Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-12-28
SURGEON GENERAL RixEY OUT
WITH STATEMENT WHICH
SHOWS THAT NAVAL AFFAIRS
ARE IN A MIDDLE.
TURMOIL MAY LEAD
TO RADICAL CHANGES
SIMMERED DOWN THE RESlGNA-
TON OF BROWNSON WAS Due
TO LONG STANDING FIGHT BE-
TWEEN LINE AND STAFF.

Washington, D. c. Dec 26.--Har
mony within the United States navy
bureau seems to be in for severe
jolt. Open war already has been de-
clared between the bureau of naviga-
ton and the bureau of medicine and
surgery, the initial result of which has
been the resignation of Rear Admiral
Brownson from his position as chief
Of the former bureau Coming just at.
a time when severe criticism is being
aimed at the administration of the
navy department, the charges involv-
ing the bureau system in particular,
tne ruction may eliminate in some
radical changes.
Surgeon General Rixey. whose rec
ommendation in favor of putting
medical officer in absolute command
of hospital ship was approved by
President Roosevelt against the view
of Admiral Brownson, throws down
the gauntlet to the bureau of naviga-
ton in a formal statement. The sur,
geon general charges that the bureau
of navigation has interfered in an un.
warranted manner with the bureau of
medicine and surgery, and to the eX-
tent OF Gripping its usefulness.
Since the civil war, he says, all hos
pital ships and medical transports of
the army had been placed under the
surgeon general of the army. He says
/ further that Japanese naval hospital
ships We're commanded by medical Of
/ f1cers after having tried line officers.
| These ships, he says, are simply float
Ing hospitals. properly under the con-
troll of the medical department and
should be conducted in peace exactly
as in time of war. This is especially
] SO. he added, because during war time
/ line officers cannot be spared and do
not, and should not, desire the COM
mand of these ships.
Question of Security
He maintains that it always has
been doubtful question if the &C.
neva and The Hague agreements
could guarantee the neutrality of these
ships if combating line officers and
crews were aboard and it was this
doubt which prevented the Japanese
/ during the recent war with Russia
from using line officers on hospital
ships
The hospital ship Relief, he says,
should now be with the battlesnip
fleet on it's cruise, but, he adds. ''the
bureau of navigation thought other
wise and the fleet of 10000 men with
it's auxiliaries is without a hospital
ship and will be until it arrives at
Magdalena bay, more than three
months from now"
! He adds that he cannot understand
how Admiral Brownson should be spe.
cially interested in the differing of
| hospital SHIPS, as his duties lie in an
| 6jrnptinn haf ho oh Il ,ot
interfere in matter pertaining entire
ly to the bureau of medicine and sur
gerry, and therefore to be decided by
the secretary of the navy. The sur
geon generals statement follows:
II have been called upon the tele-
phone many times today in regard to
the resignation of Admiral Brownson.
Admiral Brownson and | have been
friends for many years, and when ON
duty in Washington as naval attending
surgeon I was his family physician
His resignation as chief of the bureau
Of navigation has been assigned To
various causes, among others to a DIFF
ference in opinion as to the command
of the hospital ship Relief While !
don't know that this is a cause it
may be interesting to know the pres
ent status of this question
Hospital ships, as rule, always
have been commanded by medical Off
GERS, with sailing master and civil
ian crew for purposes of navigation
: "The Relief, formerly belonging tc
the United States army, was always
commanded by medical officer when
used as hospital ship.
"a joint board OF navy and army
officers. convened by executive order
} more than year ago in attempt t.
unity the medical service as much as
possible. recommended that hospita
ships should be commanded by medi
} cal officers and the recommendations
was approved by both the secretar,
of war and secretary of the navy ii
general orders. The quest on was set
! tied definitely as far as the army was
concerned during the civil war, ant
all hospital ships and medical trans
: ports placed under the surgeon gener
al of the army and has remained sc
up to the present time.
: Surgeon General Rixey's statement
was shown to Admiral Brownson :jni
he declined to make any comment
whatever upon it,