The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-12-01
ROOSEVELT ON THE A v
CONFLICT OF LINE OFFTCERs AND
ENGINEERS SHOULD CEASE

Adoption of the Personnel BIN strongly
Urged ms n Remedy The Governor
Elects First Magazine Article since His
Election Devoted TO This Subject,
In the December number OF the North Amer
ican Repiet1 Governor-elep Roosevelt pub
fishes the first article from his pen which has
appeared since his election. 1t is a strong
plea In favor OF n measure for the reorganiEa-
ton OF the personnel OF the navy. which is soon
to be under the consideration Of Congress.
Gov. Roosevelt describes the state OF friction
between the line officers and tina engineers
which he found existing soon after he became
Assistant Secretary of the Navy. and the steps
which were taken to devise some means for
bringing that unfortunate condition Of affairs
TO an end. The measure Is the result OF the
consideration given TO this question by o board
containing line and engineer officers, and the
principle adopted by the board as the basis OF
the measure was that both branches OF the
service should be amalgamated. 30 that the
American naval officer hereafter shall be es-
s~entlally a fighting engineer. Gov. Roosevelt
points out that though this change may seem
radical. 1t Is not so.
1T is proposed" he says. simply In order
hat the officer may nc the work; because the
work itself shas radically changed since the
present organization Of the navy was devised.
The advent of the steam engine. with the con-
sequent gradual growth Of machinery on board
ship. Is. Of course. the cause Of the change.
Even as late as our civil war sailing ships were
still employed as part OF the fighting force OF
our navy. although the active work was per-
formed by steamers; but 1t was evident to
careful students at the end OF that war that
the day Of sailing ships had passed as COM
pletely "a that OF the Galleys. with which. 1000
years before. the wars for the mastery OF the
Mediterranean had been waGed. Since that
time the importance Of machinery on board
our vessels has enormously increased. while
sails have entirely disappeared; and. with the
growth OF the machinery, the duties of the
line oflcer have changed until he has become
in tact, although not In name. an engineer"
SHOULD the measure IN question become a
Roosevelt is assured, in detailing officers for
duty. will be much simpler than 1t has been in
will be capable OF performing any Of the duties
which involve the management OF large BODIES
& men or the control r OF I mafhln eb G tS:
proposed reorganization is effected: 1t will give
us q navy whose efficiency will be far ahead OF
eraily appreciated, he says, that the amounts
paid by the. United States Government to the
Sorrsspo Sr iaS n ranks sf IN ls he 'n arm a9o' and R1' th IS
resssonable., The new Bill proposes to correct
1t is useless says Gov. Roosevelt. in SON
~olusion. to spend millions OF dollars in the
building OF perfect fighting machines, unless
we make the personnel which Is to- handle
these machines equally perfect. We have an
relax our efforts to make it better still. Next
time we may have to face some enemy far
more formidable than Spain, In my, ,ludg-
crease the efficiency OF our already efficient
officers. and its enactment into law is Of in
terest to the whole country"
Gov. Roosevelt's article forms part OF a SYM
posium., to which the other contributors are
Commodore Philip. Commodore Melville,
Chief Engineer OF the Navy; tho Hon. Francis
a. Wilson. and the Hon. G.. L. Foss.