The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-01-12
ONLY WAR WILL SAVE NAVY
Manning Believes Either That
or Simple Jstice for Men
Who Fought Needed
iDIsGUsTED OVER AWARDS
Admiral Mayo's Comment That
Daniels Ruling Had Broken
Morale Appears True.
tRy GEORGE H. MANNlNG.)

other nations during the war, is now
utterly demoralized. But one Of two
| things can bring back the spirit that
/ existed in the services during the
war-another war that would take the
minds OF the officers off themselves
and engross their every thought on
destruction of the enemy, or the deal
ing out of what they believe to be
plain justice by the secretaries of war
and the navy to the men who did the
real fighting.
A few officers who stayed at home
throughout fhe war, far from tho
smoke of battle and torpedoes of the
tracherous submarines, and still enjoy
the advanced rank which came with
the war emergency, are the only class
in either service entirely satisfied with
their lot today.
The army officers who commanded
the American troops who lived in the
shelltorn, muddy trenches and smash
ed the pick of the German divisions,
are bitterly complaining because they
have been reduced from the grades
they held during the war while the
swivel chair officers still hold their
jobs in the department with advanced
rank ana things that 60 with it.
The complaints of the naval officers
over the way Secretary Daniels
awarded the honor medals has done
more to break down the spirit of the
officers and men Of the American
navy than anything that has hap
pened in the memory of the oldest
| sea dog"
The action of Admiral Sims, .Ad-
miral Mayo, Admiral Decker and
1
planned and executed the sterling
| feats of the American navy in Euro
pean waters during the war. in de-
clining the medal awards made hy
Secretary Daniels, has undoubtedly
had the effect OF destroying the In
terest of the naval officers and men
in their work and in the naval or
ganization.
Mayo. who commanded the battleship
Mayo, who commando the battIeship
fleet during the war that the awards
as made by Secretary Daniels would
be fatal to the development Of the
navy as a fighting machine seems
already TO have become a reality.
The bitterness entertained by the
higher officers of the navy over the
alleged unjust manner Of awarding the
war medals and the charges that
favoritism was shown few Of Sec
retary Daniels pets" has been taken
TO heart all down the line and not an
officer or enlisted man can be founa
today who is not disgusted with the
whole business Of rewarding the wars
heroes.
The complete destruction OF the
morale and discipline Of the navy is
not a mere supposition; it is de-
clared openly as being a stern fact
both BY the officers who spurned the
awards and by others who did not
get into the zone of action, and there
fore had no personal interest in the
controversy.
The investigation Of the whole con
troyersy by congress and the mud
singing that is sure TO result IS GER
tain to add to the decentralization OF
the navy's spirit. Many senator's and
congressman win try to prevent the
war medal investigation al
together, or at least hold il down as
much as possible in an effort to have
the least injury done TO the naval or
ganization.s
The angry complaints in the ranks
Of the army officers come chiefly
from those who, as major-generaI,
general colonel or major,
divisions. brigades and
regiments in the real battles along the
line and now have been
reduced to the peace time rank Of
colonel major or captain, and must
take orders from desk officers stili
holding emergency advanced rank.
who never smelled the smoke Of
battle.
The officers who underwent the
hardships of war and did the real
are complaining particularly
because they have been reduced from
general to colonel or from
general 10 major. holding
hat their demotion should not be so
great. They complain against their
reduction in rank the moment they
set foot on the home soil, while Off
sers who served at desks in the war
through the war with
svery comfort, should still retain their
war rank and their peace-tine jobs.
They do not ask special privileged
of their work in France
,ver men who stayed at home but
assert tnat the wsr emergency
should end for all at the same time
and the men who fought should at
east receive as good treatment as
hose who did not.
Secretary Baker holds in answer to
-hese complaints that the war emer-
seney period erds for the officers who
vent to France as soon as they re-
urn home, while the officers in the
are stin working on war