The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-09
PERSONNEL OF THE NAVY.
TIE YEARS OF BITTER WRANG-
LING NEARLY At AN END.

Secretary Longs Hoard Reaches n Basis OF
settlement OF the Differences between Line
and stnn-EnEineer Corps 10 Tc Abolished
and the Onlcer- Transferred TO the Line.
WASHINGTON, Nov. s.-Aftcr years OF bitter
Wrangling the officers OF the limo and the staff
OF the navy reached n basis Of amicahlc:scttle-
ment Of their differences to-day, through tho
board appointed by Secretary Long to consider
the entire subject of naval personnel. Tho
board consists of seven line officers and four
engineer officers, with Assistant Secretary
Roosevelt as President, and IL was the gen
erl belief In naval circles that the ovcrwhc!m-
Ing majority of limo men would be fatal to at
tempts on the part Of the engineers to secure
actual rank, which has been the main qucs-
tion, In fact, the only question involved In the
dispute between the two branches of the SER
vice. Tho work Of the board was somewhat
Dimplifod by statements from Surgcon.Gcncral
Van Reypen and Chief Constructor Hichborn
that members Of the corps Of which they are tho
heads would not Insist on obtaining actual
rank. The other staff corps the pay and the civil
engineering, were not taken into serious con-
nideration, leaving the engineers as tho only
STAFF representatives
Under existing law engineer officers aro
designated rs Chief Engineers, passed assist
ant engineers, and assistant engineers. Each
has . relative. rank, tho highest that Of Cap
tain, the lowest of Ensign, but these actual
titles do not properly belong to those In the
corps For illustration, engineer graduates
Of the Naval Academy :are without authority to
exact obedience from their men. whilo their
classmates Of the line have tho right to give
commands and exact obedience. 1t was to
overcome this anomalous state Of affairs that
the engineers have been working for years. To-
day tho personnel board cam somewhat un-
cxpectedly TO an agreement, which, when per
fected, will be put in the form of a bill and
the Secretary Of the Navy. The dissenting
members of the board were outvoted three TO
When tho board mot 1t was with a feeling on
the part Of the members that its work would be
quite as ebortive as were the previous attempts
Of the board were officers OF the highest standing
In the line and staff. Can't. w. I. Sampson.
SSoWninshiel :, G Chi 9a Of tSe Ru aD@a' Of aa sav ii a:
ton; Capt; RtSoblSy D; Evans Ct the LishtnoHse
Capt Alexander II. Mccormick, a well-known
S STd Tfsn expert; Commander RiS JOSEPH \; M9mp-
EnTineer.in.c6ief George W. Meiviiie Of u Arc Arc:
tic fame, Chief Engineer Charles w. Rae of tho
Passed Assistant Engineer Walter II. McFars-
land. who represented tho United States at the
Congress Of Marine Engineers and Architects
in London at the time of the Queens jubilee,
were the staff contingent.
From the hrst the engineers gave notice that
Tho board talked over this from beginning to
end. Under the scheme as it passed the board
the Engineer Corps Is to be abolished in name
and the officers of the corps transferred to the
line, with actual rank. All officers formerly
of the Engineer Corps above q certain grade
not yet determined are to perform the duties
OF engineers until retirement. They will not be
required to perform service on board ship out
side Of that at present performed by the engi-
neers. All former engineers below the grade
TO be determined will have the opportunity OF
by limo officers, 80 that they may be ftted to
command a ship and the Like. They will also
do engineering work.
At the end OF ten, years It Is expected that
engineer officers taking the line course will be
fully equipped for the duties Of the grade they
will have attained by that time. Line officers
above tho grade to BIO determined on will not BIO
required to perform any engineering duty, but
line officers below that grade must study enRi-
reering 80 as to 1T them for performing the SER
vice now exclusively rendered by officers of the
officer on shipboard should be able to take his
place on the bridge or in the engine room with
equal safety to the vessel. Meanwhile 1t Is
proposed that the machinists of the navy. who
are enlisted men, shall have more to do with
running the engines. This will tighten the
duties of the officers who may be serving above
decks one day and below them another.
AL. the details of the plan have not been COM
pleted, but the rest Is a mere nothing compared
to what was accomplished to-day. The board
has another proposition Of interest before it
deals with the merging of the officers Of the
Marine Corps into the regular service and with
placing naval officers In command of tho
marines.