New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-06-14
THE NAVAL "MACHINE."
AN Ex-CHIEF ENGINEER WRITES AN IN
TERESTING LETTER.

HOW TIE TROUBLE BETWEEN THE LINE AND
| THE STAFF WILL. OPERATE AGAINST THE
SERVICE IN CASE or wAR-cAusEs
| OF ILL.-FEELING.
| That the question OF the personnel Of the Navy
| and the attempts on the part Of members OF tho
stan to obtain higher standing in the service than
has been accorded them under existing conditions
Is attracting much attention Is well known. ana
members of Congress and other officials have had
lots OF advice and suggestions regarding any action
| they might take or begin on the subject Tho old
| fight between the line and the staff has been the
cause Of a grea, deal of Ill feeling on both sides.
| and has not helped the service in any way. This
s too we'll known require proof. but II proof were
| needed II could easily be produced What the IN
| fuences which have been invoked 10 Illustrate
the efforts OF members OF the STAFF TO obtain rank
commemorate with the Importance OF their services
| is not so plain to the outside public as TO those
who are on the inside of the charmed circle. ana
as the officers of the Navy. both active and retired.
are debarred by the regulations from expressing
| any opinions any subjects which might by
strained Interpretation be considered IN the isht OF
criticism the contest goes on unheeded, except "heh
| some fragrant case is brought to the attention OF
the people through the court MARTA! OF an onender
against the famous Article No. 235. An Instance OF
| this sort occurred when Edward kershner' one OF
Tho most expert medical men OF the Navy was tried
by a court composed principally OF line officers ana
| convicted OF charges based on fracture Va '"'
article mentioned. His brilliant war record ana the
| fact tina. the action which first called down on MS
head tho anger OF his superior officers OF the line
was direct effort IN his line of duty 10 conserve
the health of the crew the ship OF which ne was
surgeon were Of avail. lie was compelled 10
| leave the sorvce-dsmissed as FAR as the serNioe
| was concerned. In disgrace.
| The members OF h!s profession have since shown
that the verdict OF the court and the action OF the
| Secretary OF the Navy and the President did not
accord with their ideas OF professional ethics Dr'
Kershner even under the hard sentence or the
| court has remained silent. trusting 10 ti"e u
| straighten the tangle.
| Othera xvho have suffered at the hands OF the
movers that rule the service have not been content
10 rest without speaking An instance OF TINS sort
| comes TO light IN document recently receiV'u ny
| Francis II. Wilson. member OF congress from mo
| IIId District of Kings County. from Asa VI Mattcc.
lately a member OF the Engineer Corps but now Nv
| inc {, Cambridge Mass Congressman Wilson, on
receipt Of the document. wrote to Engncer-in-'hlet
| George ". Melville OF the Bureau OF steam EnR'-
| rccring and received reply in which MI Matte"
was spoken OF IN tho highest terms as an engineer
| and as a man thoroughly conversant with the sud-
| feet on which no had written TO the Congressman
and the letter has caused a good deal OF comment In
| the brooklyn Navy Yard.
| In his letter to Congressman Wilson MT. Mh'u''
SAYS After years IN the service resigned
my commission In 1890 being one of tho many engi-
u.erS
| accoun, Of the thousand and one incidents when
combine 20 make the ne Of officer OF the stan eN
| cccdingly unplea SAINT
| During the course Of Mr. Mattces connection WIN
tho Navy he served FOR three years "a an instructor
| ., tho Naval Academy and three more one OF the
| assistants - the Engineer n-Che' at the Navy pe
par-ment Th~re facts VII! show that h" had a good
o,,ortnni.y 20 observe naval affairs from various
| points OF view
| Tn. letter SPOKEN OF was called out ny tho bin In
,roduccd into the House by Mr.. Wilson, ana INTO inc
Senate hv Mr. Squire providing for III" Increase IN
| the number and Improvement q me status % tho
engineer officers or the Navy. and he expresses the
| oninion that nothing IS more urgently needed. IN
| order TO assist IN placing the Navy In position OF
defensive efficiency than the passsg" o' tho OH no
Navy Register for issi shows that thrr" AT" 'hF 10
| engineers IN tho Navy smaller number than ~ my
| ~, ,,,,. sine. before the war" At the same
,i,rc there arc IN the line sailor branch. IA OIL
| GERS or Alb line officers 10 Zach engineer
| 4 STARTLING COMPARISON.
| "A comparison Of this ratio with that OF years
nast" says Mr. Ma;tice. will reveal som" s'artlhg
| discrepancies In l's4 in war time" there wer" @'''
line officers and LIS engineers. regular and vo"n-
,eer or n ratio - only 81 % or this number thero
,,ore &, tho REGULAR service i5i line officers ana pl
engineers or moro engineers than limo officers THESE
| numbers had been fixed by the necessities OF war
ana q IL bv reason Of wars that navies exist since
1850 the I'm. has increased over ~ per cent ana the
| engincers decreased by - per cent
| This startling change So acccntuai"d by IN" fnct
.-,, a.. ,h, close Of the war the Navy had no vessel
capah. Of developing more than 10" horsepower.
and the Minnesota with hOrse-Iower r'ireSent"d
by those figures had nine engineers WINE thn cfuIS.'
New York. with her engines OF l"'u nor 800
| has only fv. engineers. and the '"ihihDiH' w"
i 800 horsepower. has only four members 1i 'nS
| a,y,neer corn, on board or one ess than the 0d
monitors of the Lchgh and Nantucket type .dIIi"I
| Win engines Developing $40 horsepower Nhoth"r
fact which properly finds a place IN IN" I IAN
"a mai On 1854 there 20 steamers In commission
md n.s ,Yth'ut engines there we're only le4 line
| officers TO each engineer whie t0-1hE, ",ti,"ur
sailing ship In commission. ana w1tn many Ss ur'
able to spread shred Oh cn''T I'VE, , shns had any
officers 20 each engineer III W. i,w Si, . "a az
cot,rl. Of donkey pump+-the monitors. IN ddll1oH
having engines for working he tnrrets and pIovahs
| cojumbia ha. no less than ninety separate engines
having "A total Of l72 steam cylinders. ana the "'"o'
| vessels equipped In proportion
THE KEY To THE SITUATION.
Mr. Mat,cc then gives his version OF the causes OF
the trouble in these words TN" key TO tho "hoie
situation may be found the fact that the Navy Is
managed practically by certain clique Of line oH'-
cors letter vcrsed In the arts OF intrigue man III
| their own profession. who have by nook ana o'
| rook .o managed to gain control OF affairs that
| they are enabled the Navy 40 as TO iurther
ht own intcrests rather than the interests OF tho
| country Nominaly the Secretary OF the
| Navy Is at tho head OF naval affairs fracuca"y
| he IA next 10 powerlcss. for the reason that tho
| machine manages matters thh III o"'iii-i',
| lions with the Secretary, Incoming ana OUTGOING
| are with but little exception. pas--l throusn me
! ncshes OF its net. The Secretary must depend upon
naval officers FOR Information ana advice. ana ior
the execution OF orders; and the machine sees 10 IL
that these functions arc performed. as far IA pos
| sibe, by its own members . , - IL, .-.r,,
| THUS we lind that, while there are only seventy
| chief engineers In the Navy, there are lSD com
| manding ofiicers-an anomaly which appeals direct
| Iy 10 ones common sense. or the forty-nve cap
| tains we find only eighteen at sea. or the elBhy
| ave commanders. find only seventeen nj sea
| We also find such anomalies Ak commodore VINO
| has had but fourteen years three months sea ser
vice out of total OF forty -four years ana another
| with only thirteen years four months sea service
ont of n total OF fOrty-three years The senior cap
| ,ain has had but two years sea service out OF
~. ,r.l. ~