Military Appointees to Get Tougher Look

THE United States Senate Armed Services Committee and the Pentagon will revamp the way they investigate military appointees following complaints that charges against a four-star admiral were brushed over. In a compromise deal, Adm. Henry H. Mauz Jr., outgoing commander of the US Atlantic Fleet, won Senate confirmation Tuesday in a 92-6 vote to retire at his full rank. The vote went forward after four female senators withdrew their bid to open a new investigation after being promised that the Senate would more closely examine military nominees.

Mauz had been accused of being unresponsive to a sexual harassment case in his command.

``I remain deeply troubled by the difficulty I experienced when trying to get straight information and straight facts from the Navy'' about the Mauz case, said Sen. Patty Murray (D) of Washington, who led the move to reexamine the Mauz retirement. Senator Murray, joined by Sens. Barbara Boxer (D) of California, Carol Moseley-Braun, (D) of Illinois, and Barbara Mikulski, (D) of Maryland, originally had wanted the Senate Armed Services Committee to investigate the allegations against Mauz instead of relying on internal reviews by the Pentagon and Navy.