Schofield for Chase

Last week was a week of change for the U. S. Navy. To begin with, the old identities of the Fleet were abandoned. The U. S. fleet henceforth is composed of four Forces: the Battle Force, based in the Pacific; the Scouting Force, based in the Atlantic; the Submarine Force, based at Pearl Harbor, T. H.. San Diego. Coco Solo, C. Z., New London. Conn. ; the Base Force, divided between Pacific and Atlantic seaboards.

New Commander-in-Chief of the Fleet, highest Naval officer afloat, is Admiral Frank Herman Schofield, whose appointment, announced last week, will become effective in September. Born 62 years ago at Jerusalem, N. Y., his home now is at Penn Van, N. Y. In 1898, eight years after his graduation from Annapolis, he was executive officer of the Hawk in the Spanish-American War. During the War he was on Admiral Sims's staff in London. Four years ago he was a member of the U. S. delegation to the abortive Three-Power Naval Conference at Geneva. Small, bespectacled, suggesting the patient Taxpayer and Mr. We-the-People of newspaper cartoons, Admiral Schofield is a shrewd tactician, an astute little seadog whose record belies his looks. In the March maneuvers off Panama he commanded the attacking force which Chief of Naval Operations William Veazie Pratt, ranking officer ashore, last week pro nounced victorious.

Admiral Schofield relieves Rear Admiral Jehu Valentine Chase, appointed last week to the General Board. Sandy-haired, smiling Vice Admiral Richard Henry Leigh succeeds Admiral Schofield as commander of the Battle Force. Vice Admiral Arthur L. Willard was made commander of the Scouting Force. Rear Admiral Arthur J. Hepburn commander of the Submarine Force.

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