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Show SMS NAVY IS IN NO I CQNDITIONF0R WAR I Engineering Department in a Critical Condition, Declares r- Admiral Rae. F POINTS TO BENNINGTON I DISASTER AS EXAMPLE I New Regulation Doesn't Give Younger Officers the Req- I uisite Experience. WASHINGTON. Nov. 2. Rear-Admiral I'h.ni, W Rae. eiiginrver-ln-chlcf of the I I'nlted States Navy, In his annual report calls attention to 'tho critical condition fc' of engineering In the navy." and points t ' to the exploaion on the gunboat Bennlnir- jlc'-ton jlc'-ton In San Diego harbor, which he says most forcibly emphasizes the . necessity Ir of serious and Immediate attention. P., Criticises Personnel Bill. H Speaking of the operations of the per- II tonnel bill, which merges the corps of I- engineers into the line of the, navv, be If says a corps of specialists waa Virtually W- abolished and their duties transferred K to the line As all midshipmen at the k Academy had been given excellent practical Instruction lii engineering, he -' adds, no examination other than thai r requlrr-d for promotion was demanded of then, for qualifying for the performance H Of the Joint duties Imp'i.sed by th, per- jP-sonncl jP-sonncl act. The Intent, however, he con- J tlnues, was thnt they should be ordered ' ,, t ones to the performance of engineer L I duty In subordinate capacities as assist- K- ants of the rddei , ngln (fleers. IH Officers Lack Experience. W-K "Owing to the absence of specific in- structlona In the personnel bill, combined -1 with powerful adverse influences within I",-the I",-the department," he continues, "for thre yirs absolutely nothing was dun,. by the younger Hue officers in acquiring BH engineering experience, tal later, owing H to ihe large number of ships kept In 1 command and the scarcity of officers. I but little in that direction was accom- ' pllshed. ' I Hard to Fill Positions. II But for the availability of certain naval j I scA'demiee the report says, great diffl- ; cnSy would Ik? experienced in finding r . officers for f)io various responsible po . sit Ions, l-Mith on shore and ' see j So few officers of the line are taK'Ing I up engineering seriously, that the situation situa-tion is becoming alarming." sas the en- t glneer-lii-chlef. and he adds No Condition for War. "Were the country suddenly plunged Into war the navy would And itself In no condition to win battle" As necessary a- K'""i markmansblp i the ability to il enrrv OUl g ins to the firing lln and to J keep them there amid the havoc created by modern ordnance, and this will never be done with amateurs In charge of th machinery. That line officers can become good engineers has already been proved, I but they must Imv, experience to become so. and experience must be acquired in J subordinate positions. Belongs to the Line. No young Officer out of the academv but n Short time who would not be Riven charge -,f the deck except under the supervision r.f s senior officer, should be placed lii " hnrgo of the engine department depart-ment of a ship, as has been done Engineering En-gineering logically belongs to the line. and the line should be made to perform that duty earnestly." Admiral Has a Plan. Admiral submits n plan "forouick- lv supplying the navy with a body of efficient engineers,' which provides that , all (he younger officers must be given en- r glneenng dutv and be made to reallz their responsibility the duts to be performed per-formed first in a subordinate capacity nnd examinations to b eitrlct. with en-glneeidng en-glneeidng ranking with marksmanship. L H gunnery and navigation. Further the plan provides for n number of engineering engineer-ing specialists In the line, whose duty at sea and on shore shall bo .nglnoerlnp. SUbh officers not to perform sea duty af-t, af-t, i reaching the grade ,,f commander Recruit From the Foot. One in every ten above the rank of lieu- BH truant. (unlOr grade, is suggested as th, nunib-r of such officers required, and It is proposed thai such officers be recruited from the foot Of th" 8 of lieutenant. the officers so selected to bo given n course lii higher marine engineering for at l.-ast a var This plan. I' t explained. would give body of engineering specialists special-ists a follows Two rear-admirals. . captains. 11 commanders, 29 lieutenant-commanders lieutenant-commanders and 04 lieutenants, of which number C would bS available for sea duty 0ppo3es Separate Corps. dmlral Rie says the bureau 1 opposed op-posed to the formation of s separato corps of engineers In the navy similar to that abolished by the personnel act for BJ various reasons. Legislation Increasing the u imber "r warrant machinists Is recommended, nnd t it is proposed they be given the right Quarters according to r.'nk. and warrant officers of ih.- line. Other oh.ines In tho j rating" of the engineer force are recom- BBj mended. J Appropi intions Requested. For the navy yard at Mare Island sp-proprlalions sp-proprlalions are requested for the con- Btruction f a foundry, smithies, boib-r smssaj shop coppersmith shop, pattern shop and amfJ administration building The command- ant at the Mare Isinnd yard Is quoted as ssiggj Having the present boiler shop there Is a Bj menaco to the safety of some of the gSi bolter-makers. For the Pugei SOUnd navy yaril eeitl- rV-SJ mates are reii sted for a pattern shop B and administration building, and Sot""1 Bj la requested for the Cavlte station. BJ |