Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-24

Navy.
The Navy Department is opposed to
the proposal that would create a spe-
cialist corps in the Navy. This pro-
posal, It was said, would result in the
amalgamation of existing warrant and
commissioned warrant officers into the
specialist corps; fixation of grade from
ensign to lieutenant in that corps by
length of commissioned service; selec-
ton to lieutenant commander Of not
over 10 per cent Of each branch in the
corps; strength of corps to be approx
mately l ,525; warrant officers to be pro-
NOTED to rank of ensign in the corps
after four years service; retirement on
failure to pass examination for promo
ton; pay of parallel grades. of the line,
with certain saving clauses, and appl1-
cation to commissioned warrant officers
of the Marine Corps.
Under the present pay act commits
stoned warrant officers receive pay UNI
der several pay periods, according 10
their respective lengths Of commits
stoned service. Commissioned ofncers
of the line of the Navy are likewise paid
by these same or higher pay PERIODS
but there is no direct analogy between
pay period and rank, and in this, as IN
previous acts, it may be accepted tnaG
the hxation OF pay for commissioner
warrant officers by standards april
cable to commissioned officers OF the line
was rather because of availability OF
these standards than because OF any IN
tention to assume parallel OF duties
or rank.
The duties of the warrant and COM
miSSioned warrant grades are detlnitely
specialized, and in the execution OF
those duties these officers are frequent
ly and generally under the supervision
and direction Of officers OF the line OF
all grades. The grant of the varying
ranks carried by the proposal to COM
niSsioned warrant officers would serl-
ously impair their usefulness aboard
vessels of the Navy TO such an extent
that, in the opinion OF the Navy De-
partment, it would be inadv1sable 10 as
sign them to duty on any but the small
est vessels. The proposal, in the event
of its enactment into law, would re-
suit in an additional cost to the Navy
of approximately $170,300 a year ana
a cost of $45,398 year Tor the Ma
rine Corps, which, in these days OF
governmental economy, would en-
counter strong objection on Capitol
Hill.
Probably the most perplexing prob
lem to solve In adjusting the promo.
ton situation OF the Army, Navy ano
Marine Corps is that pertaining to the
separation of officers from those Serv-
ices, Both OF the Navy and Marine
Corps promotion measures that are
pending on the calendars OF the senate
and House of Representatives make use
of involuntary separation from these
respective services on completion OF a
certain number of years If not ad-
vanced to q higher grade. However, as
regards the situation in the Army, those
who are at present devoting their time
and talent to a solution OF the promo
ton situation existing in that branch
of the national defense recognize that
there are many difficult problems to
solve before there can be adjustment
with the Navy and Marine Corps, par
ticularly regarding forced attr1tlon to
provide promotion.
Many members of the Senate and
House have already gone on record as
being unalterably opposed TO any
scheme for adjustment of the Army
promotion system which involved the
Navy scheme OF forced attritlon; AS
pointed out by the Campbell-King board
of 1927, each service must improve its
distribution In rank to meet existing
and future conditions. Very little
change, that board believed, would be
required by the Navy and Marine Corps,
but such IS not the case with the mill
tary service. The Army has very
serious and unique problem in distribu-
ton to accommodate itself to reason
able progression in the careers OF its
present personnel.
The Navy Department is opposed also
to the proposal that would increase the
monthly base pay and the allowances
Of enlisted men of the Regular Navy.
The proposal would make an increased
cost to the Government of approx
naately $2S,l18.492 q year. In voicing
his disapproval of this measure the
Secretary of the Navy pointed out that
NATIONAL meets. Anotl Washingtoniar
who has won medals innumerable foE
the corps, as well as personally, q