Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-12-26
Result Of Admiral BrownsOn'S
Refusal to Transmit Presi-
dents Orders.
TROUBLE OVER ASSIGNMENTS
Commander in Chief Wanted
Surgeon Placed in Command
OF Hospital Ship Relief.
Admiral Believes Subordlnation 81
Any Line Onicer 10 stan Omccr
Subycrsivc OF Discipline.

Washington. Dec 26--Not since tina
day preceding the passage Of the per-
soursI law 10 years ago has the feeling
between line and stan of the navy been
so acute as &c Is today as the result
Of a refusal OF Admiral Brownson TO
transmit orders from his superior ofti-
GER the president of the United states,
assigning O. naval surgeon 90 command
vessels TIA the navy. In the case of the
personnel act. a was Mr. Roosevelt.
then assistant secretary OF the navy,
who acted the part Of pacifcator and
succeeded in bringing the two warning
factions together in support OF the
legislation which for a decade past
though a makeshift, has served 60
maintain peace between the two fac
lions in the navy. In the present in
stance. however the efforts of the pres
ident TO reconcile the surgeons and the
line officers have failed and st is prob
able that the whole controversy win be
threshed out ON its merits in Congress.
This is much deprecated by conserva-
tive officers in both line and stan. as
likely 10 prove preiudicial TO the navy's
interest as a whole for they believe that
in order to succeed in securing, from
Congress the four great battleships. the
cruisers. scouts and submarines. which
form a part Of the years naval esu-
mates Ia addition TO securing legisla-
ton that viii better the lot Of naval
officers personally. the navy must
present a united front. which cannot
be done u just al the beginning of a
session line and stan are 10 engage In
a fierce strife.
Through the published statement or
Surgeon General RiXey, the merits OF
the doctors side Of the case in this in
stance have been clearly set forth. Lime
officers believe that in common fairness
they should also have "a hearing.
But they are ia an embarrassed po-
sluOn in that respect. Admiral Brown
son preceded his resignation by a cold
| clear, logical presentation Of the rea
sons why he objected 20 the assign
ment OF a physician TO command a
/ naval ship. even though that vessel
were exclusively devoted 20 hospital
| use. The statement was submitted TO
the president and Notwithstanding the
stan has had its say In print, appli-
cations at the White House for this
| letter are met with refusal. Now u
is clearly impossible for Admiral
brow usNn OF any or MS lALe Officers 70
make public "A copy of the letter with
out mourning the risk OF court-mar-
tiaI on charges Of dlsrespoct towards
their superior officer. the president OF
the United States So they can only
look for a change In the executive
mind or for the congressional investi-
CATION which viii develop all the facts.
II may be stated In the absence or
the text Of Admiral Brownson's let
ter that his objection 10 the execution
of the presidents order TO place sur
geon i'm command of the hospital snip
Relief was twOfold
In the FIRST place. like every linz
officer. he believed that the subordlna-
lion Of any line officer. no matter how
low I'M grade, 70 a staff officer on ship
board was bad policy and subVersiVo
Of naval discipline, But stronger
objection IN his mind was that the
proposed action was clearly Illegal In
asmuch as 20 is forbidden by law OF
naval regulation 20 assign stan OF
acer 10 command ships IL IS only TAR
10 the stan side 10 state that THIS ~
debatable ground and that Il would
NOT be diHicult 20 cOnstrue the naval
laws ana regulations Do either way.
~ n h not 10 be doubted that when
| mo subject rs before Congress Tor con
alteration the lawyers in that body VIII
Nnd material TO support either oonten-
] lion