The sun., 1896-08-23
LINE AND STAFF CONTEND.
couiRFSSWAY WILSON CHAMPIONS
THE NAVY ENGINEERS.
Th-y Ask for Increased Nuubers aud Post.
tive Rnnk-The Trouble stirred Up sy
Mr Asa ~. Matttce's Shnrp Letter


of Brooklyn: introduced into tho House n bill
"to organize and increase the efficiency Of the
,crsonncl Of the navy" in respect OF the Enei-
,.sr lorps. Is proposed TO give thel engineer
.dlcers positive rank, to increase their num-
NOR, and TO allow archaeological schools to com.
,-e,e for vacant places in the corps. This bill
,vns advocated some time ago in letter to
Congressman Wilson from n former engineer
officer, Mr.. Asa ". Mattice, in which he sharp-
iy attacked the line OF the navy for their al
legged attitude toward the engineers.
Mr. wilson commenting to a SuS reporter
,on this bill. which Is expected to come up for
action at the next session of Congress. SAID:
"a few line officers and their friends assert
that the purpose of ths bill is to give the engt-
necrs command ot our war ships, and they rsit-
crate the assertion, in season and out OF season,
despite ;he fact that the amended bill expressly
provides that the Engineer Corps shall com.
mapd in their own department subject to the
authority ot tbc commanding officer, but shall
not he n;itled TO command IN the Line or other
stat officers. 1t is also urged BY some Of the
line officers that there Is no need of an increase
of numbers In the Engineer Corps
In 1854 twenty per cent. of our war ships
were without engines, and. not one that had en-
sines coali develop moro than 1000 horse
power. The steam frGzstc Minnesota. with its
1000 horse power and comparatively simple
machinery. had nine engineers. To-day the
protected cruiser Colur lbia, with Is, 500 horse
power, 30 engines, we steam cylinders, with
all its varied and complicated machinery, has
bat four engineers
IN 1864 there Acre enrolled in the regular
and volunteer Ia Sal service 2.S46 line officers
and l.7"S enSin ers, and in the regular service
alone AGA line officers ard sol engineers In
.t,,n
the numbers m each corps nearly equal.
The NdcA Register OF 1896 shows that we
now have I'3 engineers and ia line officers,
OF more fhan four line officers to one enei-
neer for these fighting machines that we are
now CO rstructing in our new navy.
Il III simply stating a few OF the facts
that seem 10 show that we either have far
mora line officers than we require, or TOO few
Alent further at the present time
"A few weeks after the engineering bill
Ss Rt5odgsSa oy roP me- circular letter,
nave, was sent TO the faculties o{ some OF our
tie purpose OF inducing them TO withdraw
their erto7sement Of the bill. The letter con
tains this profound observation: No meas
IRE for the benefit of education Al large
should be Joined To one designed TO advance
the fortunes o; individuals, or Of any bodv
OF nen. &c. is effect upon the minds OF
many OF the most distinguished educators
and scientists was such that after a carefnI
norialire Congress for its immedtate passage.
NJ less than twenty such memorials repre-
.enting such Institutions as Columbia and
distinguished educators as Gen. Francis A.
Walker. br Thurston, and Presidents Low
aad ANGEL were received.
"ActompanyirR the circular letter Of the
line oncers had been pamphlet, upon which
WAS eonspcuously printed a criticism of tho
The steam Navy of England. a book written
hy the distinguished CHIEF Engineer of the
5a S follows? ?ucissDa 4a% GS GSs ssS
~ would be unobisotionabie. but Il I Is doubt s
cement either the class or the navy at large
Vow, s 70 this ALLEGED opinion, here is an
OF inquiry on the subject which was addressed
to the author of the book just spoken OF:
10 GzEyIEID TxRkAcr. srorE.l
IIu NY pE4R sR: The Steam Navy Of England was
"a aaas IN HE Gin = insTSaaced as ea
h. a;o N The .sss se1, Tss wHrs e
s ra with you and my professional brethren in your
siases otice5s l sincerely hope that you may be
''~essSs'~'' be..eve me, yours sincerely,
HARRY WILLIAMS, Royal Navy.
IA, L@ae @ eu1tation IN question. which the ctrcu-
.sr IetsHr Of the line officers gave in q CARRIED
.GIM, ~ ally reads as follows: Some engineer
oaeets advocate that all the members OF the |
e!ass mould be made executive officers. In :the
shar eer Officers view it is probable that this
w wba d De unobjectionable, but it is doubtful
W her tae class or the navy at large.T~
%. !uTa.ns To the subject OF Mr.. Mattice's let
MI Asa NJ Mattice's letter near the end OF |
,sus:L nTrH: u seemed 10 rae very able and very
ts,aaskaGe u a1a a99cument As he was a stranger
SeoFge ". Melville, requesting him to Inform !
me- NE ot u Hr. Natttces standing in his profession
az .ac ot MS record while he was connected with |
!as !.i Hayai service: Commodore Melyille's an |
sus ssst 70 Iay inquiry contained the highest com
ss%S.'H5 seatscH. o. Mr.. Matrices character quail
-II.'oHs, anu trustwortnIness. He wrote |
,s nas Ai' record in the service Was one of en- |
.ISIs.ast!c .SI.st! devotion 10 duty, so far as such a |
. Sa.et' ana particularly an engineer had To en-.
NY. S.'tC. wr9te Tor and obtained permis-
NSs.5 H.. ron NJ Natt!ce 10 have the letssr pub
- ~, ~ came out in pamphlet form under
ne Es Gt!e Queer Doincs in the navy. and re-
'ef,G4 va q vide circulation three months ago"
al. y Ia here D. noted that Mr.. Mattlce's letter
sSpatng" that lie Lad resigned In $50 being
psiis tAe many engineers who have heen COM
ts1sd Yst!ed T. leave the navy on account OF the
IIe'aGd AID ole incidents which combine 10
iasiS 'e lie Of an officer Of the stan exceed
eiird tGat tI49'eaisH az. ~ This letter further de-
Esv,s ~" o. found in the, fact that the navy is
ii5s otsl practically by a certain clique OF
toH 6tsue tLan IN their own profession" and run.
tan -, 10 a, q turther their own interests rather
see6 tf Ia, rTssis 1 nd Of the country" II also
prai.} Ian Lar stan officers in the infiction OF
f-.sLILeItS.
~. N1saa said NJ this letter that II was
orc ( 1i'i 20, lN view OF its charges that no
he ~, a sttempie! TO answer it," However
W as |N. II was REPRINTED by the Line Offcers'
o. 'aIi01, aud sent to the engineers indi- |
'"-"''! With this prefix:
prr 'bc''e! pimphet Is an exact and compIete re-
Jd,r., '' La copy In toe posse ssion of the Line
tlio,,, Ns-' alton II IL forwarded 10 you for Iour
tois At.A. Ihe Line Officers Of the navy are loaTh |
mai. ~ :. t.~I Sou VIII coIatanancr the statements
FOR h. IN or approve or IL, publication evidently
non ~ g" "t influencing Congressional l-gIsla.
10 M ~ "I'rF, howeNer tnnt mistake on tins
M mn ',f "' Er ou respectfully requested 10
keYesitt ~ ir"ara 10 tho address given the slip
''... '...,.......-.... ......,.... Place.
utG of ta" parapaiet by Asa NJ liattica en-.
WITH n ,HH1,''I 'olnss IN the Navy" do 49,. meet
'II'''r4 by Tae. " '"''''-'n ~ ''''''''''
''''''.'''''.'.''' ..''......... Signature.
..tSa.2r2m ..ttS1o5@m&io'r e + K r4y,hlan u ". saSa Oh
Thar S.lesaman Wilson said of this request
Wa. an cvil mind might infer that this
viii Jp,te 70 the engineers, but the charitable
quirin,.' p.I,'7 sec in IL the hunger 1f an In
sGI.I M.hc IN search OF Information" He
tSantt tt tLa' ommodnre Phythian had spent
mo aS 81 to last twenty-three years cruis-
ers y. sHore he believed that all the sign
feru s,io Gae circular letter had violated naval
hs' 80, ,pl4h III sending liz nuL and one nf th.yn