Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-12-28
Army andNavyNews

posal. The Houston, which is to be
commanded by Capt. Robert A. Dawes,
U. S. N, will sail from the New York
Navy Yard for the Asiatic station on
January 10, 1881, her route to her per-
manent station being by way Of Hamp-
ton Roads, Va; the Panama Canal and
Honolulu.
The change in the flagship Of the de-
Stroyer SQuadrons Of the Battle Fleet,
involving the displacement of the U. S.
s. Omaha by the U. S. s. Raleigh, and
other shifts of ships from one coast to
the other in the reorganization of the
forces af1oat, following the feet con-
centration at Panama in the Spring,
will neceSsitate a number of changes in
the assignment of officers and also
transportation for members of their
home ports and home yards changed.
With the transfer of the u. S. S.
Langley from the West to the East
coast, after the fleet concentration, most
Of the enlisted pilots Of that vessel will
be transferred to the U. S. S. Lexing-
ton and the U. s. S. Saratoga. The
enlisted pilots are to be replaced by
officer pilots from the Lexington and
Saratoga.
Three other officers of the Navy who
sion in Brazil have been assigned to
duty in this country. The first, Capt.
George c. Pegram, will come to duty
at the Navy Department as a member
of the Naval Examining Board pending
his assignment to sea duty next Sum-
mer. The second officer from the naval
mission Is Capt. Russell Wilson, who
has been ordered to assume command
of Destroyer Division 10 of the Battle
It'll i~I s=
B. Mckinney, who will go to duty on
the staff of the Naval War College.
Army.
In recognition of their World War
and Spanish-American War service it
has been proposed to authorize the
promotion upon retirement of officers
of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and
Coast Guard. Under the proposal pro-
vision would be made for the promotion
upon retirement of all officers of these
four services who have attained or have
passed their wartime rank. No pro-
vision would be made for the promotion
of an officer to rank higher than
brigadier general or its equivalent
which would partially correct the in
equalitieS in wartime promotion that
were especially prevalent in the Army
due to its poorly devised scheme of
temporary promotions during the war,
which were dependent upon the recon-
mendation of commanding officers
availability, instead of upon past records
and performance of duty.
AS result of this lack of system
every annual class from 1900 to 1916
had its officers serving in three to five
different ranks. The West Point class
of 1904 is typical, officers of this class
during the World War being distributed
in the ranks of major. lieutenant colo
mel, colonel and brigadier general.
The proposal also provides for the
promotion of veterans of the Spanish
American War to the highest rank held
by them during that war. The num-
Der affected is few, the most outstand-
ing case, perhaps, being that of Lieut.
Col. Charles King, U. s. A. retired, of
Wisconsin. This distinguished officer
and author of note is now Sc years old,
he was retired for wounds in the line
of duty in 1879 served as brigadier
general during the Spanish-American
War, reverted to his regular rank of
captain after that war, remained on
active duty and served in the World
War as a captain and major.
Another interesting section Of the
proposal pertains to those officers with
wartime service whose record was so
outstanding as to merit the honor of
operations, chief of staff, admiral, vice
admiral, etc, only to be rewarded upon
retirement by a demotion to one or two
ranks lower. If the service of these
officers is so distinguished that, because
of this recognized ability to meet the
added responsibility of higher COM
mandS, they were given such higher
commands and rank. 1t is believed that
these officers are at least entitled to
the honor and recognition of the higher
rank they earned. The proposal would
give this group of officers the privilege
Of holding this high rank on the re-
tired list.
Three officers Of the Navy and three
of the Army compose the members of a
Joint Army and Navy Board that will
be shortly convened in Washington for
the purpose of considering and making
recommendations as to the purchase Of
patent rights covering inventions in the
arc of control by radiodynamic energy
of the movement of water-borne car
riers of high explosives, in accordance
with the proposal made by John Hays
Hammond, jr, and a radio engineering
company. The Navy members of the
board are Capt. George B. Wright,
Lieut.. CoTndr. j. L. King and Lieut.. A.
j. Spriggs. The Army board members
are Col Robert S. Abernethy, C. A. c.;
Lieut.. Col. Joseph I. McMullen, j. A.
@. D., and Lieut.. Col. Joseph o. Maui
borgne, S. @.