Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-05-17
Get TOO MUCH
SHORE DUTY.
Congressman Think Naval officers
Should be at Sea,
CIVILIANS DO BUREAU WORK
Obiectors 10 This Plan Point Out It's
Weaknesses Rivers aud iIarbOrs
Must BE Decpened.
Special correspondenee.

Special Correspondence.
Washington, May lg--The discussion
of the naval appropriation bin in both
House and Senate develops the fact
that the navy Is being criticised be-
cause there is So much shore duty for
the officers JIG is the aim of the navy
department, which IS governed gem
orally by the officers of the navy, in
nearly an recommendations that are
made TO have a sufficient number OF
naval officers, SO that there viii be
about two-thlrds ON sea and one-third
on shore duty. Some representatives
and some senators have taken the
ground that. as naval officers are edu-
Gated for the sea, they ought TO remain
az sea- 10 is claimed by some that me
shore duty could Dee performed as well
10y civilians as bv these officers. While
this may Doe true loo some Instances,
there are many others where II would
not be- at an available. This much Us
true-there are many naval officers per-
forming duty which could be done by
civilians. but IL would be- impossible
% take The chiefs VI the bureaus ana
their assistants and have permanent
civilian officers created 90 hll these
places. Then there is work about the
navy yards, the naval academy ana
other places Where a distinct naval
education Is necessary that cJuld not
be properly nlled oy civilian app0in1ees.
MIST pr sr-urrrr rO PEGrf-
TATTONS
Those who advocate having all shore
duty done by civilians overlook the
fact that the same argument would
apply TO having all. of the stan duty
in the army performed by the stan
civilians. AS a matter OF fact 10 is
true that men could perform AN OF the
stat duty and not necessarily be army
officers. Men could be- selected for the
Pos ,Sc ~ l1e navy 1epIl' 9l c JHi
lie. and possibly they could get along
after faslkn, especially II they had
certain scientific education where such
education Is needed, But those who I'M
slst mat there is not the least necessity
for naval officers performing shore
duty overlook one important TACT.
Much OF the business Ol the navy must
be done by officers who are under
strict naval regulations, subject 70
court martial ana punishment by
court martial In case they commit
onenses against The navy. The same
Us true 10 me stan soips OF the army.
civilians would Doe subject only 70 clNll
trials. II is quite true that great
deal OF The shore duty could De ais
penseu WIKI. piupaDly one-haI OF the
officers now assigned TO shore duty
could easily be spared 60 olhcer our
ships II there We're men enough TO Keep
them IN commission ms iact was
demonstrated during the spanish war
When ohceIs Wete called from alI thelI
SHORE assignments ana sent 10 sea. Al
that time, however me shore duties
OF many OF these oHleeIs were per
FORMED by f~lFed haNal oH'cers' VINO
were recalled Tor the purpose
FOR LARGE SHIPS
Although there VIII be no river ana
harbur bin az this session OF congress,
the river and harbor committee OF the
House has been very active throughout
the entire session ana has lald the
foundation FOR mueh legislation az the
next session, when a river ana haroor
bin IS TO be reported on a number
of occasions the committee has given
hearings on several projects IN when
tDr.ste5 sucb as New yort Raifimors
Philadelphia, ana interests represent
ing the shipping on lhe Mlaslsslppl
river. But the une OK the committee
mas not al Deeh tahen up WIN Wolh IN
hearings. a great deal or earnest STUDY
mas been gwen 10 c0HlineIcidl quea-
tons, ana experts ana those Iahililar
with commerce OF To-Day nave Deen
consulted as 90 the probabilities or the
shipping ln me iuture. As result OF
this STUDY ana investigation the com
mlttese mas concluded that thg carry