Evening star., 1903-07-30
JOINT BOARD MEETS
REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ARMY
AND THE NAVY.
Secretary Root Explains What is Ex-
pected and Tells Of the Re
suits Hoped For.

The joint army and navy board. known
as the policy board. recently constituted by
agreement between the Secretaries of Var
and Navy. held its first meeting for the
purposes of organization In the diplomatic
room of the State Department this morn
ing. On the recommendation Of the provis-
ional general staff of the army the follow
ing officers were detailed by the Secretary
of War to serve upon the board: Major
General S. B. NJ. Young. Major General
Henry G. Corbin. Brigadier General Tasker
II. Bliss. Brigadier General Wallace r.
Randolph. On the recommendation of the
general board of the navy the following
officers We're detailed by the Secretary OF
the Navy to serve upon the board: Admiral
of the Navy George Dewey, Rear Admiral
Henry c. Taylor, Captain John +. Pillsbury
and Commander William ]. Barnette.
In the joint order. signed by Secretaries
Root and Moody, announcing the appoint
ment of the joint board, IT stated that
the board would hold stated sessions and
such extraordinary sessions as shall APP
pear advisable for the purpose of confer
ring upon, discussing. and reaching COM
mon conclusions regarding all matters call
ing Tor the cooperation of the two services.
Any matters which seem to either depart
ment to call for such consideration may be
referred by the department to the board
thus formed. All reports of the board shall
ment All reports and proceedings of the
board shall be confidential. The senior mem
Der of the board present will preside at its
meetings and the junior member of the
board present will act as its recorder.
Secretary Roots Statement.
All the members We're present at today's
meeting except Gen Young, who is not m
the city. Secretary Root called the meet
ing to order and made short address. n
cicatfng the general duties of the board.
Secretary Root in his remarks to the
board, said that he believed good results
would come from its delibera tions upon
such questions affected both branches OF
the war force of the nation. He believed
in personal discussion of such matters
Gther than in writing letters and making
Endorsements on official papers as a means
to obtain results Consideration of QuaS-
tons which affected both army and navy
would. in his opinion. bring better results
when brought before a board composed OF
officers of both services than when made
the subject of. routine official Communi-
cation. He believed that the questions to
be brought before the board and considered
in time of peace would result in better
understanding and more effective co-opcra-
ton in time of war.
The Board Organized.
The purpose of the meeting today was to
organize, which was done by the election
of Admiral Dewey as president and Com
nlander Barnette as secretary they being
the senior and junior members respectfully,
present. Then there was a general dis
cussion of the subject of coaling and naval
stations in Cuba with view to determin-
ing whether they should be garrisoned by
the army or by marines. Secretary Root
has already taken steps to place troops
at Guantanamo and Bahia Honda, and
some of the naval officers are not well
pleased at that assumption of military au-
thority over a naval station.
The board adjourned subject to the call
of the chairman and will probably not re-
assemble until fall as Admiral Dewey
and several other members are about to
leave town for several weeks. When the
members come together in the fall they
are expected to take up some very weighty
questions relating to the cooperation of
the army and navy in the defense of the
country in time of war.