The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-10-20
MANY OFFICERS TO
REVERT TO RANK
WARRANT OFFICERS
Efforts Of Florida Delegation at
Nations Capital Appears
TO Be Unavailing.
HAVE NOT ABANDONED
THE EFFORT, HOWEVER
Situation Is Serious for Many Of
the Naval Flyers at the
Pensacola Station.
q eEoReE s. MANNING

~ GEORGE s. MANNING
WASHINGTON, oct. 1o.-Thc navy
department seems stubbornly deter
mined % stand by the action Of the
examining board which recently rated
the papers ~ the 1000 reserve off
GERS and temporary regular officers of
tho naval aviation service. and decided
that less than alalf of them had passed
and that the others must revert to
rank an warrant officers or enlisted
men or bc dismissed from the service
The efforts Of Senators Fletcher and
rrammell and Congressmen Smith
wick ana Drane of Florioa TO nave the
action Of fhe examining board set
aside. at leaSt for q while, appear to
- unaVainng They have not aban-
doned tiie effort. however, although
the situation appears almost hopeless
The unfortunate situation fn which
The naval flyers at Pensacola and
other flying points find themselves has
beon fuzzy explained "a the Florida
senator's and congressman IN the past
few days by Lieutenants r. r. Kear-
nVy, r. ~ Kirk q. "A. Sumber. "A. MI
Darby and Paul G. Warner and En-
sign J. - Myers. who came TO Wash
Angton IL on effort 40 haae tho exami-
tlon papcra reFste4 or consent
given for another examination.
THE situation 81 very serious for many
of tho naval flyers AZ the Pensacola
station, heause over half Of the naval
reserve oflieers and temporary regular
officers Called to pass the examination,
and face either Dismissal from the SER
vice Or acceptance Of places as war
rant officers or enlisted men,
This viii prove a serious hardship
and appears cruelty unjust to these
men who have BY dint of hard work,
study and strict attention to duty.
worked their way UP from the ranks.
Several of the officers who came to
Washington have excellent service rec
orda, Lieutenant Suber having served
fye years as flying Instructor and
Ensign Myers three years as flying in
structor. It would seem almost un-
grateful to turn men OF this calibre
out or the service. 81 compel them to
take places as enlisted men.
The navy department having now
practically declined to alter its posi-
tion on the recent denominations. ef-
forts arc being made to have permits
another examination.
This whole situation arose over the
action ct the naval department a few
days ago notifying about 500 naval
aviation reserve officers out Of the
1000 who took the examinations in|
May that they had failed to pass and
would either be reduced in rank. with
corresponding reduction an pay. or
dismissed from the service altogether.
The avlators claim. they have been
badly treated by the aviation officials
81 the navy department They re-
ceived notice six months ago that
these examinations were to be held.
and most of them set industriously at
work studying They consider it un-
fair that they were required to stand
an examination in navigation, seaman
ship, engineering. electricity, plotting
ordinance. and military and interna-
tionai lAw. These subjects. they claim.
are not closely related TO aviation. TO
which thoy devoted their entire time
and aix months was very meagre
time for study OF such wide range Of
subjects
II Is also claimed that university
and college graduates were given
preference in arriving at the final
gradines. and that the men who
worked their way up from the ranks
were ditched The Florida senators
and congressman appear thoroughly
convinced that the Annapolis gradu-
ates high UP IN the navy have reached
the conclusion chat with the war
emergency over Il IS time 10 eliminate
All but Annapolis men from places as
officers IA the first line Of national
defense, and chat the examinations
mold last May was an excellent way to
put it over
THE naval hyers take the position
that the navys spent many millions OF
dollars training them and that II they
are now dropned from the service it
VIII be q tremendous loss to the gov
eminent and VIII make necessary thel
awining of many other new officers att
great expense
The navy department takes the po-
ati0n that the examinations were reg
niariy held and that the report Of the
e'zamiplng board win be considered
ilnal unless it can be shown there was
some error made Ia the ratings. It
tcontinued on Page Two)