National Republican., 1885-12-19

then and there occurred the only speck OF
war which the navy hos seen since the re-
bellion, II afforded desirable opportunity
for those naval officers to whom the duty
belonged Of dealing with It. There
be two honest and candid
opinions as to what officers were en-
titled 10 do the work: they were Rear
Admiral James +. Jouett, commanding
the North Atlantic squadron, and the oiIl-
GERS and men under his command. An ex-
ira battalion ~ marines were wisely sent
down, in command Of Mai. Charles Hey
wood, brave and experienced officer to re-
port to Adm raj Jouett..Wit him and hiscom-
Inand re-cnforcements ofolllcers should have
stopped. The commanders, lieutenant
commanders, lieutenants, and other line
officers Of the squadron were sufficient and
for all the work TO be done, and
II belonged to them, and IL was an outrage
upon them to take II from them. But the
bureau OF navigation, Office Of detail, and
Office Of naval intelligence saw It's oppor-
tunity for glory. Secretary Whitney was
new to the department, and fell au easy
victim 10 the officer ''next to the Secretary
In the management Of the affairs OF the de-
partmcnt.' Doubts were wickedlys sug-
gested rs 20 the GOODNESS and discretion Of
Admiral Jouett, and general of the land
forces was brought forward in the
assistant chief OF the bureau Of navigation.
The bureau had ready additional junior of
ilcers, and these were sent from their places
In the bureau TO complicate the command
of the United States forces on the isthmus,
and to do work which the officers on the
vessels could have done better. Commander
McCalla sent egotistical kilograms from
Panama, In iiagrant violation OF regulations,
not through Admiral Jouett, nor to Sccre-
tary Whitney, but directly to the chief Of
the bureau OF navigation. He made no
final report to or even through the admiral,
but through the chief Of the bureau OF Davi-
CATION. While at Panama he issued orders
to the admiral after this fashion:
Admiral Jouett. Colon. Send the reserve
battalion of marines to Panama by special.
McCalla.
There is but one opinion among naval of
fcers, outside Of the mutual admiration
society, concerning the.irregular, ungener-
GUS, and indecent manner In which the
bureau of navigation and Office of detail
and Office OF naval intelligence deceived
Secretary Whitney and hurried forward its
favorite shore-duty officers In the hope OF
accomplishing results and claiming honors
which belonged Of right to gallant naval
officers then af1oat. The whole extraordl-
nary performance is the best possible illus
tration of the folly of committing the,
complete control of the navy to one non
sea-going ambitious captain and his satel-
lites.
V. The evil now contended against will
be continually growing. II is not In human
nature for a vain and aspiring man volun-
tarily to curtail his own power. On the
contrary, IL allowed, he will 90 on aggran-
dizing himself, until his overgrown proper
tions bring him to fatal fall. The chief
of the bureau Of navigation, office Of de-
tail, and Office Of naval intelligence en-
couraged the hostility of the Secretary of
the Navy to the naval advisory board, and
when additional new ships were to be
planned and new board was organized for
that purpose, he greedily took to himself
the Craftsmanship, so that 1t might come to
pass that the plans Of the additional ships
would be ascribed to board called by his
name.
A new plan for still further lessening
civilian control and for fastening upon the
Navy Department the rule Of single naval
officer has been devised by the bureau of
navigation: and Commander McCalla, with
the stolen laurels OF the great isthmian war
still fresh upon him, is made chairman of
board to formulate plan. 1t first found
expression In his report of the operations on
the isthmus, dated June 8, 1885, In which,
while protesting the contrary, he directly
the necessity of "central Office In the
Navy Department. with chief who has
had military education." On Aug.
/ Secretary Whitney appointed him senior
member OF board to formulate his plan
for improving "the general system
of the administration of the busi-
ness of the department" 1t is understood
that the principal point Of the report now
prepared is the establishment In the depart
a.. IA 20
tral office" with a naval line-oilicer at its
head
This plan, as well as all plans for the gov
ernment Of the navy by new military boards,
is devised for the purpose Of still further
limiting civilian control In the department,
which was long since brought down almost
to the minimum. There are now eight
military officers doing the business OF the
Navy Department. The only "central office"
superior to them which is needed is that OF
the Secretary of the Navy. What he re-
quires is not to be superseded by the bureau
of navigation, Commander McCalla, or any
other "oflicer Of military education" but
to be re-enforced by more civilian assistants.
If they can be given him In no other
way, the eight bureaus should be opened
to chiefs appointed from civil life. II will
be the privilege and the duty Of the Con-
gress promptly to negative all pretentious
schemes for substituting for the Secretary
of the Navy any naval autocrat or junto.
VI. By giving real as well as nominal
control Of all naval orders TO one naval Of
icer, the Secretary Of the Navy deprlves
himself Of the possibility Of receiving from
his subordinates frank and courageous ad-
vice, Of which all the present department
heads (as they will find even II they have
not already so learned) stand greatly in
need. On the contrary, the autocrat will,
If possible, keep all other advisers away,
and will himself pander to the Secretary's
worst inclinations, hoping that the latter
will injure himself and break down In his
administration, to become still more the
helpless victim Of the anaconda "next to
the Secretary" II the Secretary indicates
that he has need OF partisan or malignant
naval officers to make unjust reports sus-
tanning foregone conclusions, for the pur-
pose of bankrupting department con-
tractor whose politics are not liked, or for
any other unfair purpose, or to find pre-
determined, wrongful court-martial YER
dict desired for political effect, the
autocratic captain will name the syco.
plants, instruct them what to do, and after
they have done their degrading work will
order them to coveted stations; one perhaps
to the naval observatory under the bureau
of navigation, another to the hest light
southern navy yard, and so on.
This picture is, unfortunately, no ex-
aggeration, but substantial fact, and illus
trates what will always follow whenever
Secretary is SO weak, or orignorant, or indo-
lent as to deliberately transfer the one high
prerogatiye of his office, that Of command,
to single subtle and INSCRIPTIONS naval
officer, Instead Of enlarging the circle of his
advisers, and giving the great body of the
naval officers fair hearing. A Secretary
who so arranges his department will never
hear the truth from within the organization,
and does not deserve It,
VII, One despotic line officer, absorbing
In his own person all power over the orders
to naval officers, grievously oppresscs the
staff corps of the navy.
The present paymaster general has been
made the victim of such oppression, con-
spring with the political animosity OF the
Secretary. The chief OF the b. NJ, o. D.,
o. n. l., inspired the pursuit and furnished
the instruments. A disreputable member OF
the nAN CnrnR Mns nmnlnYel na Ii land de.