The Washington herald., 1907-05-19
To BE Succeeded as NaYiga-
tiOn Chief by BrownsOn.
RETIRING ADMIRAL HON0RED
Made President of Board of Com
struction-Has Great RECORD for
Devotion to puty-HOw BrownsOn,
Commanding the Detroit, Broke
Up the Brazilian Rebellion.

Admiral Willard II. Brownson relieves
Rear Admiral George a. Converse. No
two officers Of the navy have better rec
ords. The Office Of chief Of the Bureau of
is the most important in the
administration OF the navy.
Admiral Converse was sixty-three years
old last Monday. The retirement age ia
the navy is sIXty-two years, but Admiral
Converse was retained on active duty for
a year beyond his sixty-second birthday
as a special compliment to his services
and on account Of the high character OF
his administration. II is generally ac-
at the Navy Department that
there was never a more efficient chief OF
the bureau.
Lived on His Bridge.
Whether afloat or ashore. Admiral Con
verse has always made a high record
for ability and devotion 10 duty. When
in command OF a ship in commission he
would never leave the bridge while the
vessel was under way, taking his meals
and sleeping in the charthouse or an i'm
cabin. His ships have always
been designated as happy" and every
enlisted force under him has been second
TO none in the service IN point Of content
ment. While he was in command Of the
battle ship Illinois, built practically un-
der his supervision. only a strikingIy
small proportion Of the 100 men were on
tie had-c0nduct roll Desertions from his
ships were far below the average
Among his officers he was regarded with
affection, and throughout the service he
has borne "a reputation for fairness. jus
tice, gcnlallty, and the highest mental
Wonderful Mastery of Details.
Admiral Conyerse's mastery of detail
was a constant source Of wonder 90 his
lie apparently never
forgot the merest petty item i'm any
chain Of circumstances connected with
his duties or experiences. Ashore. he
did some of the most important work i'm
the building Of the new navy. He super
intended the construction of the first
torpedo boat. and was an expert in the
and improvement Of tor
podoes. Ordnance generally was his
forte. He came into the administration
Cf the Navy Department as chief Of the
Bureau OF Equipment. was transferred
10 the head of the Ordnance Bureau.
ana subsequently, became chief OF tine
Bureau OF Navigation In each of these
Dan Ff 4frsIH ID
IL has been accepted without question
in naval circles that if the United
states had become involved I'm war
after Admiral Converse had attained
flag rank. he would have been among
the very first for one Of the most i'm
portant If not the most important feet
commands.
Hardly slept Through War.
In all the time he has been in the
navy, Admiral Converse has had less
than a month OF actual rest. periods
OF illness not being included. The draw
back Of a frau constitution did not
keep him from doing his work. no mat
ter how hard il was in the Spanish
war he commanded the cruiser Mont
gomery. and Tue tradition i'm the service
is that his devotion 20 duty was so
great that he hardly slept a wink dur
ing the entite period Of hosuuties.
The vessels Of which he was skipper
were modelS Of neatness and perfect
order The late Rear Admiral Henry Clay
TAYLOR. whom Admiral Converse sue
ceeded as chief OF the Bureau OF Navi-
4 .fT of lH
% catch Admiral Converse mapping on
the score Of tdiness aboard the Illinois.
The Illinois was al a port where Admiral
Taylor happened 10 he. Word came ashore
one day that some deck repairing was
being done on the battle ship, so Admiral
Taylor put of for the vessel, hoping 10
find things in "A state Of disorder and b.
able to Joke Admiral Converse about it.
They were repairing metal
stanchion." said Admiral Taylor. 1t
had been filed through. and / expected 10
see the deck Uttered with filinss and tools,
But when / went over the side, | saw that
as fast as the filings fell TO the deck they
were swept into a pile about six inches
square, and that square was absolutely
symmetrical. There wasn't a speck Of
dirt or sign Of disorder anywhere Con-
verse was bossing the job"
President Admires BrOwnsOn.
Admiral Brownson was born in Lyons.
y. Y. in lS45 and will be retired for age
on July - next He has commanded the
Petrel. the Dolphin, and the Detroit. and
In the Spanish war commanded the con-
verted cruiser Yankee. Between 1900 and
1902 he commanded the battle ship Ala
bama, and after attaining flag rank was
Of the North Atlantic cruiser
1t was in Admiral Brownson' s
flag ship, the West Virginia, that Presl-
dent Roosevelt made his trip from New
Orleans 10 Hampton Roads. Admiral
got back to the United States
this month from the far East. where he
the United States naval
forces on the Asiatic Station. He has been
also superintendent of the Naval Acad-
emy.
Between President Roosevelt and Admi-
raj Brownson there exists a very close
When the President was As
sistant Secretary Of the Navy he fire.
quently sought advice from Admiral
Il don't believe that anything could
huster Brownson," said Mr. Roosevelt at
one time during that period. He is the
coolest man and neatest man 1 ever saw.
If he were to fall overheard, there might
be little moisture on his glasses when
he was flshed out, but the glasses would
be on his nose, and I doubt if his collar
would be wilted or the creases taken out
Of his trousers.
How BrOwnson stopped the RevOlu-
tfon.
The Presidents admiration for Admiral
Browns0n dated from the latters part in
about an ending Of the Brazilian
revolution in 1S9S-94. Admiral Brownson
then commanded the little cruiser Detroit.
which was attached TO the squadron o.
the late Rear Admiral Benham, a fighting
sailor Of the old school The Brazilian
navy. which was in rebellion. had block
AIDED the port of Rio de Janeiro. Several
American merchant ships, loaded with
-four, were prevented from landing their