The sun., 1907-12-25
BROWNSON OUT; RIXEY WINS
PRESIDENT SUPPORTED SURSEON
Nv NAVY DISPUTE.
Head az RaFoAa Of NAVigAtisA ault ne.
cause PVAR OS puttlng surgeon IN Com
mand OG . Sh'p was Approved over
IEIS ObJectIOnz zw6alsw Now ChleE.

mand OF @taap was ApprOveu VVoF
HIS ObJectlOn- wkSISw Now ChleI.
WASHINGTON. Dec. A.-As result OF
Oficial differences with President Roosevelt
Rear Admiral Willard II. Brownson to-day
resigned from tho Office of Chief OF ths
Bureau OF Navigation. the most important
place in the naval establishments. The
President and Admiral Brownson have besn
close friends for many years. Admiral
Brownson has been a house guest At Saga
more Hill and was frequently at the Whito
/ House in a social and unofficisl way.
The extent to which the President and
Admiral Brownson have been disturbed by
their official differences is not known. but
it is declared by aoqusintances Of the Ad-
miral that the latter has said that there
would be no break in their pleasant in
timscy.
The trouble between Mr.. Roosevelt and
Admiral Brownson was due primarily to
a recommendation by Rear Admiral Pres
ley M. Rixey, the Surgeon-General Of the
Navy, that the hospital ship Relief be fitted
and attached TO the Atlantic feet when
it reached the Pacific Coast, where the Re-
lief is now. Admiral Rixsy urged that the
Relief be placed in command of a naval
surgeon with certain officers of the nner-
chant service as his subordinates and that
the crew be composed Of regularly en-
listed bluejackets Of the Navy.
President Roosevelt liked the idea and
the plans for carrying IL out progressed 50
/ far that Surgeon Charles r. Stokes was
ordered to prepare to take command OF
the ship,
Against this course Admiral Browns0h
protested. He contended that it was inn
proper to have staff gffioer. and surgeon
at that, in command Of a vessel In COM
mission. This was contrary 10 practice
and would interfere seriously with dis
/ cipline, he held. The slightest knowledge
Of the feeling in the line Of the navy against
permitting stat officers to exercise posi-
/ tive command will be SUFFICIENT TO show
how seriously this question was viewed
by Admiral Prownson.
Matters came TO a climax yesterday.
| President Roosevelt told Admiral Brown
son that he had decided to adhere TO the
plan proposed by surgeon-G General Rixey.
who is the White House physician. and
would assign a naval surgeon to command
the Relief. Thereupon Admiral Brown
son, who is noted for Rrankness. declared.
| it IL said thst as the President apparently
had lost confidence in the judgment OF the
| Chief Of the Bureau Of Navigation tho
matter could be simpliHed by getting a
new chief who would be willing 10 carry
out the President's policy 10 place staG
7 otscers in command Of naval vessels.
Admiral Brownson handed his Teeigna-
ton 70 Secretary Of the Navy MetcaR to-
| day. and with IL a long statement OF his
reasons for wishing 10 retire from active
duty. Mr.. MetosRt took the letter Of resiE-
nation and the statement to the Whit,
! House this afternoon. The reeignatiol
/ wss accepted immediately and the Presi-
| dent designated Commander Cameron NJ
| Rec Winslow es Getting Chief OF the BuTe.
| cf N-viggtion. Commander Winslow VI
he nominated for the ONCE Of chief whe ,
| the Senst~ convencs sfter the Holidays.
! No offcisI explcnation is forthconi7
! of the reasons for Admiral Brownson )
! raqi yn~ tiou. Al the White House the )
! was M riled reticence. Admiral Er0u
son s. ii ts,-Tiyht th.t he hsd Submit 1
| his r., sons Tor resigning in D stater,a
! which the President hed received and ~ G
| II WIS Cor tI- white H'Iso TO sly w1Nt' p
/ th,t st,tom-ut should he nlEd, pnhli
Ho decli-sd 10 tell the snDstanca-os tD
st tenant or to ,nstc any comment M
over ~ his Tcti0n. Ha denied, hnwe"'
;h"t hi, resi- yn~'io1 ksd boon dIe - ri
Ci5m os lis rets 1tip1 of the o1io, o. Cd
! -, tle Buren, Ot Navigation EfL,r no h 4
| y. Sod ,hs -Ie limit NJ sctive service.
The position taken by Admiral Brow
+ ed ~.
/ " ibn navy with practical unanimity I'll
inc:leat will tend to revive the old ~ I!
bi Ter warfare betJrsen the line ant t.i'
! eaeilacr corps which was ended on
| through the expedisnt Of transferring thi
engineers TO the line. II never has bee !
,oaeads1. however, that naval surEsp1'
we're cnti,lcd to commend. although ~
! the army every surgeon or other sfats
! officer has positive rank.
TO Surgoou-General Rixcy's influence ths
Presidents decision 20 oyerrule Admirli
| Browns0n is attributed among navy nen
Admiral Rixey. whom MANY line officers
decline 10 recogni as an Admiral an
insist on referring 20 as Dootor-ths being
! another Tamiication of the line and tbs
stat contToversy--has been Surgeon-6en-
eral and Chief Ot the Naval Bureau oR Medi-
cine and Surgery since February. 1919. anI
as such has served as the Official physician
! at the White House. He has accompanied
the President on nearly all his hunting an1
speechmaking trips.
The criticism 10 which Admiral Brownson
referred has been heard in the Senate Com
nittes on Naval Affairs since Congress
assembled.
For the last Ave months Admiral Brown
son has endeavored to surrender the duties
Of Chief OF tho Bureau OF Navigation. He
reached the retirement age, 50 years, on
July 8, but contrary to his wishes Pre~idens
Roosevelt retained him as chief Of the b1-
roau. Admiral Brownson contsnded that
the continuance Of q retired officer on sctivs
duty az a bureau chief was contrary 70 the
law. which provided that no retired staR
officer should DO smployed IN that manner.
This visw was oombated on the ground
that Admiral BrownsOn was q line officer
and the statute therefore did not apply 10
him. President Roosevelt retained him