Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-12-27
BREAK BETWEEN
BUREAUS IS SERIOUS
Resignation Of Admiral BroWRson
Due 10 FrIGtlOa With Or. hIxeg,
Surgeon General.
DISAGREE AS TO HOSPITAL SHIPS
Surgeon General Rlxey Insists on
Medical officers Commanding Them,
While srownson Contends for Line
characterization. stnnds by DR..
Rlxcy and the Admiral Had to Quit.

WASHINGTON, ID. c., Dec. &c -
That IL serious breach exists between
the bureau of navigation and the
bureau Of medicine Of the navy, In
yolving the question of the respon-
scbility of the latter bureau, was made
apparent In statement issued
by Surgeon General Presley NJ.
Rixey of the navy, In which he touch
Ga upon the circumstances leading nm
to sho probable selection by the Pres
ident OF medical officer to COM
mand the hospital ship Relief over
| the protest OF Rear Admiral Willard
III. brownson, chief of the bureau of
navigation. who yesterday sent his
resignation to the President. While
disclaiming exact knowledge MS 10 tho
Gauss of Admiral Brownson's resig-
nation. the surgeon generals state
ment leaves little room for doubt
| that the controversy he reviews was
potent factor.
Or. Rlxey's Contention.
Sturgeon General Rixey maintains
that hospital ships. as rule. always
have been commanded by medical Of
ilcers. with n sailing master and
civilian crew for purposes of navi-
cation.
! This particular vessel, he says, for
mcrly belonged to the army. and was
was always commanded by medical
oificer when used as a hospital ship.
In attempting TO unity the medical
services OF the army and navy he
says that Joint army and navy
board OF medical officers, which was
convened by executive order more
than n year ago. recommended that
hospital ships should be commanded
by medical officers, and that the rec
concentration was, approved by both
the secretary of war and the sec
retary of the navy in general orders.
Since the civil war, he says, all hos
1 pital ships and medical transports
of the army had boon placed under
the surgeon general of the army. He
says further that Japanese naval hos
4 nitll ships were commanded by med
ical officers, after having tried line
officers. These ships. he says, are
/, simply floating hospitals. properly un.
der the control of the medical de-
nartment, and should be conducted
in peace exactly rs in time of war.
/, This Ia especially so. he adds, because
during war time line officers cannot
be spared. and do not and should
not desire the command of these
ships.
/ lie maintains that 1t always has
been doubtful question If the Gen.
eva and Tho Hague .agreemotns could
guarantee the neutrality of these
ships II combanant line officers and
crews were aboard, and 1t was this
doubt which prevented the Japanese
/ during the recent war with Russia
from using line officers on hospital
ships.
Too Much Bureaucracy.
"The internal administration o! the
bureau Of medicine and surgery" he
rays. .has been. in my opinion, too
much interfered with by the bureau
Of navigation. This Interference has
at times caused grave concern as to
how ! could meet tho needs of those
under our care" The hospital ship
Relief, he says. should now be with
The battleship fleet on its cruise. but.
he adds: "The bureau of navigation
thought otherwise, and the fleet of
$4,000 men with its auxiliaries, is
without hospital ship, and will be
until IL arrives at Magdalena Fay,
more Shan three months from now.
He adds that he cannot understand
how Admiral Brownson should be
specially interested in the Differing
of hospital ships, as his duties lie
in another direction. and that he
should not interfere In n matter per-
tanning entirely to the bureau of med
iolne and surgery, and therefore to
be decided by the secretary of the
navy.
srownson viii Not Talk.
! Rear Admiral Willard II. Brownson.
whose resignation as chief of the
bureau of navigation of the navy de-
apartment was announced at the White
House. Tuesday. today turned over
the affairs of his office to Captain
Cameron MGR. Winslow, who has
been designated to take charge of
the work He then said good bye to
his late associates in the office and
returned to his home.
Admiral Brownson declined again
today to discuss the reasons which
l.. A ~