recruiting has filled
HE ranks 70 i3i is5 there will be a
yhortage Of 5000 Where can these
commissioned officers be got?
Temporary commissions are being
granted for the period Of the war.
These Will expire six months after
peace is concluded. They serve TO
bridge over an emergency; many OF
lheir holders viii want TO go back TO
civil life; but they do not affect the
problem Of providing ensigns and leu
tenants and commanders and captains
and admirals for the navy the country
intends TO maintain permanently. These
officers must be sought elsewhere.
In the army and in the Marine Corps
an enlisted man who works hard and
is faithful 10 his duty may reasonably
expect 20 win a commission. Every
opportunity is offered to him TO rise
from the ranks. Schools are maintained
for his benefit Commanding officers
keep a sharp lookout for promising
talent Encouragement Of all kinds IS
Afforded for the man who displays apti-
lude for command, diligence and ca
pacity. The marines boast that they
are not issuing commissions TO civil
ans any more. when we entered the
war a number Of civilian candidates for
commissions were accepted, but now
the corps is producing its own officers
from its enlisted men. There is not a
single one Of them who does not know
That 10 depends on him and on him
alone whether he shall remain in the
ranks or win an officers shoulder
straps.
The same is true Of the men in the
rmy, whether they are in the Regular
'fmy. the National Guard Army or
10 National Army. Their officers are
wqtching every recruit in the hope
that he may prove equal to promotion.
Schools for the instruction Of ambi-
hous men are held continuously at all
the camps. The company officers, the
field officers and the general officers
are searching the ranks under them
all the time TO discover capable sol
niers who can earn commissions and
bold them after they have been earned.
There is ample opportunity for
every marine and every soldier TO rise
20 The highest commissioned rank in
his service. But the chance for a blue
Jacket TO rise in this way is so remote
li may be said 10 be practically non
existent
An enlisted man in the navy may
reach the highest rating among the
warrant officer II he seeks so to do
He may become a chief boatswain. a
chief gunner, a chief machlnist, a chief
carpenter, a chief pharmacist, a chief
pay clerk. Brains and honest work
opA these ranks for him. But 10 pass
from the rating OF a warrant officer TO
The rating Of a commissioned ofllcer,
while ltsis not absolutely impossible, is
supremely difficult How dnlcult IL is
Is shown by the fact that on January
4. 1916. out Of i5i ensigns In the navy
Only eighteen had served as enlisted
men and only twenty-four had served
rs mldshipman, cadet mldshipman,
naval cadet or cadet engineer.
More striking than this is the fact
that the service in the ranks Of the
Eighteen enlisted men who held COM
missions as ensi~ns aggregated 205
years, so that they were kept waiting
an average Of over eleven years be-
lore they were promoted Thus de-
ferred, promotion becomes unattain-
7ble for many men; they become dis
feartened by waiting. quit the service,
abandon studiOus habits, let their ambl-
lions die, or else return 10 civil life, de-
priving the country OF the benefit Of
their training and powers. And all the
while the navy is short OF more than a
thousand commissioned officers who
are desperately needed in peace TO care
for the nations ships and in war to
light in defence Of the nation.
The commissioned officers are sup
Piled by the Naval Academy. II is