Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-16


will descend as disagreeable heritage to
his successors, unless there is an unlocked
for change in human nature in the future.
The reason why this particular official is
diSliked is simply because he Is held re-
sponsible for the detail of officers to uncon-
genial duties. Like the rest of the human
family. naval officers are hard to please
With very few exceptions they never like
what is given them and are continually
longing for something they never get. AL
though the Secretary Of the Navy signs all
orders assigning officers to duty it is a fact
that such assignments are really made by
the chief of the bureau of navigation, ex-
cept in special cases where the head of the
department has particular preference
As such exceptions are extremely rare, out
side of the more important commands, the
chief of the navigation bureau virtually
controls the situation so far as the assign
ment and duties of his brother officers are
concerned, within the circumscribed limits
of the law, which, however, permits Of con-
siderable latitude in this respect.
Like the civil service and like the army
there are in the navy some assignments
that are better than Others and as is in
Variabiy the case the most desirable places
are conspicuously disproportionate to the
other kind. 1t therefore follows from the
very nature of things. that every time a
flied. while at least ten others who were
striving for it are personally affronted
Thus it is that the chief of the bureau of
navigation, who virtually makes all the de-
", II,
is so universally maligned by his brother
officers.
What Are the Duties.
The office. however, is most important
enc from naval standpoint. Its duties
comprise the management of everything
that relates to the PRONUNCIATION and en-
forcement of the Secretarys orders to the
fleets and to the officers of the navy: all
that relates to the education of the officers
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and technical schools for officers except
the Torpedo School, control of the torpedo
establishment and of schools for the tech
nical education of enlisted men; the enlist
ment and discharge of all enlisted men, in
Guiding appointed petty officers, and the
preparation of estimates for the pay Of all
officers and enlisted men.
The office has control of all rendezvous
and receiving ships and is expected to pro-
vide transportation for all petty officers
ard enlisted men. 1t is also called upon to
establish the complement of the crews of
all vessels in commission, and is further
more required to keep the records of service
of all squadrons, ships. officers and men,
and to prepare the annual Naval Register
for publication. Among other duties, 1t Is
also charged with the enforcement of the
laws. regulations, tactics, signal codes and
manuals of the service and the keeping of
records of the same to date.
Under the regulations, all questions with
respect to discipline, changes of regula tons,
tactics and manual must be submitted to-
this bureau for it's action or recommended
ton. The bureau is required to prescribe
regulations for the dress of officers and men
and to see that they are strictly enforced.
All applications from officers for service or
change of service can be submitted to the
Secretary only through this bureau. To it
are submitted all reports of service per-
formed by vessels, officers and men, and
also reports of inspections, drills and exer-
cises all official communica lions to vessels
in commission are forwarded through this
HI oil
Secretary through the same channel.
Record of Every Vessel.
Thus 1t would appear that the chief of the
bureau of navigation virtually has control
Of all the officers and ships Of the navy.
All orders to ships and all communications,
including CIPHER kilograms, in regard to
them, whether to or from the Secretary of
the Navy go through this bureau and are
recorded there. In this way the bureau has
a complete record of the movement Of every
vessel in the navy. All details for special
boards. courts martial and courts of inquiry
are also prepared by the chief Of the bureau
Under his direction the commissions of all
commissioned officers. the warrants of all
warrant officers, and the appointments of
all appointed officers of the service are
made out and registered by the registrar OF
the bureau. There is but one exception to
the above rule and that is in the case of
the marine corps. The records of the off,
GERS and men of that branch of the naval
service are kept in the office of the colonel
commandant of the corps.
Nearest to an Admiral.
Tn, office of admiral of the navy expired
with the death of Admiral Porter, and
there is now no officer in the navy holding
an Office precisely corresponding with that
of the major general commanding the
army The chief of the bureau of naviga-
tior is the nearest approach to it in the
naval establishment, and it is asserted that
the duties of the latter officer are even
more comprehensive in their scope than are
those of his nearest army prototype. The
position of the chief of the bureau of ravi-
CATION has also been likened to that of tho
adjutant general of the army.
Admiral Ramsay's administration has
been signalized by the Introduction of a
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