High Office

The annual shuffle of officers in the Navy Department, the annual announcement of promotions and assignments, took place last week.

To be Commander-in-Chief of the U. S. Fleet, Admiral Samuel Shelburne Robison was advanced. He will succeed Admiral Robert E. Coontz after the return of the fleet from its cruise to Australia. Then Admiral Coontz will have leave of absence, and will be assigned to other duty--probably with the General Board of the Navy. Admiral S. S. Robison (not to be confused with Admiral J. K. Robison--see below) has been Commander of the Battle Fleet. A man of 58, he commanded at one time or another, the Cincinnati, Jupiter, South Carolina. During the War, he commanded the Submarine Force of the Atlantic Fleet. Subsequently, he was made military Governor of Santo Domingo, and has served on the General Board of the Navy.

Rear Admiral Charles F. Hughes will succeed Admiral S. S. Robison as Commander of the Battle Fleet. Rear Admiral Clarence S. Williams, now President of the Naval War College, will take command of the Asiatic Fleet. Rear Admiral Roger Welles will command the U. S. Naval Forces in European waters.

Five captains were recommended for promotion to the rank of Rear Admiral--but the conspicuous absence on this list was the name of Captain John Keeler Robison, who is Chief of the Bureau of Engineering of the Navy Department, a post which carries with it the temporary rank of Rear Admiral. Last year, he was recommended for the permanent rank of Rear Admiral. The President did not nominate him to the Senate for the rank, however. The reason was that it was he who, acting for Secretary Denby, had O.K.'d the Teapot Dome and Elk Hills leases to Sinclair and Doheny (see OIL). It was presumed that the President withheld his, name awaiting the outcome of the oil investigations. Since then, the judge who decided the Doheny case decided that Admiral Robison was misguided, but entirely blameless. The judge who decided the Sinclair case did not even believe he had made a mistake in judgment. Nonetheless, the Board which recommends promotions did not again recommend him for promotion to the permanent rank of Admiral.

The retirement age for Naval officers is 64 years, but any officer who does not reach the rank of Admiral by the time he becomes 55 is automatically retired at that age. This is done so that advancement for able officers is more rapid and they may have considerable experience commanding squadrons and fleets before reaching retirement age. Admiral Robison will reach the age of 55 next November. His present assignment, which carries the temporary rank of Rear Admiral, expires in October. The President, however, has the Authority to retire a Bureau Chief in the Navy Department (who has had 30 years service) with the temporary rank.

Last week, following the failure of the Naval Selection Board to recommend him for promotion, Admiral Robison applied for transfer to the retired list. If he waited until next November, he would be retired as a Captain. By retiring now he retains the rank of Rear Admiral.

It was expected that the President would act favorably on his application.