Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-07-24

Approval of the Proposed COnsOltda-
ton.

Approval of the Proposed Consolida-
ton.
He is a staff officer of high rank and
makes no secret of his deep, personal feel
Ing in regard to the merits of the peren-
NAL controversy between the line and stan
of the navy. In the course Of a converse
ton with Star reporter on that subject
today, he expressed himself vigorously as
lows:
THE recommendation of the board of Wis
itors at the Naval Academy. concerning
the coasolida ton Of the line and the en-
gineer officers, as the only solution of the
line and staff strife in the navy, may be a
surprise, but when it is known that GER
tain officers of both those corps approve Of
the consolidation the public will be aston
ished. 4 tight between the sailor officers
and engineers began when the first engine
was put into a boat; ii has existed in every
navy, in every steam mercantile vessel
and in every steam yacht that ever hoated.
1t is the natural thing. In merchant ships
the two departments are perma nen:iy sep
arateI, the owners being obliged 20 resort
to this if they desire to make any money.
In the navy of the United States this
course vas not followed until toward the
end of the civil war, when steam began to
be taught in the Naval Academy. Up to
the beginning Of the war of the rebellion
ships and auxiliary steam ships; the power
was small, the engineers and their
crew insignificant that they could be
overlooked or ignored. In 1854 the Secre-
gress a plan of educating officers to do
DC tn duties; 1t was first tried on the Swa-
tara, but was abandoned when found to be
SO much more expensive.
1t was found that the more rapid promo
ton CT the line, to higher pay, actually in
creased the expenditure. The scheme was
then abandoned, and the sail power of the
ships was increased, the propellers were
leduced and a vigorous effort made to re-
turn to propulsion by sails.
The vigorous opposition, on part of the
lire, 10 the rank of the staff being posi-
tive, is historic. If, now, the two corps
are consolidated, and the actual chief en-
gineer of a ship has the rank and title of
the line, no matter whether he be a real
line a real engineer officer, all the ar
guments of the line against staff rank
must be acknowledged sophistry.
THE Naval Academy was established
because there were no schools in the coun-
try capable of imparting nautical educa-
ton, or even the riidiments thereof. The
engineer class was established there in
1866 because no school in the country then
communicated the training of a mechanical
engineer. The country has outgrown that.
polytechnics are taught IN many universe
ties today. The Annapolis course costs the
req ublic about 100000 per graduate. The
course is not that OF a university. even II
it were it oud afford but the foundation
Oh which to build the efficiency of an off
GER. The academy has outlived It's useful
ness. The majesty of glorious seamanship
has departed: the romance of life on the
rolling seas has been dispelled before the
breath of steam. MaStless steamships have
displaced the white-winged frigates, and
the occupation of the sailor officer (the
original title of a line officer) is gone. The
engineers, who have been opposed at every
step, say that they have built a steam navy
in spite of the line, not because of them
Al d, now, in the zenith of tteir ambition
they are willing to be dissolved within the
ranks of the line, losing an identity which
they have claimed honorable, and be-
come eliminated from the pages of his
tory. Both parties appear SO thoroughly
if not so selfish, as to excite
the suspicion of our thinking legislators