The Washington times., 1925-02-18
Why the Navy Is Losing
Practical Seafaring Men

The ANIMAL report of the Secretary of the Navy complains
that the seaarg disappearing from our navy
likewise that there many inexperienced officers
Whatever tends niure the fighting quality morale
of the personnel Of the nations first line of defense is of
the most profound Importance to the country Every pa
triotic American is vitality concerned.
Secretary of the Navy and his advisers given sui
Cien thought manifest for OF
the 'old seafarng man. and Of mighty valuable part OF
unjust discrimination in pay as between and
mssioned officers who have worked up from the ranks and
Naval Academy?
Where the Navy get required experience there is
neglect of and discrimination against an essential parhe
practical seaman paro the personne4 where
is the incentive for enlisted of the Navy to remain the
service for in the hopes OF promotion to warrant and
Both the Secretary of the Navy and the Chief Of the Blu
reau Of Navigation point out the shortage among
and warrant officers admit that taken
concerted effort to overcome.
These officers Navy indispensable part of any
fleet They chief b0atwans and boatsWaln chief gunners
and gunner chief machns and machns chief carpenters
and carpenters pharmacists clerks etc They constitute
practical seaman type which cannot be overlooked
They called and warrant Of
Ulcers Jet the commissioned men are commissioned officers
in the fullest Of the word, appointed confirmed and
commissioned in the same way admirals.
They have their through hard knocks and long
and eorious service They have demonstrated their worth
60 the Navy The chief gunners and gners for example
understand the construction dimounng and assembling
of all remedyng Of defects etc. construction adjust
1nen torpedOes all about
magazine shell rooms storage and protection Of batteries
ordnance stores etc. they must be competent electricians
machinery Of the Navy.
Largely through the influence Of THEODORE R0OSE-
WELT Assistant Secretary of the Navy Congress pro-
yided for their commissions ensgn which they reach
after some fifteen years Of service While Roosevelt was
President Congress made further fair provisions for them
Under Secretary DANIELS administration Of the Navy Con-
ress provided further advancement to the and
allowances Of junior lieutenant after six more years Of
commissioned service and the pay and allowances Of senior
lieutenant after twelve years commissioned service This
they securely had although they could go no higher n
h 1922 Congress passed the Joint Service Pay Act
viding IN single bill uniform increase Of pay for the Navy
Army Marine Corps and other services An increase was
necessary to meet increased of living Congress m
creased the pay officers by about 40 cent over
the 1908 pay schedue-a except this group Of officers who
had come p from the ranks and who had nobody to speak
for them in the hearings the bill onesenence joker IN
the bill not only any Of the 20 cent increase
but took away $50 month Of the that they
were receiving under the 1908 schedule This joker destroyed
their assimilation ensign junior lieutenant and senior lieu
tenant Thus and in second disappeared
the nav status which Roosevelt and Daniels had established
for them wears before The result that the average officer
of this group assmaed lieutenant draws less than one
half the pay Of lieutenant Annapolis of like service
pending the House to remedy this injustice backed
Congessmen CURRY McSWAN and others being held
up for some inexpcable in committee Il but
restores TO this group officers what Roosevelt and Daniels
procured for them That bill ought be reported out and
passed without delay in justice to these officers and for
the betterment of the Navy.
the Navy that while there strong incentive for ambitious
men to remain the Navy and become fully acquainted with
their duties thereby becoming most useful to the nation they
did So The Of that incentive is Of having
bad effect services should be retained by the
Navy quit of the unfair against them