Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-12-27

enjoyed what was called relative rank
with which they We're 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 positions in the navy contain
ing the words The relative rank Of
were amended SO as to read "thc rank
Of" To this provision the following i'm
portant qualification was attached:
But officers whose rank is so defined
shall not he entitled in virtue of their
rank To command in the line or in other
staff corps
Line officers understand this 20 mean
that no surgeon or engineer Gf these
shall ever again be commissioned engi-
neers) or paymaSter or constructor shall
be placed in a position on board ship
where he may command the movements
and actions of any person not OF his own
staff corps
The staff officers, for their part. hold
that this act does rot in any sense
abridge any privilege or rank formerly
enjoyed by & staff officer, and careful
perusal of the act appears to justify the
statement that this provision is open to
controversy, and that there is d reason
able ground for difference of opinion
as to the meaning of the law.
There We're no developments today in
the controversy owing to the absence
from Washington of the President. Adj
mral Rrownson relinquished his position
as chief of the bureau of navigation yes
terday and the duties of that Office were
discharged today by Commander Cameron
McRae Winslow the assistant chief of
the bureau. Commander Winslow was
not designated or appointed chief of the
bureau as the result of recent events, but
signed all of his mail as acting chief"
AS this whole controversy threatens to
be before the public for some time to
come and perhaps to figure to some ex-
tent in the proceedings of Congress. it
may be proper to state the difference be-
tween the line and the staff, about which
the public mind is more or less confused.
In brief it may he said a line officer is
one whose sole duty is to fight a ship.
while staff officer is one who either
provides the means for the line officer to
do so or act under his directions in car
rying out his general orders.
Thus an engineer. when of the staff.
looks closely after the machinery and
starts and stops it when called upon to
do So by the line officer: he has nothing
to say as to where his ship shall go or
at what speed or when it shall go. Like
wise, surgeon aboard ship looks after
the health of the crew in time IF peace
and heals their wounds in time of war,
hut he has nothing t. do with the move
ments of the ship to which he is attached,
and the same rule applies to Il paymaster
and to n constructor who builds a ship
navigated hy q line officer
1t developed today that q year ago,
when the Relief went into commission,
it was decided to assign n naval surgeon
to command the vessel in the event that
it were manned with 4. merchant crew
and master. But in the event that the
ship was manned with naval crew. then
a naval officer OF the line would be as
signed to the command. Surgeon Stokes
will be assigned to the command of the
from TIE merchant marine. which, While
not finally decided, il is understood will
he the case.
Secretary Metcalf declined again today
to enter into any discussion Of the issues
which prompted Admiral BrOwnson's res
ignation and declared that he knew moth
ing about the statement Of Surgeon Cen
eral Kivev that the administration of the
bureau of medicine and surgery had been
interfered with by the bureau of naviGa-
ton