Evening star., 1926-05-18
NAVY EQUALIZATION
BILL UP TOMORROW
Measure to Correct Pay and
Promotion Differences Ex-
peCted to Pass House.

The bill favorably reported from
the naval affairs committee LOT
equalization Of promotion and pay
hetween officers Of the staff and line
in the Navy comes up in the House
tomorrow as unfinished business.
with every indication that 1t Will be
passed by practically unanimous
vote.
The vote taken Wednesday in the
House was 227 10 %. indicating that
opposition to this measure IS rela
lively inconseQuential. Senate tead-
ers are favorable to this bill and are
ready TO take II UP as soon as tne
House has acted.
promnt action in both houses of
Congress is confidently expected be.
cause no appropriation is required
and the measure has had long and
careful study over period or three
years. Hearings have been held by
both the House ard Senate commit
tees on naval affairs, which have COW
cred weeks of testimony
Navy Behind Bill.
According to witnesses from all
branches Of the service. the sentiment
of the entire Navy seems to be that
his is a measure which will improve
the morale. smooth out friction that
has long existed between line and
staff. and that in this way it VIII
Immensely increase the efficiency OF
the service.
The hill to be taken up tomorrow
does away with the old system of
unequal promotion If officers who
entered the service at the same time,
who served under similar conditions
with identical risks and interests at
sea or in the field, and il gives the
same opportunity for promotion at
the same time to all officers of the
Navy. both line and staff, who are
cotemporaries.
The officers OF each staff corps who
are behind the line officers of equal
length of service will he Immediately
promoted in the same proportions as
their line contemporaries. Up to this
time promotion in the staff corps has
been very much slower than In the
line.
Not Shore Officers.
Hearings on this measure divulged
that there has existed a grave mis-
conception Of the functions of staff
officers. 1t was clearly pointed out
that they do not perform duty ex.
Clusively on shore, as many think.
and are not to be confused with the
general stan OF the -AIuIN. oiilNci >
of the Navy are composed of officers
of the line. medical officers, supply
officers. civil engineers and officers Of
the construction and chaplain corps
The House naval affairs committee,
during the hearings and in its report.
indicated that i'm these days of special
iZation each o. these divisions has its
own particular duty to perform and
all cooperate TO control success
fully the functions of vessels at sea
or naval establishments on shore.
Wherever the line officer goes the
staff officer also goeS-especially the
medical and supply officers.
The hearings on this measure have
shown that officers of the Medical
Corps. for example, enter the Navy at
an older average age than graduates
of the Naval Academy. The eight or
nine years of necessary training for a
graduate in medcine-four years in
an academic college. four in medical
college, and one as an inferno in q hos
pital-makes the average medical
officer about 20 or 80 years old when
he is commissioned in the Navy. This
is about OF years older than the
average age of midshipman when he
graduates from Annapolis.
Pay Own Way.
II has also been stressed that these
medical graduates pay for their own
education. while the Government pays
for the education of line officers NhO
graduate from the Naval Academy.
Those who testified for the Medical
Corps at the hearings both before
Senate and House committees ex-
planned that the functions of medical
officers, in addition to the treatment
Il ~ u
and that not the least important OF
their duties is the prevention Of dis
ease and cpldemics by application of
the principles of hygiene and santa
ton. by frequent inspection and
familiariZinC themselves with health
conditions in ports where ships of the
Navy visit. SO important are these
duties. and so efficiently have they
been performed. it was pointed out,
that the health of the President has
been constantly intrusted to the care
of medical officers of the Navy
Under the terms Of the Geneva
convention medical officers are non.
combatants. but at the hearings 1t
was shown that the shells of the
enemy are no respecters of persons,
AS attested by the large casualty lists
among medical officers In every war.
They serve not only or ships at sea
in all parts OF the world. having
alternately three wears of sea duty
and three of shore duty, but they
also served with the Marine Corps
expeditionary forces in the field in
the West Indies. Central America and
in France during the World War.
Several medical officers have received
he medal OF honor for personal gal
lantry in aCtlon. or other decorations
for distinguished service.