Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1922-03-23
NAVAL BILL NOW
BEFORE CONGRESS

Three hundred and forty of
the $40 midshipmen who are to
be graduated at the Naval Acad-
emy next June instead ~of being
commissioned ensigns in the
Navy will be given their choice
of entering the Marine Corps as
second licutenants. or of filling
existing vacancies in the grade of
ensign in the engineer corps of
the Coast Guard. in the lower
grades of the construction corps,
the corps OF civil engineers or the
supply corps of the Navy.
Maximum Personnel, 10000
This provision is contained in the
Navy bill which was reported TO the
House OF Congress yesterday by the
Naval Committee, which liked the
maximum authorized personnel at S0.-
600 plus 5000 apprentices. or 10000
less than Secretary Denby' declared
was requisite to operate the "10-year-
holiday" feet
The Navy bill. as reported provides
that the Secretary of the Navy shall
determine each year, prior to the
graduation of each first class, the
total number OF vacancies existing at
the time in the rank OF ensign, and
that the academic board OF the Acad-
emy, after giving equal considera-
ton to the scholastic standing and
| adaptability for naval service of
each" shall determine which men
shall be held and considered in OK
cess of the number. to lie appointed
| as ensigns.
The bill provides further that mid
shipmen who are not commissioned
as ensigns i'm the Navy shall be grad
uated with the memters OF their class
IL otherwise eligible and that the Ma
val Academy is authorized TO confer
the degree OF bachelor of science upon
all mdshipmen hereafter graduating.
During the years 1922, 1923 and 1924
not more than 200 officers from each
class graduated are to be commits
stoned in the grade of ensign in the
line of the Navy.
| Appointments of candidates TO the
| Academy are to be cut drastically
Heretofore each representative and
Senator has had the appointment Of
five midshipmen. Beginning March
&. 1923, each member of Congress
will have but two. This years ap-
pointments have already been to
large extent made, the committee
made no attempt to change the ex-
sting quota for 1922.
Naval Cuts Proposed
The new Naval bill, proposes to
cut the authorized strength of the
navy from it's present maximum OF
1877. 900 enlisted men TO $4,000, and
the numter of officers from $500 to
3,440, but it has already been decided
by the Appropriations Committee that
money shall not be carried even for
the reduced authorization.
Instead OF $4,000 enlisted men, the
Appropriations Committee intends TO
provide money for only $1,000, neces-
stating the elimination of 10000 en-
listed men now in the navy.
Administration supporters are ex-
pected to resist this cut even more
vigorously than they did the cut in
the army, when the Navy bill reaches
the floor.
The Administration met decisive de-
feat in its clash with Congress over
the size of the military and naval
establishments.
Final action on the Army bill in
the House went over until Friday, but
votes clearly indicated control OF the
situation by the small army" con-
tingent
Defying the wishes of President
Harding and Secretary Weeks, the
House voted for an army Of only 115,-
900 men and 1000 officers. 4,
Even Authority Questioned
When the House adjourned at night
Congress and the President were
surely in grips. The controversy even
extends to the question whether the
President, as commander in chief
shall have sole jurisdiction over tha
distribution of troops. The pending
bill would order home all the troops
now in China. all but 500 of those I'M
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