Not to delay 239. An application for the revocation or modification of orders reporting in obe- to proceed will not justify any delay in their execution, if the dience to orders. officer ordered is able to travel.

Address of

officers.

Usual residence of officers.

Officers return

240. Any officer not on duty shall inform the Bureau of Navigation of his address and report the date of any contemplated change of the same.

241. (1) Every officer shall keep the Bureau of Navigation informed of his usual residence and of the address of his wife or next of kin. When ordered to his home, he shall, upon the receipt of the order, certify upon it his place of residence, which must in all cases correspond to that which he has previously reported to the Bureau of Navigation.

(2) An officer shall not change his usual residence without permission from the Department.

(3) Every officer of the Navy visiting Washington shall, within twenty-four hours after his arrival, register his name and city address at the Bureau of Navigation, Navy Department.

242. An officer returning from sea under orders from or by per ing from sea by mission of a superior, shall, immediately upon arrival in the United order of a supe- States, report by letter to the Bureau of Navigation, inclosing his address and a copy of the order or permission.

rior.

An officer un

pension.

243. An officer under arrest or suspension shall not leave the der arrest or sus- State or Territory of which he is a resident, nor visit the Navy Department, without authority from the Secretary of the Navy. 244. An officer shall not, without authority from his captain or and absence from other superior, absent himself from his duty or exchange duty duty. with another.

Exchange of

Orders involving travel.

Boat service.

245. (1) All orders from commanding officers or others to their subordinates, involving travel, must be in writing, and must state specifically what duty is to be performed.

(2) All such orders to enlisted men of the Navy or Marine Corps, must state on their face the cause or necessity therefor.

(3) Officers shall not perform travel on Government duty, unless said travel has been authorized by proper authority, except in cases of emergency, and when there is not time to communicate with the Department by telegraph.

246. Officers in boats engaged in the ordinary duty of the ship not detached and not absent on an expedition or separated from the ship, shall not regard themselves as on detached duty or assume the authority of such duty.

duty.

Senior line officer in boat.

Inspection of accounts.

Sea service.

Officers can not

247. Nothing in article 246 shall be construed as relieving the senior line officer in a boat from the responsibility for its safety and management under all circumstances.

248. Commanding and other officers shall afford facilities for the officers specified in article 1596 to inspect the accounts of pay officers.

249. No service shall be regarded as sea service except such as shall be performed at sea under the orders of a department, and in vessels employed by authority of law.

250. If any officer of the Navy accepts or holds an appointment be diplomats or in the diplomatic or consular service of the Government, he will be considered as having resigned his place in the Navy, and it shall be filled as a vacancy. (Sec. 1440, R. S.)

consuls.

Officers shall

251. An officer of the Navy, either on the active or retired list, who acts as agent or attorney to prosecute a claim against the not act as attorUnited States is liable to the penalty of a fine or imprisonment, or United States. both.

neys against the

as correspondent

252. All persons belonging to the Navy, or employed under the Publication of Navy Department, are forbidden to publish, or to cause or permit official docuto be published, directly or indirectly, or to communicate by inter- ments and acting views, private letters or otherwise, except as required by their forbidden. official duties, any information in regard to the foreign policy of the United States, or concerning the acts or measures of any department of the Government, or of any officer acting thereunder, or any comments or criticism thereon, or any official instructions, reports, or letters upon any subject whatever; or to furnish copies of the same to any person without the permission of the Navy Departinent. No person belonging to the Navy or employed under the Navy Department shall act as the correspondent of a newspaper, discuss in the public prints matters pertaining to the personnel of the naval service, or attempt to influence legislation in respect to the Navy, without the express authority and approval of the Department. Any violation of the provisions of this article will be noted in the record of the person concerned.

Information

war forbidden.

253. In time of war, or while international questions are pending, no person belonging to the Navy, or employed under the Navy that will aid an Department, shall convey or disclose, by oral or written communi- enemy in time of cations, publications, or any other means, except as may be required by his official duties, any information whatever concerning the naval or military establishment or forces, or concerning any person, thing, plan, or measure pertaining thereto, or any other information that may be of assistance to an actual or possible enemy.

Reports on the

254. (1) Reports on the fitness of officers shall be made, on prescribed forms, to the Secretary of the Navy, on the last day of June fitness of officers. and of December in each year; and whenever officers are detached from service or transferred. These reports shall contain a record of all punishments other than private reprimand, inflicted upon the officer, with the date and nature of the offense, and the kind and degree of punishment.

(2) Officers commanding squadrons shall report on the members of their personal staff and on the captains of ships; captains of ships, on all officers under their command; commandants of shore stations, on the members of their personal staff, on the captains of stationary ships, and on all other officers under their command not attached to ships or to departments of the yard or the marine barracks; chiefs of bureaus, presidents of boards, heads of departments, and commanding officers of marines at navy yards, and other heads of special service, on all officers serving under them.

(3) Officers are enjoined to prepare the required reports with Care in makgreat care and deliberation, bearing in mind their importance to the ing reports. naval service and to the officers concerned.

Answers to

(4) Form A will be used for reports on officers in command afloat, Form B for reports on all other officers performing service afloat, queries. and Form C for reports on all officers performing shore duty. The answers to all queries must be written by the officer signing the report. The answers to queries from 1 to 5 of Form A, from 1 to 6 of Form B. and from 1 to 4 of Form C. all inclusive, shall be either Excellent," "Very good," "Good," "Tolerable," or "Not good,"

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subordinates.

66

and shall be based upon the record of the officer concerned for the period covered by the report. When the answer to said queries is 'Tolerable, ," "Not good," or in any sense of an unfavorable nature, the reasons for such answer shall be clearly stated under the head of "Remarks." A copy of all unfavorable portions of a report shall be furnished to the officer concerned, who shall be granted a reasonable time to prepare such written statement in regard to it as he may desire to make, which statement shall be couched in temperate language, shall relate only to the matters referred to in the report, and shall be indorsed and forwarded with the report. Should the officer concerned not desire to make a statement, he will write a communication to that effect.

Reports from (5) Captains of ships shall require from senior staff officers, and commandants of shore stations from heads of special service, written reports on the professional fitness of their subordinates.

Reports on naval cadets.

Officers author

ter oaths.

(6) Officers charged by paragraph 2 of this article with the duty of making reports on fitness in any case, shall require from the senior medical officer of every ship or shore station copies of all entries in the medical journal which indicates the use by any officer of intoxicants or drugs which tend to disqualify him, physically, mentally, or morally, for service; and the officer so charged with making such reports shall treat said entries in the manner provided in paragraph 2 of this article respecting unfavorable answers made by him to queries contained in the prescribed form of reports on fitness, and shall forward the same, the statement in regard thereto, if any be made, and such comments as he may deem proper, with his semiannual report to the Department.

(7) Special reports of distinguished conduct in battle, conspicuous acts of valor or devotion in the line of duty, or extraordinary courage, ability, or resource shown in time of peril or great responsibility, shall be made at any time, as occasion arises. Serious misconduct or marked inefficiency shall also be made the subject of a special report. Letters commending or condemning an officer are forbidden, except as provided for in this paragraph, or as provided for warrant officers in article 1740 of these regulations.

255. Reports on naval cadets who have completed the four years' course shall be made at the end of each quarter, on the special forms issued by the Bureau of Navigation.

256. (1) Commanders in chief of naval squadrons, commandants ized to adminis- of navy yards and stations, officers commanding vessels of the Navy, the adjutant and inspector, and commanding officers and recruiting officers of the Marine Corps, and judges advocate of naval general courts-martial and courts of inquiry, are by law authorized to administer oaths for the purpose of naval administration and the administration of naval justice.

Oaths on offi

to be adminis

(2) When practicable, officers and men of the Navy and Marine cial documents Corps who may be required to subscribe under oath to any papers tered by officers relating to naval administration and the administration of naval justice, will do so in the presence of officers of the service authorized to administer oaths.

of the service.

257. Officers commanding squadrons or ships shall carefully observe the "General Instructions in regard to intelligence duty." 258. Officers commanding squadrons or ships shall not permit women to reside on board of, or take passage in, any ship of the Navy in commission for sea service.

259. (1) Saturday afternoon shall in general be regarded on board ship as a half holiday.

Saturday half holiday. The observ

(2) Sunday shall be observed on board of all ships and at naval stations in an orderly manner. All labor shall be reduced to the ance of Sunday. requirements of necessary duty. The religious tendencies of officers and men shall be recognized and encouraged.

260. The religious institutions and customs of foreign countries visited by ships of the Navy must be respected.

Foreign religious institutions.

Malt and other

261. No malt or other alcoholic liquors shall be issued, except for medical purposes, or sold to enlisted men of the Navy or Marine liquors. Corps on board ships of the Navy or within the limits of naval stations or marine barracks.

Hospital corps

262. Members of the hospital corps (pharmacists, hospital stewards, hospital apprentices, first class, and hospital apprentices) being is neutral. held as neutrals by international agreement shall not be permitted to bear arms or to perform any military duties other than those pertaining to the Medical Department.