New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-10-10
REORGANIZING THE NAVY.
THE FUNCTIONS OF THE ENGINEER
CORPS TO BE TRANSFERRED
TO THE LINE

From The Admiralty and Horse Guards Gazette.
We have received the following interesting letter,
Of the United States Navy:
Sir: / have read with much interest in the
issue OF your journal for June q. the article en-
titled The New Navy The leading thought OF
ms valuable paper is that the Navy OF our DAY
n nee, Officers with the large force under theiI CON
to-day In fact-as integral part of the military
strength OF the warship.
THE principle involved in the cd Latin saying
Temporal muiantur 81 nos Inutamur In is'-seoIns
to be applied but slowly and reluctantly to the or
seamen, 10 marked degree. have changed with
them but an obsolete organzation-hideboun
the scI which little more than generation
steam has wrough; has not been given thus lar
us due weight in the legislation which provides
the force afoat Vice-Admiral Colomb describes
says: What We have TO do in the Navy is really
TO welcome the coming speed the parting guests
forces OF all kinds" while the trusted friend
which says farewell is the 'seamanshp OF me
past, But the Admiral continues: .lnsiead ,, OF
frankly going out. shaking hands ana hlGding
goodby 20 the parting guest. and wishing nm
enc and bring him in we are no ding on TO me
coattails OF the old and trying TO shake hands
with the coming guest with the left hand, or per-
haps, with only one finger r,
"Ths propositions set forth in the article me ne
New Navy with regard TO reorganization are ihe
came in Kind 10 those which. In more extended
IN considering such radica! changes as mos" WIZ
the latter contemplate 1t may be well to note
seems but aNiomatic to say that with the tntry
iS n9yeS IF new agent SHTh as se OF
conditions. Again MS new ana all-pervadnc
force brought mall fleets changes which were MOI
At the outset OF the American civil War sailing
ships were still ahoat in all navies; at rs clos
ginian days. ana in our time the war vessel has
become a machine purely from ishting-lon t"
acccntuated in the United states Navy by the fact
that within the last fifteen years It has pasI S,
from, doc IN cd :
tation from the twentieth TO the siAtn place among
the navie5 OF the world.
COLONEL ROOSEVELTs WORK.
Under such circumstances discord was ins yiia6e
The line, executive. officer. proud OF his past
achievement and prestige. withstood steadtast,!
Of the Changed conditions strove to secure right.
full recognition I'm rank and title an element or
conflict has been waged within the United states
Navy and before successive Congresses Man.
strove in vain to reconcile the differences within
the force which was the Nations right arm Oh
the To the imparliality and breadth OF view
of the present Secretary OF the United states
S0 ana 10 the sSy ana rce ASSIST
ant secretary-laboreI In the settlement or TINS
OF more than thirty years is ended. In the intro
duciion in Congress OF the Personnel bill WIN me
neer officers protocols preliminary 10 astins peace
would appear to have been execute t, G.. thu com.
plete amalgamation OF the now distinct bodies o.
line and engineer officers There will be- no Longer
Navy. It's functions will be par. OF those OF
the new line which vii. perform all duties above 9',
which has led to this proposition cannot be given
better than In the strong words OF Colonel Roose,
stand supreme; only ne must know how TO handle
his tools, and must change as the ship changes 80
that precisely as he once knew about sails' now
he must know about engines Every officer ON a
modern war vessel. in reality. has to be an eng,
neer. whether he wants TO or not everything , III
such a vessel goes by machinery. and every OH
Ger. whether dealing with the turrets or the en-
gne-room. has 20 do an engineer work ihere a., -
no longer any reason for having a separate BODY
OF engineers, responsible for only part Oh tne ma
chinery. What we need Is one homogeneous pody.
all OF whose members trained for the efficient
Of the duties OF he cdsf e are f S
~ recognizing and giving shape to an evolution
poe bd ags AZ its SR Repd there stands
Der OF officers appointed directly irSm Svl me ,d
s soa 81 me there
tied section OF officers who were educated at the
present system, having received for three years AZ
that OF Inc 0ihGeds MIN r dpeT anal vear is pro-
posed under this bill. TO absorb all engineer ofii-
GERS in the line. giving TO all military rank ana
title. but to limit the duties OF the first or yeteran
officers OF the second section VIII be given prefer
ence as to whether they Will perform engineering
of the new line and those Of the final section will
be assigned once 10 the G9npose WORK OF e
oicers. they received at the naval school both line
"As to our line officers It may be said that under
the present system IN passing for promotion. they
ter in engineering that a part of their daily duty
is the handing-athough not the repair-ot dyna-
n 9os all ypes hat ON the Experiment
Is being made of dispensng with engineer ONCE Ter
and that line officers design and build all great
guns for the Navy. which in itself Is but branch
OF engineering. Under such conditions IT. is not SUI
prising TO find that in these days many line officers
are fully competent In some branch of engineer,
ing and that there are some whose tastes ana
environment have made them able engineers, In the
broad Of the term.
no VIOLENT CHANGES INVOLVED
at is believed therefore that while the rtan pro-
posed falls short. like all things earthly OF perfec,
intricate problem which confronts our naval per
line officers unaccustomed to the handling OF steam
machinery, will continue TO perform familiar
still the work OF the engine and fire rooms. or on
shore all matters OF construction ana repair 20:
will be but little altered. Then by degrees the
young line officers Of the present system Will ne
the young engineer officers OF to-day will familiar,
ize themselyss with the duties Of the blttery ana
curriculum much extended in engineering, will be
graduating officers trained for all duties above ana
The results Which are confidently hoped for are
harmony in the settlement OF g-s'andlng strite'
but without friction. and a greater elasticity OF or
ganization. I'm the possession OF n homogeneous
body OF officers fitted for assignment TO command
to the guns IN the engine room.
Long ago IL was said that History IS philosophy
learned from example and II. I'm considering the
proposed legislation turn 10 the records OF the
past there would seem to be ample warrant. IN
historical analogy. for the Personnel bill. Inc
leading purpose Of the measure IL the absorption
OF the Engineer Corps by the line, executive or So
called combatant branch. and such ABSORPTION
would seem 10 be but in accordance with the policy
OF this combatant personnel throughout It's career
~ cnn,nrins on the sea The line officer
originally as he is now primarily. n fighting man
a solder afoat In time. however he is. az
well sailor n navigator and an artiilerist having
added these professions TO his simple and primary
military functions. - 40
posed REORGANIZATION not only by TIE views -
forth I'm the article The New Navy. but as wen;
Nv tho thought expressed by the editor OF ore o'
he foremost British technical journals. who says;