The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-12-23
STAFF AND LINE.

AN OLD NAVAL DISPUTE REVIVED MEMORIALS
TO THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY ON sRELA-
TIVE RANK"
The periodical line and staff fight of the navy has
again assumed aggravatng character this time in
the shape of a memorial to Secretary Thompson
signed by 1888 line officers. In analysing these sigma
lures it is found that Of 33 admiras who sign it
only of the II the active list append their sigma
lures; Of the commodores are the retired list
and Is the active list leaving 10 of the latter who
do not sign OF the SO captains 90 of them have not
signed 81 commanders the active list signed and
90 did not; AZ lieutenant commanders have signed
the memorial and 80 did not of the $50 lieutenants
the active list only los sign the memorial; only
20 Of the 101 masters sign it, and of the SO ensigns
appear among the signatures further analysis
shows that only 294 of the 720 line officers the
tive list above the rank OF ensign signed the memo
rial and 80 retired officers of and above the rank Of
commander. numbering 81, have appended their sig
natures.
WHAT THE LINE SAY.
The memorial makes a strong attack on the staff on
the question Of the status of the executive officer,
sorting that the staff is the civil branch while tho
line is the military branch Of the navy. 1t claims
that the present condition and tendency Of certain
affairs in the navy sapping the very foundation of
its existence efficient military organization"
and .that want of harmony and unity of action has
existed for years between the military and civil
branches of the service may well be considered
traordinary." They claim to have been robbed Of
their authority and power by acts Of Congress which
have been wrongly construed. These encroachments
have been constant to impair the efficiency OF
tine service The most dangerous of these they claim
to have been brought about through direct or in
direct attacks upon the Office of the executive and
in the long and exhaustive memorial signed by 1888
officers whose experience in the navy extends from
ten to forty five years and more. Either. then the
Office of executive must DO abolished or he must be
roclothed with the authority taken away. 1t is
sumcd that he must take absolute precedence next to
the commanding officer. 1t was formerly the prac-
tce of all heads of departments to report to the
ecutvc and ask his permission to leave the ship and
report his return, all other officers did. Congress
in 1871 gave the staff relative rank and also the priv
ilcge of communicating directly with the command
ing officer in cases when their rank superior to
the executive This the staff claim did not conflict
with duties OF the executive officer in the general
routine management of the ship did 1t affect the
military status OF the service.
THE MEAT IN THE CoCoANUr.
The signers of the memorial in conclusion, request
the following resume of their wishes:--
fya.Ihe Honorable Secretary Of the Navy Is earnestly
and impartial examination that their vital Importance de-
proper of sting found
S s WITH Tie and peesaaas. s
which he has been deprived.
existing laws win not permit the appeatcn OF this remedy
memorial to Congress. with such recommendations no
may deem proper.
THE STAFF ON THEIR DIGNITY.
The staff claim that the line have attacked them
very unjustly, and msrepresent their status. They
claim that being part of the military service bear.
ing the relation to the the staff corps of
the army does to that organization, they should by
equity be accorded the rank and authority In their
departments that the line have In theirs They have
n "a M II nj m
mand, Is asserted The want of unity and harmony
they claim TO have resulted from an heterogeneous
upon their legal rights and dignics by the line. and,
second that the remedy to be found in such
tablishmcnt of their rank and status will in effect
render them to great degree independent of the
rigorous authority Of their juniors, to which they
have in times past been subjected They claim that
the act Of Congress which gave them the rank and
title OF other officers in the service below that of adj
miral does not give them any extra military authority
or right to command but gives them the right Of
porting to and communicating directly with the
mandng officer. when they senior in rank TO tho
executive II does not take away from the latter any
Of his authority over his Juniors conflict with his
duties, and that this IL plainly most vessels
whore the relations between the executive and staff
officers most anicablc Another exception which
the line regard unfair IL the ''six years clause
giving the staff six credit for the time spent in
being educated before entering the service to coun-
tcract the six years allowed 70 the line which have
been spent at the Naval Academy at the government
expense.
Another attack which the staff take exception to
is the charge that their corps aduncts-necessary
put Still auluuctSanu tnat III III destroyed
morrow their places could be filled ut once by men
equally efficient from public life To dispute this
statement they quote from ADMIRAL farragut that IL
takes the best part of mans life to make him a
competent aid to the naval service under which term
is included the entire personnel Of the service The fall
lacy of such assertion also shown by the num-
Der OF vacancies in the Engineer Corps during 1871
1872 and 1873. when hundreds of candidates pre-
scented themselves and not more than three per cent
found capable. aud the vacancies were not filled
until the cadets OF the engineer class at Annapolis
that year graduated IL also became necessary to
draw from the Troy Poly cchnic Institute in 1867 for
engineer cadets. Said Commodore Shufedt who
called the attention of the Secretary the Navy
the fact that his name not among the list Of sig
natures, 'Ihe necessity for the extent and seeming
compexity OF the organization OF the navy ia times
OF peace and for the existence of Its various grades
Is recognized In the practice of every naval Power.
There IL special training essential to the naval
officer and seaman that Is too different from the