Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-12-28
TOLD THE PRESIDENT
HIS ACT WAS ILLEGAL
CONTINUED from First Page.

assigned as captain.
The scheme Of having q medical
officer command the Relief. In the
event n merchant crew Is secured, Is
to have a trial for at least six months
and II the experiment proves salts
factory then the expectation Is that
the assignment of surgeon to COM
mand hospital ships will be per
manent feature.
Cut in Admiral 1rownson's Salary.
| Admiral Brownson's REIMBURSEMENT
of his position as chief of the bureau
OF navigation, carrying with II as It
did the ex-officlo connection with the
naval general board, will result in n
considerable loss of pay to the office.
Being entirely without duty and rele-
gated to the retired list, his income
will be diminished by the loss of 20
per cent. of full pay OF an admiral
on the active list, namely $500 a
year. Also he will no longer receive
the allowance of $1,000 year for
quarters and $500 for heat and light
1t 30 happens, however, that Admiral
Brownson is man OF independent
means and able to disregard financial
considerations.
Staff officers of the navy have tils-
covered precedent for placing one
OF their kind In command Of q hos
pitai ship. This precedent was found
In the period of tho civil war AMI
long before the passage of the naval
personnel act upon which the line
officers rely TO support their con-
tention that such assignment to COM
mand is Illegal Tho civil war rec
ords show that Ninian Pinkey, q ma
val surgeon, was In absolute command
for considerable time OF the Mis-
sissippi steamboat Red Rover, en-
ployed as a hospital craft during the
war.
Admiral Brownson Formally Relieved.
The formal order dated December
from duty az chief OF the Bureau OF
Navigation was made public at the
navy department today. The same
order separates him from memt.,r-
ship In. the joint army and navy
board. Commander Winslow contin-
ues to act as the head of the Bureaus
pending the selection of a perman-
ent officer Senator Hale. chairman
of the Senate Committee on Naval AT.
fairs, when seen today spoke very
frankly in support of the admirars
course. II think that Admiral Brown
son has acted with praisworthy cour-
age and promptness in rendering his
resignation" said Senator Hale.
Senator HaIe's Emphatic Views.
81 have always sustained the staff
officers in their fight for positive rank
and complete recognition such MS are
| received by their peers in tho army.
and l have bill pending which gives
them such recognition throughout the
service but, in that measure there Is
precautionary provision against
giving them actual command of any
vessel. This is the continuation and
an extension of the right between the
two branches of the service. That
| right Is the crux of the present con-
troversy and because I think he is
right my support Is given, unreserved-
ly to the acts against the contentious
OF Surgeon General Rixey that 1t may
lie that on some occasions
staff officers have bees in com
mand of vessels but know of no In
stance when such officers have been
given command after the point was
raised and both sides were heard. /
do not believe that the contention for
command by saff officers has been
pressed seriously at any time of the
past. Indeed I am OF the opinion
that the old staff officers would never
have asked for such recognition.
Think what might happen If the
command of the vessels should be
turned over to a chaplain or even to
Il paymaster, and 1t is Just as reason
able to put the crews of several yes
sells under the charge of those officers
as II Is to place them under the COM
mand of surgeon. Evidently Admi-
raj Brownson recognizes this fact and
being man of character and decision
he did not hesitate to resign his DO
sition when, as the active head OF
navigation. his view of the law and of
the best policy In the interest of the
service was involved. He will not
lose anything by his manly course
either In the navy or with the public"