The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1920-12-15
NAVY NEEDS
MORE OFFICERS
Chief of Bureau of Navigation
Urges That Personnel be Aug
mented to Full Strength

Washington Dec. 9.--DeClarmg
that the officer personnel of the navy
should be augmented 20 full strength
and placed on permanent basis
with the least possible delay" Rear
Admiral Thomas Washington, CHER
Of the bureau of navigation in his
annual report TO Secretary Daniels to-
day describes the personnel situation
as the most serious problem before
! the navy. Even though 1900 reserve
and temporary officers are taken into
the regular establishment as permit
ted by law during the coming year
the shortage of officers May l, 1921
will be equal to seven years output OF
the naval academy, Admiral Wash
ington declares.
From present indications and unless
remedial legislation is obtained the
temporary appointments Of rear ad-
mirals, 81 captains, 154 commanders
and $50 lieutenant commanders will
have to be revoked July l, 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 says, as
serting that this point or view does
not now prevail"
The attention of the navy and Of
all those who in any way enter into
the activities of the navy must be
concentrated equally on the ships and
the men who man them," the report
says. THE long period of material re-
construction covering new building
hos
share of service attention from ques-
tions of personnel
| Commenting on the enlisted men
situation, Admiral Washington states
that the navy has very largely recov-
cred 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 older enlisted
| men, however, the report says that
the enlisted force has nor yet gained
normal efficiency.
RESERVATIONS during the fiscal year
| from the officer force have been Sc
rious, 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 SER
vice than on November l despite the
fact that a class had graduated from
the naval academy in the meantime
| a total of 606 officers resigned from
the regular navy during the year,
which "a were line officers, leaving a
shortage of about 2,400 officers in the
permanent establishment
A considerable portion OF the re-
port was devoted to the naval reserve
force, an annual appropriation of at
least 100000 for the administration
of this service being recommended.
The expenditure of money for this
purpose from year to year will at first
appear perhaps large says the ad-
miral, "but when it is considered that
the maintenance of this force in an ef-
ficient state will not only save the gov
eminent large share of the amount
that would be expended for the pur-
pose if war should again nnd us un-
prepared, but will practically insure
victory on the sea following a dec
laration Of war, an insurance is gained
at comparatively small cost and as
such is q measure of economy"
Ihc NOhlu WdT demonstrated tNat
the navy could not rely on the mer-
chant service for officers and men in
| time of war, Admiral Washington
sta ties, urging in this connection that
the members of the merchant marine
be given at least the fundamentals or
naval training for use in time of emer-
gency.
The naval reserve force now con-
sists Of $4,000 officers and 235,O00 en-
rolled men. the report says. the ma
jority of whom are interested in the
work and will probably remain in the
service. More than 5000 Of the Of
ficers and fully 1000 Of the men are
qualified for the duties of their rank
on combatant ships of the navy in
time OF war, Admiral Washington
adds