Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-12-10
PERSONNEL IS BIG
PROBLEM OF NAVY
Navigation BureauChief in Re
port Urges it to be Aug
mented at Once.
w Associated Press to Every Evcning

w AssoriAfed Frcss TO kvcry Evontng
Washington, Dec o.-Dcclaring that
the officer personnel of the navy should
be augmented 10 full strength and placed
on n permanent basis with the least pos
sibc delay, Rear Admiral Thomas Wash
ington, chief of the bureau of navigation,
in his annual report to Secretary Daniels
today describes the personnel situation rs
the most serious problem before the navy.
Even though ,2OOreserve and temporary
officers are taken into the regular establish
ment rs permitted by law during the COM
ing year the shortage of officers Nav |.
1921 will be equal To seven wears OUTPUT
Of the naval academy, Admiral Washington
declares
From present indications and unless
remedial legislation is obtained the tenn
porsry appointments of seven rear ad-
mirals, 81 captains, l54 commanders and
$50 lieutenant commanders will have to be
revoked July |, 1921 due to shortage Of
officers IN the lower grades, the report
savs.
More attention must be paid To the per-
sonnel side of the conduct of the Navy,
Admiral Washington SAYS. asserting that
this point OF view does not now prevail
The attention of the navy and OF all
those who IN any way enter into the activi-
ties of the navy must be concentrated
equally on the ships and the men who man
chem, the report says ''rhe long period
of material reconstruction covering new
building programs has diverted too large
share OF service attention from questions
of personnel.
Commenting on the enlisted man situa-
ton. Admiral Washington states that the
navy has very largely recovered from
the postwar reaction that virtually
az al 4 . he
nre now entering the service the authorized
strength will be reached by July /. next,
his report states. Due 10 the loss of large
percentage Of the navy's older enlisted mon
mon, however, the report SAYS that the
enlisted force has not yet gained normal
efficiency
designations during the fiscal year from
the officer force have been serious, Adj
miral Washington says, the lire being
particularly hard hit. At the end Of the
year there were more than 450 fewer hue
officers IN the service than on November
despite the fact that class had graduated
from the naval academy In the meantime
total of COG officers resigned from the
regular navy during the year, of which %
were hnc officers, leaving n shortage Of
about 2,i00 officers in the permanent
establishment
A considerable portion of the report
Wa devoted to the naval reserve force
an annual appropriation of at least $4,000
for the administration Of this service being
recommended.
The expenditure Of money for this
purpose from year TO wear will AZ first
appear perhaps large, saws the admiral
but when II is consideraed that the nam
tenaace of this force IN AZ efficient state
Will not only save the govc. mcnt large
share of the amount that would be ex-
psnded for the purpose If war should again
md vs. unprrpared, but will practically
insure victory on the ses following a dec
larauon Of war, An insurance Is CARED |
At comparatively small cost and as such
!. n mes sure Of economy
The World War demonstrated that the |
navy could not rely on the merchant ser
vice for officers and men IN time Of WAT.
Admiral W Washington states. urging in this |
connection that the members of the mer- |
chant marine be gwen At least the funda- !
mentals Of naval training for use in time |
Of emergency
The naval rercrve force now consists |
81 Is, 900 officers and 235, 900 enrolled men,
the report says, the majority Of whom are
interested in the work and Will probably
remain IN the service. More than 6 .000
II the officers and fully 100. 900 of the men
arc qualified for the duties Of their rank on
oomhatant ships OF the navy in time az
~sr, Admiral Washing gton adds.