The Washington herald., 1907-12-29
'PILL-ROLLER" TO COMMAND.
''shiNer Ny Timbers,r Says Admiral
Decatur MRrIinspiIe.

"ShiNer Ny Timbers," Says Admiral
Decatur MsrIinspike.
Admiral" Truxton Decatur Marlinspike
in q letter 70 the New York Sun, makes
the following breezy comments on the
Roosevelt Brownson-Rixey affair:
SILVER my timbers,' but this new med
zeal command is about the last camel"
4 pill-roller 10 command a naval vessel.
filed with officers and enlisted men Of the
navy, manner by enlisted men Of the
navy. and accompanying a squadron,
Shades Of all our naval ancestors. from
Paul Jones 10 Sampson. this IS too much.
THE late Iamented Commodore Joe
Fyffe is the only fitting person 20 express
adequately the situation During the civil
war be was put in command OF a monde
script. fearful specimen OF converted ma
fine architecture, a sidewheel ferryboat-
the forerunner OF those converted gun
boats We Mt on during the Spanish war
( The craft being nameless. ice was told 10
christen her, and one day he steamed
/ proudly through the delighted fleet and
past the startled flagship with "Prepos-
! ferrous IN enormous letters on his star
board pad6lebox Turning majestically he
| steamed past again. displaying on his port
box Outrageous And those words de-
scribe most aptly the situation which has
/ led Admiral Brownson 70 retire from the
! Bureau Of Navigation
with all respect 20 Or. RiXey. I must
question most strongly the correctness OF
! his argument. II he is quoted correctly in
this mornings papers. He says 'Hospi-
tai ships as a rule always have been COM
manded by medical officers. with a sailing
1 master and a civilian crew Army hOspi-
! tai ships. yes, but not naval hospital yes
I sells. How about the British naval hospi-
| tai ship and the Russian? Naval hospital
ships are new and there are not many
! precedents outside Of our own service
/ Unless I am mistaken. Japsn's naval hos
I pltal ships were converted merchantmen,
mere transports 10 carry wounded 10 the
I base. and not cruising vessels
/ DIR. Rixey quotes the famous Relief
/ Her hydraheaded. doctor-aruly- quarter
master-senior-offic er-present-sailing- mas
/ ter command was one Of the jokes Of
the far East during her progress there.
( The naval officers who had occasion 10
travel IN her can testify 20 the way she
was commanded Their tales OF her have
Afforded hilarity 10 many a waUdroom
mess.
1T is plausible enough that the army
| hospital ships should have a doctor cap
tain All army vessels have merchant
/ officers and crews They are not acting
under immediate authority aioat- Their
/ orders proceed from Washington or some
/ general authority ashore for q lXed pur-
/ pose or definite assigned duty. Their sick
! and wounded are mere passengers You
could not put enlisted seamen and naval
! officers afoat under merchant officers and
crew. In time Of stress. wreck. OF trouble
the senior line officers could not sit
quiesceut under a doctor. Army ships
are not IN concert with other vessels
under flag officer who must have q
responsible and intelligent naval officer
in control 70 receive and execute his
orders as 70 the position and movements
Of the units Of his command. Were naval
hospital ships mere cartel ships, carrying
sick 10 the nearest hospital, a doctor
might command. but they are intended 20
cruise with the fleet, a component part OF
the same. under the same general con-
ditions as the battle ships or cruisers as
10 coaling. cruising. signals, routine. &c,
and in constant touch with the authority
of the senior officer present.
with ali due respect 70 DR.. Stokes, who
Is as much suited 10 command as any
doctor. imagine the pious Joy Of Bob
Evans If he had the Relief cavOrting
nerriIv along with his squadron. in but
NOT of II. with no responsible line officer
on her on whom he could rely. or, per
contra. pour out the walls Of his wrath
| If she chose TO cut up didoes. Right here
n NAV be said. But look AT the Golfers
They have no line officers. and only
merchant crews Yes, but they don't
have enlisted men aboard. sick or we'll
and sick officers aboard OF varying de-
grees Of rank and temper
Z
saws DR.. Rixey. They are not They
need a motive and directive power, the
bospitaI does not. except . fireman or
engineer for a heating plant They are
no more floating hospitals than heet
floating navy yard, and the discipline
ana administration Of a navy yard is as
different from that OF feet or ship as
bospital ship IS from hospital.
DR.. Rixey's principal plea seems 70 be;
.rsecause the army does these things we
should Why? What precedent is the
army for the navy. any more than the
,avv Is for the army? Because the navy
rows in boats. must the infantry take TO
the oar and discard the rifie2 And talk
ing about army precedent. there tnat
case Of one Gen. Leonard Wood, erstWhAe
doctor. For years the navy has gently
rubbed It in 10 the army. saying such
things could never happen TO the naval
service Are they so sure to-day When
Is this thing to stop? VIII Paymaster
SmaIlstores command the beef boat2 It's
lucky we amalgamated line and engineers.
or old Chief Wristpin would howl for
the repair ship, and if we ever get that
Ordnance Corps, Lieut. Commander
Shrapnel will just have to boss the am
munitlon supply ship When that all
comes TO pass the only rest and refuge
for the poor flag officers that command
such fleets will be the classic shades
Of ST. Elizabeth's Asylum for the Insane,
overlooking the Potomac and the White
House. -
..TRUXTON DECATUR MARLINSPIKE"
New York. December 8
MeconneII nIseoverIes Ia Vitality