Evening star., 1925-10-11

line. declared Rear Admiral w. r.
Shoemaker. chief of the Bureau OF
Navigation. which should be relieved
by legislation at the earliest practical
date. In this connection. the Admiral
said:
1.-THE first condition is the fact that
under present law officers who are
old in comparison with their class
mates have little or no prospects OF
reaching the highest or higher grades
OF the service. The second condition
is the preferred retirement status of
officers who entered the service from
reserve and temporary sources IN ac-
cordance with the act OF June 4, 1870.
The third condition is the necessity,
which will become more pressing In
future years, of extending selection
downward at least one grade, to such
an extent that forced retirements as
lieutenant commander will be largely
reduced or entirely obviated."
In further commenting upon the
first condition. Admiral Shoemaker de.
clared that those who are opposed to
service since graduation for retire
ment as a substitute for age IN re-
tirement maintain that there Is no
injustice done to older men OF the
class, since their records go to the Sc
lecting board and they are duly in.
vestiGated and passed upon. The
board would not, however, promote an
older man over younger officers simply
for the purpose of retaining such older
officer in the service. His record,
whatever he might be on the list,
would be vigorously scrutinized and
he would get promotion only If. he
were manifestly the most promising
material for promotion.
1.-The third condition. Admiral Shoe
maker said in conclusion. sis the Sc
lection downward Of one and perhaps
two grades. Primarily, the object OF
SO doing is to provide for a higher
average supply officers from which
the upper grades are recruited. The
lame ducks go out as lieutenants or
Junior lieutenants, and not as lieu
tenant comman nders and commanders,
and some money will be saved by their
elimination
AS the result Of a recommendation
made by the Bureau Of Aeronautics,
the Secretary of the Navy has ap-
pointed a special board for the pur-
pose of studying naval aviation per-
sonnel problems. This same question
Is being studied by the War depart
ment general staff, upon the COM
pletion of which a report will be made
to the Secretary of War. Both Of
these studies. 1t Is claimed, were insti.
tuted prior to the appointment Of
the Presidents Aircraft Investigation
Board.
The question of aholishing flying
pay, it has been insisted by the Sec
retary of War. is not being consid.
cred by the War Department. In
structions have been issued to the
naval special board to go thoroughly
into all aviation personnel questions,
and to submit its findings to the Sec
retary of the Navy before Congress
convenes in December.
Consideration is being given in the
War Department to the question of
crediting to Air Service officers the
time they served as flying cadets.
Crediting these officers with this
nine months flying cadet service
would make considerable difference
in the promotion list standing! Of air
service officers who entered the mill
tary service after the reorga niZation
of the Army. Regardless of the re-
port which the Presidents board may
submit, the authorities in both the
War and Navy Department recognize
that aviation personnel legislation
will he a burning question before the
military and naval committees, and
they will be prepared to submit a
Due to the fact that the larger
vessels Of the scouting fleet, under
the schedule adopted some time ago
will be engaged in target practice,
considerable difficulty Is being ex-
perienced by the Navy Department
in distributing the fleet along the At
lantic seaboard to participate in the
Navy day exercises, which will be held
on October 81.
The control force. consisting largely
of mine sweepers, submarines and
the submarine tender Camden. will
be distributed principally in the New
England ports. Unfortunately. the
light cruisers Of the scouting fleet
are busily engaged in their Fall prac
tice. and due to this no light cruiser
will be available for Navy day.
The ships which have been definitely
assigned to the East coast up to the
present are: The U. s. S. Whipple to
Savannah, Ga; the U. S. S. Smith.
Thompson to Mobile, Ala; the U. s.
S. Sands to New Rochelle, N. Y, and
the U. s. S. Gilmer to Jacksonville,
Fla.
On the West coast, however, a more
satisfactory condition exists, and the
battle fleet will be so distributed that
one or moro battleships will be an
chored at most Of tho larger ports.
The distribution Of ships on the West
coast will be as follows: West Vir-
ginia. Maryland, Colorado, and tho
Tennessee at San Francisco; Idaho to
Santa Cruz; Pennsylvania at San
Pedro: the New Mexico to Santa
Barbara; the Arizona and Nevada to
Long Beach: the California and Okla.
homa will visit Puget Sound Navy
Yard. while the Mississippi will go to
Monterey, Calf.
That closer liaison may be main.
tanned by the Navy Department In
underwater sound science at Har.
ward University, decision has been
made by the naval authorities to de-
tail two officers to take postgraduate
courses at this institution.
Special interest Is being attached
at this time to the underwater sound
tests conducted by the Maryland.
West Virginia and tho Omaha during
the cruise to Australia. Splendid re.
suits were obtained by the Maryland
with its sonic depth finder. The un.
derwater communication between
ships was not SO satisfactory, and It
Is evident that some Improvement
must be made in the system which is
now In use.