Evening star., 1934-01-01
Personnel in Alarming State
Viewed From Prepared
ness Angle, Says Report. i
ADMIRAL LEAHY URGES
MORE AIR OBSERVERS
Criticizes Economy Act Effect on
Morale-Praises New Ship
building Program.

The Nays personnel is in alarm
ing condition, due to recent economy
slashes, as far as preparedness for war
goes, Rear Admiral William D. Leahy,
chief Of the Bureau Of Navigation, Navy
Department, today asserted in his an
nual report, which recommended to
Secretary Swanson that vessels Of the
active fleet in commission should be
kept in full complement both Of officers
and enlisted men,
OF the personnel situation, over
which he has charge. Admiral Ieahy
had this to say: The demands OF
economy have, Of late years, enforced
gradually decreasing crews to a num-
Der that IS now unsatisfactory from the
point OF view Of efficient operation, and
that Is alarming from the point of view
OF preparedness for war, inasmuch as
the system Of personnel supply must
plan on providing additional men from
the active fleet on declaration Of war,
rather than of Withdrawing from ships
in full commission a small nuclei of
trained men for newly commissioned
vessels. An undermanned fleet becomes
a liability in war on the sources Of per-
sonnel supply, not an asset as it should
and would be II fully manned"
Advocates Pilot Increase.
The admiral urged that there "be no
reduction In the present total line
strength or in any particular rank" and
advocated that there should be an in
crease in the number of specially Quali-
ned observers who may be authorized
to draw flight pay"
In view of a certain and progressive
rise in the cost of living, l strongly
| recommend that all reductions in the
pay, allowances and emolumentS of the
personnel of the Navy be removed at
the earliest possible date, and that con-
sideration be given to general revis-
ion upward OF Navy pay" wrote Ad-
niral Ieahy
On this subject, the admiral showed
that while the personnel Of the public
schools in the District have enjoyed
an increase in emolumentS OF l45 per
cent since 1903 the Army and Navy
| benefited but IL per cent. The foreign
| service Jumped ITS per cent since 1903
IN emoluments, declared Admiral Leahy
while the mechanical branches of the
Civil Service went up l53 per cent as
slstant secretaries III, per cent; post
ONCE inspectors, 90 per cent; Civil
Service clerical, 81 per cent; the judi
| clary, 62 per cent; Congress, 33ls per
|
cent.
Draw Less Than in 1908.
The increase of IL per cent indi-
Gated for the Army and Navy from the
pay scale of 1908 means exactly what
1t says, that is that naval officers. II
paid under the full salary scale of to-
! day, draw only II per cent more money
than II they We're paid under the full
/ OF
rairal- Thus officers of the Navy as
whole. under the Is per cent cut, are
now drawing 4 per cent less than they
would draw If paid under the 1903
schedule. Consideration of this situa-
| ton causes a feeling of neglect and
adverse discrimination in the naval
service"
Cancellation Of re-enliStment allow
ances, said the admiral, may be ex-
pected to have a detrimental effect on
| the enlisted service during the forth
coming year" He added that re
enAstmentS may be expected to de-
crease and first enlistments to fall of
in quality" and that this will surely
be the case when economic conditions
| improve"
Admiral Leahy took occasion to point
out the hardship on retired officers. He
said: 1t is particularly unfortunate
that the IS per cent reduction in pay
was required Of retired officers Retired
pay IS considered as capital already
earned, and any weakening Of the ac-
crued rights to retired pay may be ex-
pected to affect the morale of the entire
active list"
Praises Recovery Plan.
The chief Of the Bureau of Naviga-
ton paid tribute to the President and
J recovery in this wise: Through the
national recovery act and the far
/ sighted craftsmanship OF the President
of the United States, the Navy has Sc
c''red substantial building program.
% referred to the ALLEGATION of $685.
100000 Of Public Works Administra-
| ton funds for the construction of 80
| new warships, by executive order
The United States Navy now has "a
greater proportion of enlisted men at
sea and lesser proportion Of enlisted
men ashore by far than any other navy
in the world" declared the admiral. To
| the Civilian Conservation Corps, the
| Navy has loaned 228 line lieutenants
and Heutenants junior grade, while
2i3 medical officers and six dental
officers Of the Navy are on duty with
that organization, Admiral Leahy said.
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