Evening star., 1936-11-02
NAVY TO INCREASE
OFFICER STRENGTH
Full Personnel Quota Under
Treaty Due to Be Reached
About 1941.
BY WILLIAM A. MILLEN.

The Navy will reach its full strength
of officer personnel about 194l at the
, present rate of graduation of midship-
men from the Naval Academy, the
Navy Department said yesterday. This
Is contingent on conditions remaining
as at present, officials added
The service will need around 1000
new officers in addition to what it will
lose in the meantime through deaths,
designations and from other causes,
20 the treaty Navy will be properly
officered when it attains its author
tied strength by 1912, under present
plans of the administration and Con-
gress. This growth in officer per-
sonnel will be in the junior grades,
officials said. as rear admirals and
captains will not experience any ma
terial alteration.
This increase in officer personnel is
required to keep pace with additional
warships being constructed under the
Vinson-Trammell act, which provides
that by 1912 the American Navy will
be up to allowances under existing
treaties. 1t also is made imperative
by the recent material increase in the
number of enlisted men of the Navy,
which is still continuing.
6,53l Line Officers Maximum.
The authorized strength in officer
personnels is 6,53l line officers and
actually at the present time the Navy
has around 5000 officers. officials
anticipate that in 1941 some 500
lieutenants. who have not received the
required promotion 81 years after
graduation, will be dropped from the
active list.
The enlisted strength of the Navy
by July l next will be 100000. The
average for this fiscal year is $4,000,
1t was said. There have been
indications that 5000 additional blue
jackets will be requested from Con-
gress shortly so the new warships may
be properly manned.
Thus, creation of additional war
ships and enlisted men means extra
officers will be required for the Navy
Actually, no appointments are made in
peace time directly from civilian life
to commissioned status. Officers are
secured through the Naval Academy
and the very small proportion of for
mer enlisted men who come up
through the warrant grades to be
commissioned officers.
Four Appointments Is Limit.
Back in 1917 each Senator and
Representative was allowed five ap-
pointees to the Naval Academy and
this condition continued for a number
Of years. Now, each national legis-
lator is limited to four appointments
by available funds In 1885 the num-
Der was raised from three to four,
through appropriations.
But officials pointed out that there
Is another important factor in the
situation. The General Board of the
Navy, which advises the Secretary on
matters of policy, has just completed
a special study of the whole problem
OF promotion by selection as it exists
today in the service. The contents |
OF this report are a cloSely-guarded !
secret, but it is known the various
bureaus Of the Navy Department are
now at work making a study of the |
recommendations it contains and add
ing their own comments
The whole question of officer per-
eonnel is complicated one, officials !
declared. Admiral William H. Stand |
ley, chief Of naval operations, has said |
many times that as a rule the ships /
Of the Navy are but IS per cent |
manned. The stepping up of the
compliments, both officer and enlisted |
strength, to par is desired by naval
authorities.