The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-06-20
SELECT 'RlNG' IS RULING NAVY,
 BRI'I7EN AYERS
Declares Big Appointment Plums Dished Out By
 Butterfly Set
By THOMAS l.. STOKES (By Leased Wire to Age -Herald)


 WASHINGTON, June 19.-A select ring of officers here is dominating the navy and ydishing out the big plums among members of "butterfuly set" -of which they are the nucleus-tear- ing down the system of promotions by merit established by Congress. This, charge is made by Represen- tative Britten of Illinois, champion of large nnvy, in letter to President Coolidge. Britten, who is ranking mem- ber of the naval affairs committee, asks ,<that the President make an investiga- tion of the system of promotions, de- claring he believes such an inquiry Twill result in benefit to the navy"
 Britten's charge comes as attention / here is focused on the recent series of naval disasters and accidents, culminat- ing in the Mississippi explosion with it's 40 fatalities. Britten makes no direct charge of inefficiency but re- marks in speaking of one of six recent rear admiral promotions-which he singles out as examples-that with in AS hours after his approval for the rank of real admiral, one of the six lucky officers ran his battleship, the West Virginia, aground"
 Dominated By Ring
 For the past five years," he writes the President, 'it has been quite evident to me that a select ring of Washington line officers have thor oughly dominated the navy and have assigned to themselves (and to their friends) all of the military and social plums.
 '.'The naval academy, London and Paris emba Ssies, command of the fleets, special European assignments, Medite- rannean cruises and topside Washing ton appointments have been jealously parcelled out to those in the butterfly set and to none others, and I might say that this condition is not too happily received by the officer aboard ship who is on the outside looking in.'
 Voices General Discontent
 Britten is speaking out the discon tent here among some younger officers with the way promotions are being made Under the system, the naval selection board selects those who are moved up. Its personnel is changed | from time to time. This was set up by Congress nine years ago when the old "plucking board" was abolished. It | is supposed to make appointments on the basis of merit, and seniority is not | to be taken into consideration.
 Ut was the thought of Congress" Britten wrote, that promotion by semi ority was wrong in principle and that selection would provide an incentive for | advancement which in turn would promote ambition, thrift. eontancy, and efficiency in the navy. In~other words, an opportunity for promotion ahead of his class was to be given the ambitious progressive, superior minded young of- ficer."
 T think that the navy generally has already indicated it's disappointment in some of the selections for promo tions and that it feels that real selec- tion up does not prevail" Britten says | . of the way the method is working out. |
 Should Repeal Provision"
 If merit and capacity are not to be rewarded by promotion, then Con- gress should repeal the selection up | provisions of law so that young officers | may not longer be deceived by the de- fusion tha ttheir personal advancement | rests largely with themselves"
 Britten singles cut six recent eleva tions to rear admiral made by the selec- tion board and approved by the Presi- dent.
 With the exception of two captains, who had been previously passed, the six promotions are taken from the first ten captains on the list and by peculiar circumstance, the four cap tains passed over are graduates of the war college while the six captains | selected for rear admirals have been to the war college. Another noteworthy | circumstance is that three of the six captains promoted are at present as- signed to the department in Washing ton"
 Tt is unreasonable to assume that the senior ten captains are each and every one of them superior to the re- maining 150 captains eligible for pro- motion and it will be impossible to con- vince the navy and Congress that real merit and not seniority has been re- warded"