JUNKING THE MIDDIES

The latest development of the naval limitation programme at Washington is the proposal that the 1922 class at Annapolis be dropped next June without commissions. The House naval committee has made an informal recommendation to this effect in an attempt to achieve the necessary reduction in personnel. The committee proposes also to limit each congressman and senator to two appointments to the Academy instead of five as has been the case during the last few years. This latter suggestion is an excellent way of providing for the future, but the first is manifestly unfair. Just why should the 1922 class be penalized while the other three classes are allowed to graduate and get their commissions?

It further appears that the East has again gone the West one better. The Chinese propose to junk their navy in order to pay their officers. We propose, on the other hand, to junk our officers to pay for the navy we are allowed to retain. While the Chinese do not pretend that they are contemplating their changes through any love for the World Peace dream, the plan has at least the merit of fairness. A destroyer that may happen to escape the general demolition will hardly be capable of rejoicing in its immunity, nor will those that are junked feel as if they had been discriminated against.

It is not the end but rather the means that seem ill-advised. It is necessary to reduce the quota of ensigns which will be available to the navy. If Washington feels that four hundred of the midshipmen now in the academy must be denied commissions, why not put the matter to them? It is probable that there are that number of men in the Academy who would be glad to return to civilian life. Let them signify their desire to do so and give them their discharge papers when they graduate. Or, award the permissible number of commissions on a scholastic basis from among the members of the present four classes. Only in one of these ways can a just reduction be made.