The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1920-12-10
PERSONNEL S|TUAT ION
MOST SERIOUS PROBL EN-
Of NAVY DECLARES
SECRETARY DAN lei s.

Washington. Dec. 1O,-Declaring
that the officer personnel of the navy
should be augmented to full strength
and placed on permanent basis
with the least possible delay" Rear
Admiral Thomas Washington, chief
Of the bureau of navigation, in his
annual report to Secretary Daniels,
today describes the personnel situa-
ton as the most serious problem be-
fore the navy. Even though / 200
reserve and temporary officers are
taken into the regular establishment
as permitted by law during the coming
year the shortage Of officers May l,
1921, will be equal to seven years out
put of the naval academy, Admiral
Washington declares.
From present indications and unless
remedial legislation is obtained the
temporary appointments of rear
admirals, 67 captains, 154 commanders
and $3.50 lieutenant commanders will
have to be revoked July /, 1921, due
to shortage of officers in the lower
grades, the report says.
More attention must be paid to
the personnel side of the conduct of
the navy Admiral Washington saws.
asserting that this point of view does
not now prevail
The attention OF the navy anil Of
all those who in any way enter into
the activities Of the navy mus: De
Concentrated eCual,y on the ships
and the men who nan Them The
reports says. "Ihc lo!.g period Of ma
teriai reconstruction covering new
,uild!ng programs has diverted too
large share o. -, vice attertl III
from questions OF personnel.
Commenting on the enlists1 man
situation, Admiral Washington states
that the navy has very largely re-
covered from the postwar reaction
that virtually stopped recruiting. At
the rate new men are now entering
the service the authorized strength
will be reached by July l, next, his
report states. Due to the loss of a
large per centage of the navy's
oder enlisted men, however, the re-
port says that the enlisted force has
not yet gained normal efficiency.
designations during the fiscal year
from the officer force have been seri-
Gus, Admiral Washington says, the
line being particularly hard hit. At the
end Of the year there were more
than 450 fewer line officers in the
service than on November l despite
the fact that a class had graduated
from the naval academy in the mean
time. A total of COG officers resigned
from the regular navy during tho
year Of which "a were line officers,
leaving a shortage of about 2,4OO Of
ficers in the permanent establishment
4 considerable portion Of the re-
port was devoted to the naval re.
serve force, an annual appropriation
of at least 100000 for the admin
istration OF this service being recon-
mended.
THE expenditure of money for this
purpose from year to year Will at
first appear perhaps large" says
the admiral, "but when it is con.
sidered that the maintenance or TINS
force in an efficient state will not
only save the government larg.
share of the amount that would be
expended for the purpose If war should
again find us unpreparcd, but will
practically insure victory on the sea-
following a declaration OF war, an in
surance is gained at comparatively
small cost and as such is a measure
of economy"
The world war demonstrated that
the navy could not rely on the mer-
chant service for officers and men
in time OF war, Admiral Washington
states, urging in this connection that
the members OF the merchant ma
rine be given at least the fundamen~
tails OF naval training for use in time
OF emergency.
The naval reserve force now con-
sfsts of $4,000 officers and $4,000
enrolled men, the report says, th>
majority Of whom are Interested IN