The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-03-17
FAR REACHING.
Secretary Longs New Orders
the Most Important
That Issued From the Depart
ment in Recent Years.
AN OPENING WEDGE
In Movement to Eliminate
Civil Control.
War; College Is to Cut a PrOmi-
nAnt Figurn.
AN OPENING WEDGE


New York, March IA special to
the Tribune from Washington, D. c..
says:
The most important general order is
sued to the navy since that of Secre-
tary Borie establishing Admiral Porter
in the navy department after the civil
war is No. 544, published to the service
by Secretary Long, installing Rear sAd-
miral Crowinshield as chief Of staff and
creating a general board for the pur-
pose of controlling the fleet.
This order constituting a board of
nine members, all line officers, is under
stood to be in the nature of an opening
wedge in the movement to eliminate as
far as possible civil control from the
purely military and technical affairs OF
the service. That four other orders are
regarded as essential features of the
plan is shown by the memorandum pre-
pared by Captain Henry c. Taylor,
formerly president of the war college,
who is looked upon as the Mahan of the
active list, and upon which Secretary
Longs action is based. Captain Taylor,
in note accompanying his memoran-
dunn says:
THE memorandum has been written
in reply to an inquiry from the secre-
tary of the navy as to what concrete
things should be done at present in the
development of the general staff. If.
in response to this inquiry, we should
submit a complete plan covering many
years, elaborate in detail and precise as
to dates, we should by this only indi-
cate our own ignorance of the true
nature of the project; but we may with
confidence suggest some measures
whose necessity is now plainly appar-
ent. At present we perceive certain
things.
"First-That we have established a
war college and an Office of intelligence
e1Y-ok a
elements of general staff.
"Third-That the department ap-
pointed a war board when the late war
began, indicating by such action the
need of general staff advice
Captain Taylor then presents five or
ders, the first making the war college
and intelligence office mutually de-
pendent, their chiefs and first assistants
with the chief of navigation, forming
permanent board of five, and stipulat-
ing that one-haIf the intelligence force
shall pass four months annually at the
war college and One-half the war col
lege force four months at the intelli-
gence office.
The second, which is practically the
one issued today. establishes a general
board of nine members, five of whom
are named in the first or permanent
board, the others being the senior Of
ficer of the navy admiral Dewey the
commanding officer of the North Allan
tic fleet and their chiefs of staff. This
general DOdTQ Is TO meet CONSIDER the
plans of the board of five every No
vember and at such other times as may
be desirable.
The third order gives the chief of
navigation custody of the approved
plans, places the combined work of the
war college and intelligence office I'M
der his general direction and orders,
and designates him as the represen-
tative of the board in all transactions
with the secretary of the navy.
The fourth order is drawn with sniff
cient elasticity eventually to supplant
the naval staff, the marine corps and all
the civilian authorities of the depart
ment 1t provides that when matters
of constructing, arming, equipping or
manning the fleet are necessarily de-
duced from the war plans, and require
action of the department and it's bu-
reaus in supplying ships and their ac-
cessories, they shall be submitted to
the assistant secretary, who shall con-
slider them and transmit them to the
secretary of the navy"
The fifth order provides for enlarg-
ing the force of the intelligence office
and war college, and places the selec-
ton of officers for both details in the
chief of the bureau of navigation, in
his capacity as chief of the general
staff
MAKE UP OF THE BOARD.
New York, March IA special to the
Herald from Washington says:
Secretary Longs Orders creating the
policy board caused considerable COM
ment among officers on duty in Wash
ington.
The officers who will be members of
the board under the provisions of the
order will be Admiral Dewey, Rear Ad-
miraI A. s. Crowninshield, Captain c.
D. Sigsbee, Captain G. H. Stockton,
Captain Asa Walker and Lieutenant
Commander C. H. Peters. Captain
Henry Taylor and Captain F. E. Chad
wick will be designated for member
ship on the board and possibly. Rear
Admiral A. S. Barker, though the i'm
preston is that an officer of lower rank
will be selected. Rear Admiral Samp-
son will not be a member
of the board, according to the present
intention of the department. The for
nation of the board meets with the ap-
proval of Admiral Dewey, who was
willing to perform duty which did not
greatly interfere with his movements.
officials of the navy department do
not hesitate to say that the result of
formation of the board will be that it
relieves some of the bureaus of at least
a part OF their duties. though the order
announces war measures to be the OBJ
ject of its creation. 1t will determine
upon the character of manoeuvreS in
which squadrons will engage. prepare
plans of offense and defense, determine.
upon the points at which ships shall be
stationed in time of war and advise
the secretary as to the shipping policy
to be followed.