Evening star., 1934-03-16
PLAN REDUCTION
IN NAVAL STAFF
Reorganization Board Asks
Use of Postgraduate
Line Men.

Reduction in the peace-time
strength of staff officers and the use
of post graduate line officers to per-
form junior duties of the staff corps
are paramount among recommended
tions of the Navy Department Reor-
ganization Board, made public today
The report of the board, which was
headed by Assistant Secretary Henry
L. Roosevelt, has been approved by
Secretary Swanson and will be car
ried into effect. officials said.
The Marine Corps would lose l02
officers in its authorized peace-time
strength and the organizations pay
master and quartermaster depart
ments merged, but the present se-up
of the Naval Bureaus is not to be dis
turbed.
The Office of the Assistant Secretary
Of the Navy would exercise closer su-
pervision of non-military matters af-
fecting the naval shore establish
mentS.
Short of Line Officers.
The boards report revealed the
Navy is now short 1913 line officers
of the total number necessary to
operate combatant vessels in the cur
rent mobilization plan and to ad-
minister the shore establishment es-
sential to the support of the fleet
during mobilization" The report
urges that the number never be per-
mitted to fall below 5,499, which is
authorized by law. Increase in the
line officer allowance as the need
grows for additional numbers to
mobilize a gradually increasing num-
ber of ships being constructed under
treaty agreements. was urged.
The board recommended that the
number of enlisted men be MAIN
vide all ships in commission with not
less than IS per cent of their full
compliments"
The system of inspection of Marine
Corps activities should be changed.
the board held, in urging that IN
spections hereafter be made by inspec-
tion boards appointed for thep urpoSe
by the major general commandant"
While the board recommended that
junior officers of the line be sent to
Staff Corps duties. it declared that
complete malgamation of any Staff
Corps with the line be not effected"
and expressed the opinion that no
radical change in the existing crgani-
cation OF the Navy Department gives
sufficient promise of improvement in
the war efficiency of the fleet or of
economy in the expenditure of public
funds to justify its adoption at the
present time" This is in sharp con-
traSt to the recommendations con-
tanned in the bill by Chairman Vinson
OF the House Naval Committee to re-
organize the Navy Department., be-
cause that measure, now pending in
Congress. makes number of radical
alterations in the existing set-up To
accomplish the recommended changes
set out by the Roosevelt Board,
changes in naval regulations are to be
issued.
Sharp Reduction Urged.
The boards report urges that the
authorized time strength of the
Medical Corps be reduced from 1907
to 745 and that this reduced peace
time allowance be increased by 6.5 for
each 1000 increase in the pres
ent total number Q06,442) of the
Navy and Marine Corps personnel
The board left the present authorized
peace strength Of the Dental Corps
at 1876 and recommended that this
group be increased l for each 500
increase in the Navy-Marine Corps
personnel
The authorized peace time strength
of the Chaplain Corps should be re-
duced from 149 to 76. The Construc-
ton Corps should be slashed from
275 to 140, the board held, and the
Supply Corps, in which paymasters
serve, should be reduced from $50 to
440. The Civil Engineer Corps, which
has charge of the shore building pro-
gram of the Navy, should be cut from
ITO to 80.
The board declared that this rec
commended reduction in the Staff Corps
be accomplished by normal attrition
and by filling only one vacancy in
three in each corps until the new