The Washington herald., 1906-12-07
MUST DEFER TO BLUE
BOnaparte Asks Law Forcing
Respect of Uniform.
gRILLs DESERTERs' FRIENDS
secretary BepIores Practice of In
nuentiaI Men in Begging Unde-
served CIemeacy for Those Who
Have Been DisIOynI to FlHg-Urges
Formation of Advisory Board.

Among the subjects treated in the an
nual report of Charles J. Bonaparte.
Secretary of the Navy, the most striking
is his conclusions in regard to the evil
of deseruon by the enlisted men. He con-
demns the practice of friends Of desert
ers who seek to remove or mitigate the
offense of men who deliberately break a
voluntarily assumed duty of great mo-
ment TO the community"
In perfectly clear cases Of desertion,"
says the Secretary, ''the department is
frequently besieged with entreaties for a
wholly undeserved clemency on the part
of prominent members of the community
and even Of men in public office, who ap-
parently fail to realize that a part of a
deserter's punishment ought to be the
blame and aversion Of all good citizens.
It Is to be regretted that the moral
culpability involved in this deliberate
and wilful breach of a voluntarily as
sumed legal duty of great moment to the
community, and also of a promise made
under the sanction of an oath and with Il
full appreciation of its meaning and con-
sequences, should be often so imperfect
ly appreciated by those who, from their
position and standing. might be expected
TO feel strongly the guilt of perjury, dis
obedience to law. and disoyalty to the
flag"
Demands Courtesy tn Uniform.
Secretary Bonaparte speaks with equal
force concerning any indignity shown
officers or men who wear the uniform of
the service. On this point he says:
I am happy TO say that the earnest
protests made by the President the de-
partment, and prominent officers against
indignities inflicted on enlisted men, by
an insulting discrimination against the
uniform they wear, have caused very
gratifying and salutaTy expression of pub
lie opinion on this subject This has been
rendered more emphatic by the indigna-
ton aroused as a consequence of gross
OutageS upon our sailors on the part of
the police force of two or three localities.
feel that the department is entitled
TO the aid Of the Congress in its efforts
10 secure proper respect for the uniform
and proper consideration for the men who
have devoted themselves to the service
Of their country, and I hope that a law
may De enacted constituting such con
duct crime when committed by a public
carrier or innkeeper, or the proprietor
manager. or emplOye Of any place of
public resort or amusement The moral
effect of the enactment of such a statute
would be probably sufficient to render
prosecutions under it extremely infre-
quent"
Urges Two Vice AdmiraIs.
Secretary Bonaparte briefly discusses
the creation Of the rank of vice admiral
in the navy as follows: !
The plan of the board on personnel I
includes the creation of three vice ad- /
miTals. The department recommended in /
its last annual report that at least two /
officers of this rank should be provided. /
bill was subsequently prepared and /
submitted to the Committees on Naval /
Affairs OF the two Houses providing that /
the commander-in-chief Of the Atlantic 4
and Asiatic fleets should have the title, /
rank, and pay of vice admirals while
holding these positions but no longer /
Any one Of these three plans would afford 4
remedy for situation which is already
annoying and, in some measure, injurious 1
10 discipline, and must become more so /
with the gradual increase Of the navy"
A4tE E1tCAtNalN QtlEuuS IN rev NiEOT- /
Gus paragraphs the work Of the general /
board. declaring that the criticism heap /
ed upon II in certain quarters arises from
a misapprehension of its functions and /
exaggerated expectations which its or /
ganizatiOn aroused. He speaks at length /
of the Naval Reserve, and urges upon /
Congress legislation which will provide 4
for a large reserve Of trained seamen in |
place Of the present "hagrantly made 4
quate contingent" One Of the Secretary's /
suggestions is that every able-bodied /
man of good moral character, within Ger
tain limits of age, who has served at /
least four years in the navy and been dis
charged with credit, should be enrolled /
on a reserve list, in return for which he
should receive from $l5 10 S25 per month.
according to his rating at the time Of
leaving the service"
wants a Chaplain on Each ship.
After sanctioning the increase Of navy
chaplains from twenty-four to forty. es
recommended by the board of personnel,
the Secretary says:
There should be, In my Judgment, a
chaplain on every hrst-class vessel OF the
navy and on each one of as many smaller
vessels as can be suitably provided l do
not think it right that several hundred
citizens on our largest vessels. as many
as 500 or even more, should live for
months isolated from all religious observ-
ances. should be deprived of the consola-
ton of religion in case Of sickness or
death. and should be unable, in case OF |
need. TO call upon a spiritual adviser"
Recommends Active Cabinet.
Secretary BonaDarte renews his recon-
mendation that small corps of com
missioned officers. to be known as civ
iIians," be attached to the naval estab-
Iishrnent. employed in the higher posts
now filed by civil employees in the de-
partment and at the more important
naval stations, and recruited from the
most competent and deserving members
Of the civil establishment.
Mr.. Bonaparte submits that undesirable
results have been found. by experience.
10 flow from special legislation in the
interest Of individual officers in the serv-
ice. UnqUestionably, cases of peculiar
hardship viii occasionally occur which
can only be remedied by the iDterposition
of the legislative branch OF the govern
ment by special act; but, unless it be TO
Obviate extreme and evident injustice. he
recommends that special legislation look
ing to the promotion, reinstatement, or
other advancement Of particular officers
should be avoided.
Needs Another Dry Dock.
he urges upon Congress that it author
ize the construction Of at least one more
floating dry dock, adding that one should
be provided for The Atlantic and one for
The Pacific coast