Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-27
LEGALITY Of ACTION PROVIDING FOR PEACE
Assigning Staff Officer to Effect of Recent Central
Command Ship American Agreement
lCALLED IN QUESTION TO SQUELCH REVOL UTlONS
Relies Section Of Person Measures Taken to Suppress Aa
Act of March 8, 1899 ton for Wars
POSITION OF THE STAFF PLAN INTERNATIONAL COURT
to tribunal whose
ference o. Are to
CALLED IN QUESTION
Line Relies on Section Z of Person
mel Act of March 8, 1899.
POSITION OF THE STAFF
Statement Is Open to Controversy
and Reasonable Ground for Diff
ference Of Opinion.

Now that the legality of the Presi-
dents action in the matter of assigning
staff officer in the person OF Surgeon
Stokes to command the naval hospital
ship Relief has been called in aues-
ton it is proper to state that the re-
lance of the line officers is upon pro-
vision In section of the naval personnel
act of March 3. 1899. That section.
among other things, was designed to
clear up doubt that existed as to the
right Of staff officer to assume the
title of a line officer of corresponding
gre lie in the matter of pay and emolu-
ments and length OF service. Up to that
date staff officers had enjoyed what was
called relative rank with which they
were not satisfied. so in section the
word relative" was struck out so that
all sections of the Revised Statutes which,
in defining the rank OF officers or posi-
tions IN the navy. contained the words
the relative rank Of were AMENDED 50
vision the following important qualifica-
ton was attached:
But officers whose rank is so defined
shall not be entitled, in virtue of thei:
rank, to command in the line or in other
that to mean that no surgeon or engineer
Gf there shall ever be again commits
stoned engineers) or paymaster or con-
structor shall be placed in position on
board ship where he may command the
movements and actions of any person
not OIL his own staff corps.
The staff officers for their part held that
this act does not in any sense abridge
any privilege or rank formerly enjoyed
by a staff officer an da careful perusal of
that the provision cited is open to con
troversy. and that there Is a reasonable
ground for a difference of opinion as to
the meaning of the law.
Differences Between Line and Staff.
AS this whole controversy threatens to
occupy the attention of the public for
some time to come and perhaps to figure
to some extent in the proceedings of Con-
gress, it may be proper to state the diff
ference between the line and the staff.
about which the public mind is more or
less confused. In brief. 1t may be said
that a line officer is "combatant.
whose sole duty is to fight the ship.
while the staff officer Is mon co mba-
means for the line officer to fight the
enemy or acts under his direction carry
ing out his general orders. Thus. the en-
gineer, when of the staff. looks closely
after the machinery and starts and stops
it when called upon to do SO by the line
the ship shall go or what speed or when
It shall move Likewise, the surgeons
aboard ship look after the health OF the
crew in time Of peace and heal their
nothing to do with the movements Of the
ship to which they are attached, ana the
same rule applies to the paymaster and
TO the constructor. who builds the ship
navigated BY the line officer.
Active Line Officers.
On the active list the officers of the
line are, by law, as follows: The ad-
m,ral of the navy. rear admirals, captains.
commanders, lieutenant commanders, lieu
tenants, lieutenants Gunior grade) and
ensigns.
These line officers have rank in the or
der given. and both the law and regula-
tfons for the government OF the navy pro-
vide that they shall exercise command
accordingly" subject to the RESTRICTIONS IN
the case of officers transferred to the
line for engineer duty only. Midshipmen
are. by law. officers in qualified sense
They are classed as being of the line.
On the retired list the grades of the Of
ficers of the line are the same as on
the active list, with the addition OF the
grade of commodore, which takes rank
next after that of rear admiral.
The law dealing with the authority OF
line officers provides that officers "of the
line exercise military command: that on
all occasions where the expeditions or
attachments of officers and men Of two
or more ships meet the command of the
whole devolves upon the senior line
officer" and that at all places and times
not specifically provided where the exer-
else of military authority for the pur-
pos. Of military cooperation or otherwise
is necessary. of which the responsible line
officer must be the Judge. the senior
line officer on the spot shall assume COM
manh and direct the movements and ef.
forts of all persons in the navy pre- sent"
countable for the exercise of his authority.
off1cers Of, staff.
Under the law, the officers of the staff
are medical officers, pay officers, chap
lains, professors of mathematics, naval
constructors and civil engineers. Staff
officers are also given specific rank and
title, a medical director having the rank
of captain and the title Of medical direc.
tor medical inspectors the rank of COM
mander, surgeons the rank of lieutenant
commanders, and so on down through the
list.
Oh1cers of the STAFF have. under the
commanding officer, all necessary author
ity within their particular departments
for the due performance OF their respec-
tive duties and must be obeyed by their
subordinates But they do not by virtue
of thei- rank or precedence, have any
additional right to quarters, nor shall
they exercise command, except in their
own corps" They cannot take prece-
dencc Of their commanding officer, and
the regulations provide that they cannot
be exempted from obeying the lawful
commands of officers of the line who may
be charged by proper authority with the
details of military duty incident to the
naval service.
and Of naval stations take precedence
over officers placed under their command,
and line officers are detailed to service as
executive, navigating and other subordi-
nate officers.