Evening star., 1933-05-20
UPHAM OPPOSES t
NAVAL SLASHES
Admiral Testifies Before
House Committee as De.
partment Considers Cuts.

While the Navy Departments Econ
omy Committee headed by Assistant
Secretary Henry L. Roosevelt, is con-
sidering plans for eliminating between
500 and 800 officers from the active
list. Rear Admiral Frank B. Upham,
chief Of the Bureau of Navigation,
testifying yesterday before the House
Naval Committee, vigorously opposed a
slash and protested against the pro-
gram laying up one-third of the fleet
and OF aircraft. He was testifying on
the Vinson bill to permit the President
to retire some 500 naval officers.
The Roosevelt Economy Committee
has made Iio report touching officer
personnel. as yet, but has the whole
matter under consideration. 1t will
make report to Secretary of the Navy
Claude A. Swanson, when it has made
up its mind. Mr. Roosevelt said yes
terday: "All matters connected with
the personnel and the reorganization
Of the Navy Department are still under
consideration, and the date Of definite
report has not yet been determined
upon" The Assistant Secretary made
no official comment on the exact num-
Der of officers to be placed on the in
active list of the Navy, under the
economy program.
OF the rotating reserve" plan-as
the program Is called, under which
one-third of the fleet would be placed
in reserve and aircraft likewise laid up
Admiral Upham said: with a third
of the, fleet in reserve, in reduced
status, and avowedly unready to oper-
ate; second third newly joining the
fleet with crews out of training for the
past six months. and 40 per cent new
or transferred men. and the last and
trained third anticipating going into
reserve, it should be obvious that the
United States Fleet will be farther and
farther from readiness to take efficient
part in a naval campaign, and with
much reduced chance Of success In
battle.
Prom . feet in training for feet
operations, we became a much reduced
group of ships for training; and We be-
come, in 1884, an aggregation OF ships
in conservation. Progress Is arrested;
retrogression sets in" r.
Admiral Upham is slated to become
commander in chief Of the United
States Asiatic Fleet in the Fall.
Regarding personnel, Admiral Upham
told the House Naval Committee:
1.-The number Of flag officers OF the
line on the active list Of the Navy to-
day is, in my opinion. none too large
for the present peace-time needs, to
We have today total of SO officers OF
flag rank in the United States Navy,
as compared with IS British, "a Japa-
neSe, 81 French and "a Italian officers
| Of flag rank. ...,
"In my opinion there is not one OFF,
Ger on the active list of the line of
the Navy whose services are not re-
| quired and whom the country would
not be infinitely thankful to have II
war should unfortunately descend
| upon us.
ITO fully man the ships which we
now have in commission, and which 1t
| is proposed to retain in the 1884 oper-
ating force plan, there are required
4,229 line officers. We actually have
ashore 2.086 officers, making a total Of
6,315 officers which We require for our
prescnt-day Navy. If We consider the
| ships which we now have actually built
in commission and out of commission,
and the number which we are actually
| building, we find that we would re-
| quire, to fully man those ships at sea,
| 5,963 line officers, and to fully man the
ships Of the treaty navy, 6,124 line ofh-
GERS, the last two figures being in ad-
dition to the officers who are required
ashore
TT must be apparent, therefore, that
the strength of the line at the present
time is net in excess of reasonable
naval needs, and it must further be
borne in mind that line officers can
not be obtained from civil life. There
is no civil profession corresponding to
that of the line officer"