The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-02-28

exist at all. These points of issue are be-
tween the line officers and those of the staff,
the latter being inclusive of surgeons, pay /
masters, and engineers; and can scarcely be
planation. The functionaries of a man
of-war are, first, the commanding
officer; second, an executive officer"
or first lieutenant, who ereoutes the |
orders of the commander, and should not |
originate any orders himself. This officer |
presides in the ward-room, and is supposed to
exercise general supervision over all depart |
ments Of the ship. Officers desiring to leave
the ship or to communicate with the captain, |
whatever their nominal rank or length of SER
vice, must first ask the executives" permis-
sion; all reports to the captain must be first
presented to bim; and, in fine, he stands be-
tween the commander and all others on
board, and, by special regulation, takes
precedence of all staff-officers. Next in rank
among line officers is the navigator, who per-
forms the duties indicated by his title, which
ON merchant vessels belong to the captain;
and below him are four or more watch officers,
who take the charge of the deck in turn for
four hours at time. OF the staff there are
a surgeon, paymaster, and engineer, and on
large vessels an assistant surgeon and one or
more assistant engineers.
Previously to the late war, the highest rank
known in the navy was that of post captain
the title of commodore" being given, by
courtesy only, to the senior captain COM
manding squadron or feet; and staff Off
Ger, after due length of service, might attain
to the rank of commander the second grade
then existing. The dispute now raging was
then unknown, for the reason, as the staff al
lege, that, promotion being very slow, officers
ST the line we're not advanced to positions of
power and command until they had tho
roughly mastered the details of their duties,
and had learned by experience to recognize
the responsibilities of others as well as their
own. The 'grey-haired lieutenant" who was
first officer in those days (the term ''execu-
tive" is o. recent growth1, although perhaps
no classical scholar, had appreciated the ap-
plication of Menenius Agrippa's fable long
before he had attained to that position Of
authority; and a courtesy which left the au-
| thority unfelt and its exercise unneeded was
then as constantly the rule as we are COM
PEELED to believe that it is now the exception.
| The staff contend, moreover that in the ear
lier days of the navy the first lieutenant was
really what he purported to be, the executor
of the orders of the captain, and not, as now,
an independent authority, resenting as sim
reference" any personal action of the COM
mander concerning the details of ship man.
sgement, and as 'insubordnation" all efforts
of staff officers to improve the condition and
efficiency of their respective departments.
When the enlargement of the navy conse-
quent upon the war rendered it desirable to
create the additional grades of commodore,
rear r-admiral, vice-admiral, and admiral, there
was no corresponding advance in the staff
grades until MIR. Welles, in 1863, by general
order, raised their possible rank to that
with captain, granting the chiefs of the
several bureaus the ''assimilated' rank of
commodore. With this they were content,
although varying interpretations of the word
"assimilated" began early to be q caSuS beLi
| more or less suppressed by the common dam
ger and consequent nearer fellowship of the
war; But in 1869, Mr.. Borie's General Order
No. 120 was promulgated, reduing all staff
| officers to their status of 1916, and add-
tiopal regulations were issued, confirming in
many ways the supremacy of line officers,
| even the very youngest, over all the staff.
I Meanwhile, promotions among the line Off
GERS, especially in the lower grades became
so rapid that the midshipmen who made their
first real voyage in the fall of 1867 have re-
turned as lieutenants, having been promoted
| through the successive grades of ensign and
master; while the surgeons, paymasters, and
engineers who sailed with them, of the "assi-
inflated" rank of commander, returned with
that of lieutenant. Not unnaturally such
change has producsd anything but pleasant
state of feeing-a state of feeling 10 which it
is very desirable to put an end
In support of the present condition
of affairs, the line officers conteRd
that efficiency requires rigid discipline, which
implies absolute, irresponsible command on
the one hand, and unqualified obedience on
the other; that such power of command must
reside in the captain and in his representa-
tives, whatever their nominal rank; and that
such representatives are the executive officer
and the officer of the deck for the time being.
Should staff f-oficers be allowed actual rank
say the hne-circumstances might frequently
arise in which they would be entitled to
command the ship, a sphere of duty for
which they are totally untitled by education.
Moreover, they maintain that, for the
proper maintenance of discipline, q superb
oriiy of their own, as the governing class and
essentially the navy, must be acknowledged,
particularly by those whom they delight in
calling "the auxiliary officers" of the navy.
The staff, on the other hand, claim to un-
derstand best the details of the management
of their several departments, and state that,
under the present system, the efficiency of the
service is frequently and seriously impaired
by unwarrantable and petty interferences on
the part of young and subordinate line Off.
GERS. They therefore ask for the control of
their respective departments, subject only,
though entirely, to the captain of the
ship They demand, to this end, and as
the only practical remedy, actual rank (but
expressly disclaim the right of command in
the line, or outside of their several specialties)
and the right to quarters In the cabin. With
this rank they ask for the dignities, immuni-
ties and privileges which it conveys to the
line, with the exceptions aforementioned
and that the precedence of the executive Off
GERS over themselves be limited, as in the
line, to cases in which he is senior in lineal
rank, or by date of commission. These de-
mands have been embodied in the Stevens