Evening star., 1937-11-09
LACK OF OFFICERS
. FOR NAVY CITED
Rear Admiral Andrews Asks
: Transferred Regulars
: List Legislation.

Enactment of legislation creating a
transferred regulars list, now pending
in Congress, was urged today by Rear
admiral Adolphus Andrews. chief OF
the Bureau of Navigation, Navy De-
partment, in his annual report to
Secretary Swanson, to meet the short
age in officer personnel. He also ad-
vocated the maintenance Of the Naval
Academy appointments on the present
basis of four to each Senator and
Representative as further means of
relieving the shortage.
: The transferred regulars list legis-
1ation, the admiral explained, would
retain "the active services of officers
who under existing law would retire
after failure of selection and to i'm
prove the adverse conditions with
(which such officers are now con-
tronted."
Its enactment will reduce and ulti-
tnately make up the shortage of Off
GERS earlier discussed and will increase
the morale of the officer personnel of
the Navy" the admiral wrote.
Enlisted Strength Gains Slightly.
With the commissioning of new ves-
sels in the feet. Admiral Andrews
pointed out, the average enlisted
strength of 96,500 enlisted men was
insufficient to make substantial gain
toward the desirable end of manning
The fleet to 100 per cent of compile
ment; the allowances of vessels aver
age 86.1 per cent of the enlisted CON-
plement as compared with $50 pei
cent for 1886"
The officer personnel has not kept
pace with the enlisted personnel MOI
with the increase Of the feet by newly
commissioned vessels" Admiral An.
sirews declared. The graduating class
at the Naval Academy was relatively
small With the usual losses through.
out the year, the line strength re-
manned constant 6,341, on June 80
1887, as compared with 6,340 on the
preceding June 80. Recognizing thai
T,94l line officers are necessary to mar
the peacetime treaty Navy now nearly
completed, an obvious deficiency ex.
ists, ameliorated only In part by the
assignment of aviation cadets to ses
huty as they graduate from the Pen
sacola course. In consequence of thi,
shortage in the number 1t has moi
peen practicable to furnish vessels OF
the fleet with their full allowance oi
officers. The maintenance of the
Naval Academy on four appointment
basis IS necessary, to make up for an
nual losses and to provide an annual
increment toward the increase of the
line strength
AS a further means of reducing
the deficiency by retaining on active
ruty officers who would otherwise
under existing law pass to the retired
list. the enactment of the pending
legislation for the creation of trans
ferred regulars list is most desirable. a"
Backs Naval Reserve Plan.
Continued progress and the appro-
priation of necessary funds toward the
completion of the flve-year plan for
the Naval Reserve was strongly rec
commended" by Admiral Andrews.
Restoration of the re-enlistment allow
ance was urged and the chief of the
Bureau of Navigation asserted that no
immediate relief is in sight for made
quate housing conditions at the Canal
Zone and Pearl Harbor, T. H. He
pointed out that cat the Naval Train
ing Station. Norfolk, the wartime
buildings now annuity require large
upkeep expenditures" and he urged
remedial action.
Admiral Andrews pointed to the
Tack of suitable quarters for officers,
both in the Naval Academy and avail
able for rent in the city of Annapolis. t"
He said this is "a serious detriment
to the efficiency of the Academy"
Concerning civilian employees of the
bureau, Admiral Andrews said: The
bureau feels deeply for its loyal and
hard-working employees on whom ad-
vancing age, increased responsibilities,
and higher costs of living have placed
heavy burden with no additional
income. The bureau will include es-
Inmates for reasonable number of
promotions in its estimates for the
fiscal year 1889, and earnestly hopes
that these estimates will be favorably
considered and receive legislative ap-
proval in the 1889 appropriation act"