[No. 160] TO AUTHORIZE THE APPOINTMENT OF HELMER H. KOPPANG A PASSED ASSISTANT PAYMASTER WITH THE RANK OF LIEUTENANT IN THE UNITED STATES NAVY, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES (H. R. 16765) OO-Koppang, Helmer H/P14-2(270129)L NAVY DEPARTMENT, Washington, February 28, 1927. The CHAIRMAN COMMITTEE ON NAVAL AFFAIRS, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. MY DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: Replying further to the committee's letter of January 28, 1927, transmitting the bill (H. R. 16765) to authorize the appointment of Helmer H. Koppang, a passed assistant paymaster, with the rank of lieutenant in the United States Navy, and for other purposes, and requesting the views and recommendations of the Navy Department thereon, I have the honor to advise you as follows: The purpose of the bill H. R. 16765 is to authorize the President, by and with the advice of the Senate, to appoint Chief Pay Clerk Helmer H. Koppang, United States Navy, a lieutenant (Supply Corps) on the active list of the Navy to date from August 3, 1920. Chief Pay Clerk Koppang was appointed a paymaster's clerk on September 5, 1905; was commissioned chief pay clerk on July 1, 1915; temporarily appointed an assistant paymaster with rank of ensign on July 1, 1917; advanced to lieutenant on July 1, 1918, and resignation accepted February 7, 1920. On September 30, 1922, he was given provisional grade of passed assistant paymaster with the rank of lieutenant in the Naval Reserve Force and on same date was commissioned a chief pay clerk in the Navy to rank from August 5, 1920, in accordance with a provision contained in the act of Congress approved June 4, 1920. In Mr. Koppang's letter of resignation from the naval service he stated that it was necessary for him to properly supervise and conduct the business affairs of his father, and that for some time past it had been his desire to leave the naval service and assist in that work. He further stated that he believed his duty and interest lay in that direction. At the time of his present appointment as a chief pay clerk, appointments in accordance with the act of June 4, 1920, had been discontinued, with the exception of one or two cases in which the Secretary of the Navy directed that appointments be made without regard to the general rule to the effect that no further appointments of this character would be made. Mr. Koppang resigned of his own volition; he returned to a subordinate rank in the service at his own request and through special consideration shown him by the Secretary of the Navy. The authority contained in the act of June 4, 1920, providing for the transfer of reserve and temporary officers to the regular establishment has served its purpose. Authorization for the transfer of temporary officers expired on December 31, 1921; authorization for the transfer of reserve officers was repealed by section 9 of the omnibus bill, which became a law on March 4, 1925. Mr. Koppang requests a virtual extension of those provisions in his case, and the Navy Department's approval thereof would encourage many officers and ex-officers who failed for one reason or another to effect transfer to the regular establishment, to apply for such transfer and to seek special legislation in order to effect it. The bill H. R. 16765, if enacted, will result in an immediate increase in pay of this officer of $580 per annum. Furthermore, Mr. Koppang would be entitled to further increases in pay, depending upon his service and possible promotion to higher rank. A bill, S. 2922 (69th Cong. 1st sess.), which is similar to the bill H. R. 16765, was referred to the Bureau of the Budget with the above information as to cost, and a statement that the Navy Department contemplated making an unfavorable report thereon, and under date of February 24, 1926, the Navy Department was informed that its proposed report on the bill was not in conflict with the financial program of the President. In view of the foregoing, and for the further reason that the proposed legislation is not for the general good of the naval service, the Navy Department recommends that the bill H. R. 16765 be not enacted. Sincerely yours, CURTIS D. WILBUR, A BILL To authorize the appointment of Helmer H. Koppang a passed assistant paymaster with the rank of lieutenant in the United States Navy, and for other purposes Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the President is hereby authorized, by and with the consent of the Senate, to appoint Chief Pay Clerk Helmer H. Koppang, United States Navy, a passed assistant paymaster on the active list of the Navy, with the rank of lieutenant, to date from August 3, 1920, and to take rank next after Lieutenant John Atwell Fields (Supply Corps), United States Navy: Provided, That he shall be authorized to count, for pay purposes, all service which he was entitled to count for pay purposes at the time of his resignation from the Navy and all service since his reappointment in the Navy: Provided further, That the said Chief Pay Clerk Helmer H. Koppang shall not be entitled to any increase in pay or emoluments prior to the passage of this act. [No. 161] TO REGULATE THE DISTRIBUTION AND PROMOTION OF COMMISSIONED OFFICERS OF THE LINE OF THE NAVY, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES (H. R. 11524) [NOTE. This hearing was misplaced during the Sixty-ninth Congress, first session, and was not included in that compilation] HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, COMMITTEE ON NAVAL AFFAIRS, The committee met pursuant to adjournment at 10.30 o'clock a. m., Hon. Fred A. Britten presiding. Mr. BRITTEN. Gentlemen, the committee has before it, and I see that we have a quorum present, H. R. 11524. I believe we are to hear from Rear Admiral Shoemaker in reply to the hearing on yesterday, which included the testimony of several officers of the Aviation Corps in their desire for a separate or special section for their protection. Have you seen the suggested amendment, Admiral? STATEMENT OF REAR ADMIRAL WILLIAM R. SHOEMAKER, CHIEF BUREAU OF NAVIGATION, UNITED STATES NAVY Rear Admiral SHOEMAKER. Yes. Mr. BRITTEN. Will you tell us what objection you have to that, if any? Rear Admiral SHOEMAKER. Yes, sir. I have been asked to come before this committee and state the opinion of the Bureau of Navigation as to the merits of an amendment to H. R. 11524. There has been no formal amendment submitted to the Navy Department, but the bureau understands that legislation suggested by the Bureau of Aeronautics is intended to take the following proposed form: When the selection board finds that it can not select an officer for promotion due solely to his long specialization in aviation, it shall so inform the Secretary of the Navy, and if recommended by the Secretary the officer will be promoted to the next higher grade and carried as an extra number until he again comes up for selection: Provided, That when he comes up for selection to the next higher grade he shall be judged in the same manner as all other officers who come up at the same time for selection. The former reserve officers, now naval aviators, affected by the proposed amendment, may be divided into three groups: Group 1: This group, numbering 39, on appointment as lieutenant, took precedence next after those former temporary officers who were permanently appointed in the grade of lieutenant, who, in turn took precedence next after the Naval Academy class of 1918. This group has not been examined for promotion. Group 2: This group, numbering 36, on appointment as lieutenant (junior grade), took precedence ahead of the Naval Academy class of 1920. The members of this group have all been examined for promotion to lieutenant. None has lost numbers by reason of failure on examination. Group 3: This group, numbering 34, upon appointment as ensign, took precedence ahead of the Naval Academy class of 1921. The members of this group have all been promoted to lieutenant (junior grade). One member failed on examination for promotion to that grade and was dropped from the service. The remaining members will become due for promotion to lieutenant on June 4, 1926, for which examinations are now under way. The examinations of two members have already been marked and they have been found qualified for promotion. Seventy of the 109 officers have already undergone a test before an examining board. Since they have been promoted it is a fact that devotion to aviation has not interfered with their opportunities for promotion, and further, it may be considered proven that boards of senior officers have and will in the matter of promotion fully evaluate aviation knowledge. The proposed amendment applies now and in the future to any officer of the Navy-line or staff. The only staff corps which may expect to benefit thereunder is that corps which has been engaged to a small extent in aeronautical design and to a considerable extent in aeronautical administration and manufacturing activities, namely, the Construction Corps. The duties performed by officers of that corps in connection with aeronautics, as far as administration and navy-yard manufacturing activities are concerned, are quite similar to the duties performed by officers of that corps in connection with other administration and other navy-yard activities; but few of these officers are employed in design work. The Construction Corps is a highly specialized corps. It is difficult to understand how the acquirement of a broader knowledge, or of an additional specialty would decrease the value to the service of any member of that corps or lessen his chances for promotion. On the contrary, I am of the opinion that his value to the service would be increased, his availability for duty broadened, and his chances for promotion enhanced. Further, to create extra numbers in a specialty corps for any professional reason is unsound personnel policy, and in this instance appears to be personal and class legislation. I wish to submit the following objections to the remainder of the provision: It purports to benefit a certain class of officers, namely, those who have specialized in aviation activities to the exclusion of other general duties. There are many other equally important professional specialties in the naval profession. There are those who have specialized in ordnance, in ordnance design, in torpedoes, in torpedo design, in radio, in radio design, in fire control, in fire-control design, engineering, electrical and mechanical, and so on. These are specialties within the line, in addition to the fundamental professional requirements of seamanship, navigation, executive and command. There is no reason, fundamentally speaking, why operating aviators and designers in aviation should enjoy advantages which this section would give over officers who operate and design in the specialties nominated above. It may be further noted that the most important element in airplane work-the engine which makes aviation possible is designed, built, and inspected by officers of the line. Among the officers whom this section would benefit now there are 109 ex-reserve aviators who entered the service with many other ex-reserve and ex-temporary officers in accordance with the act of June 4, 1920. Practically all of the 790 officers who entered from this source had a particular specialty. Some were boatswains, some were machinists, some were radio gunners, some electrical gunners, and some general-duty gunners. While some of these officers have undertaken general duties, many have followed their original specialties. It is unfair to these officers to single out for legislative benefits 109 ex-reserve flying officers. If for the word "aviation," appearing on the third line, there were substituted the words "any major activity," the proposition would be fair and nonpreferential. The section then, however, would be open to the objection that it would perhaps create a large number of extra numbers in the various ranks and later on in the higher ranks. This objection would be well taken. It, however, applies with equal force to the amendment now before the committee. Observe further that this amendment in its operation is not restricted to the 109 officers who are now in aviation. It can be applied any time in the future to any officer or group of officers, line or staff, who wish to devote their entire attention to avaiation, and who do not wish to qualify for other duties of naval officers. In other words, it has in it the nucleus of a separate corps, starting now with a body of about 150 officers who are not obliged to broaden their naval activities beyond aviation. The 109 officers under consideration seek to be made extra numbers upon promotion to the next higher rank and to have boards on selection consider their performance in aviation only. They state that a bill was reported out of the committee and passed the House which gives this consideration to senior aviators-that is, to commanders and lieutenant commanders who have been a long time in aviation. There is a difference, however, between the situation of our senior aviators and of the young men now urging this amendment. Some of the senior aviators are within the field of selection now. At least three will be either promoted or passed over in June of this year. At least two others will be reached by June of 1927. Therefore, there would not appear to be time for these officers to gain sea experience prior to going before the selection board. Thus, there was perhaps some reason in passing the extra number provision for such senior aviators as may be expected to suffer under existing law. However, in the case of these younger men, since they will all be promoted by June 5 to the rank of lieutenant by seniority, none will be forced to undergo selection until the year 1933. The first group of the 109 will be promoted or separated from the service by 1933. The second group will be promoted or separated in the year 1934, and the third and last group will be promoted or passed over in the year 1935. Thus, all of these officers will have |