The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1907-12-26
FRICTION As TO
A COMMANDER
FOR HOSPITAL SHIP CAUSED RES.
iGNATioN OF ADMIRAL
BRcWNsoN.
PACIFIC BOUND FLEET
Without Hospital Ship--Sureeo Gen
eraI Rxey Declares That Medical
Officers Should Command
Such Vessels.

1
d Washingt3n, Dec. 25.- Surgeon Gen
| ieral Rixey OF the navy, returned homs
tonight, and in response to inquiris;
I'm regard to the resignation of Admit.
sal Brownson as chief of the bureau OF
navigation gave out a statement al
! to hospital ship relief which has fig
, ured prominently In t.ie episode
i While diselaiming airy knowledge al
10 the exact eansesof Admiral Brown,
sons resignation. the surgeon gener
lal's statement leaves scarcely doubt
that friction between the bureau OF
navigation and the medical depart
lment OF the navy was a potent factor.
IThe controversy had its origin an a
Imatter Ef sending a hospital ship with
the battleship fleet on its voyage To
/ the Pacific, over which there arose 4
conflict cf authority as to whether
q medical officer Of an officer Of the
lline should be assigned to command
] While diSclaiming any knowledge as
Ito the exact cause of Admiral Brown
[sons resignation. the surgeon gener.
FAILS staternent leaves little room for
doubt that the controversy was
potent factor Surgeon General Rixey
maintains that hospital ships always
lhaye been commanded by medical Of.
ficeis, with sailing master and cigs
iiian crew for the purpose OF nayiga.
|tion. This particular vessel. he says.
formerly belonged to the army, and al.
ways was commanded by medical Of.
ficers when used as hospital shin.
IN attempting To unity the medical
services Of the army and navy he says
Faeod aha ffitaa
should be commanded by medical ofs
lfcers, ana that recommendation was
lapproyed BY beth the secretary of war
land navy in general orders since
1.-THE civil war, he says, al hospita
ships and medical transports for the
army have been placed under the sur
lpeon general Of the army. He save
further that the Japanese naval nos
lpital ships were commanded by medis
eel officers after having tried me
officers. These ships, he says, are
simply floating hospitals properly un-
Ider control of the medical department,
and should be conducted in peace ex-
actly as in war
This Is especially so. he adds, be
cause during war line officers can
not be spared.
He maintains that 1t has always
been a doubtful question II the Gen
eva and Hague agreemnts could guar
antee the neutrality of these ships I
!, line officers and crew were aboarC
aud It was this which prevented thu
j. Japanese during the recent war witt
! Russia from using line officers OF
hospital ships. "The internal admins
! tration bureau of medicine and SUI
!. gerry" he says, has been in my opin
ion too much interfered with by tn
bureau of navigation. This interfei
ence has at times caused much cor
cern as to how could meet the need
lof those under our care
The hospital ship relief, he says
{ should now be with the battleshi
fleet on its cruise. but he adds 'th
bureau of navigation thought othe
wise and the fleet of fifteen tho'
sand men with its auxiliaries is will
out ahospital ship, and will be until
arrives at Magdalena. more than thrf
months from now"
He adds that he cannot understan
e how admiral Brownson should be G
I ueciallv interested in the differing
e hospital ships. as his duties lie
y another direction, and that he shou
not interfere In a matter pertainiI
entirely to the bureau Of medicine al
surgery. and therefore to be decid'
r bv the secretary of the navy. II
] surgeon generals statement in f
follows:
81 have been called to the telepho
n many times today in regard to I
resignation of Brownson. Browns
and I have been friends for ma
Years. and when on duty In Washi'
= ton as naval attending surgeon. ! v
IA his family physician. His resignaii
- as chief Of the bureau Of navigate
n has been assigned to various eaus
~ among others to a difference OF Oh
= ion as to the command CT hospl
~. ship relief. While do not know U
- this is the cause IL may be interest,"
bel 70 know the present status of
40 question.
"a. Hospital ships as a rule aiW
t, have been commanded by medical
Ulcers with a sailng master and
ilian crew for the purpose OF nav
ticn. Relief formerly belonging
the United States army has alW
,u seen commanded by a medical
tss Ger. when used a. a hospital shil
'.The Joint board Of the army
sra- navy officers convened by eNecn
ise order more than a year ago, 70