Evening star., 1937-03-07
SELECTION SYSTEM
OF NAVY OPPOSED
Mas Recommends Aboli-
ton in Favor of Auto.
matte Promotions.
Dissatisfied with the naval selection

Dissatisfied with the naval selection
system, Representative Melvin j
Mas of Minnesota, deems it impera-
tive for the good of the Navy to abol-
ish the selection system. Mas, a
keen student of naval affairs, Is al
work on legislation designed to effect
an entirely new promotion system.
Under the provisions of the bill now
being prepared, promotion would be
automatic, following the expiration OF
specified periods of service in each
grade. The two lower grades would
be in a combination period. At the
end of three years service in the grade
Of ensign promotion to lieutenant
(junior grade) would follow as mat
ter of course. The period of time
spent as lieutenant (junior grade)
would be four years, which would be
followed by automatic promotion to
lieutenant. Each successive grade
thereafter would carry a seven-year
period of service, with promotion to
the higher grade up to that OF cap
tain. Promotion to rear admiral
would necessarily be by selection. AT
the expiration of a Seven-year period
as captain, all officers not selected Tor
further promotion would be automal-
cally retired Periodical elimination
for physical deficiency would be part
Of Mas plan.
Mas introduced a bill in the House
last week to limit the consideration
of boards, convened by the Secretary
of the Navy to select officers of the
line and staff corps of the Navy for
promotion, to the professional records
of eligible officers. This bill is de-
signed to make the matter of physical
fitness one with which the selection
board would have no concern. The
author of this measure is of the opin-
Ion that it is altogether too easy to
keep an officer from consideration on
q pretext of physical unf1tness. If an
officer is to be retired for physical dis
ability, Mas contends, the matter
should be in the hands of medical
board. In the case of retirement at
the hands of the selection board, the
officer receives 2l2 per cent multiplied
by the number of years OF service
His bill would carry rs per cent Of
active pay.
A board Of officers of the Civil
Engineer Corps will convene at the
Navy Department on April II, to rec
ommend one officer of that corps fol
advancement to the rank of real
admiral. The board will consist ol
Rear Admirals Frederic R. Harris
eetired; Luther E. Gregory, retired, ane
Reuben E. Bakenhus, with Lieut.. Car
w. Porter as recorder.
Rear Armiral William H. Allen viii
be detached from command OF the
Yangtze Patrol and come here tt
assume duty at the Navy Department
In the operations Office. The following
lieutenant commanders have been or.
dered detached from their present sta
tions and will proceed to their homes
and stand relieved of all active duty
They include Lieut.. Comdrs. George
L. bT6WSIeI dllu WLUul w.
U. S. S. Arizona; William P. Bacon
U. S. S. Chicago: Edwin S. Earnhardt
U. S. S. Louisville; Robert A. Awtrey
U S. S. Mississippi; Arthur T. Emer-
son, U. S. S. Nevada; Joseph H. Law
son, U. S. S. New Mexico; Arnold H
Bateman. U. S. S. Northampton
Carroll w. Hamil, U. S. S. Tennessee;
Nelson H. Gates, U. S. S. Vestal; Pau
S. Goen, Mare Island Navy Yard
Lowell Cooper, Sd Naval District;
Sidney w. Kirkland, Pensacola Nava
Air Station, and Carlyle Craig, Phila.
delphia Navy Yard.
The following officers reported to the
Navy Department last week for duty
Rear Admiral w. S. Anderson tc
Bureau of Naval Operations; Lieut.
Comdr j. E. Hamilton to the Bureau
of Engineering; Lieut.. G. L. Purmort
to the Naval Examining Board, and
Comdr. A. H. Yando to the Naval
Dental School.