Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-11-19
Newberry Reported to Have
Been Picked to DO Bureaus
cratic House Cleaning
WORRIED
"DEsk ADMiRALs"
Must Welcome Modern Reforms or
Stop Down and Out = Bureaus Due
to a Shaking UP - Have Long Been
Under Fire - Newberry Knows tho
Ropes.

mission OF Truman II. Newbcrry, soon
to be secretary of the navy, to free the
navy from bureaucracy?
Officially, that liz not the reason be-
hind his appointment. But persons IA
miliar with the troubles Of the navy
department do not hesitate to say that
the Michigan man is to be President
Roosevelt's agent in giving everything
naval Il pretty good house cleaning.
In support of this story, 1t Is as
serted that Secretary Metcalf has stood
with the bureaucrats against reforms
desired by tho president, and that he
mas capped the climax by disagreeing
with the president about the official
report of the Newport conference on
battleship construction.
Anyhow, the sure thing Is that Mr..
Newberry must. now halter and lead
the naval bureaucracy, or else kick 1t
out of the stable.
And the only thing surer than this
animal to handle.
The bureaucracy consists OF seven
desk admirals, nanlsed by a host of
captains and lesser satellites Each
admiral presides over a single inde-
pendent bureau. The duties of these
bureaus are well represented by their
titles as follows: Navigation, ord
nance. equipment, construction and re-
pair, steam engineering, supplies ana
accounts. and medicine and surgery
In his little kingdom each desk adiral
is supreme. The connecting link, and
the only means of curbng their tend
cncies or correlating their work, is the
secretary OF the navy.
Long Under Fire.
Now this has been bad year for
bureaucrats; in fact, 1t is still the open
season for them. Beginning with the
Reuterdahl BON bardment of last Janu-
airy, they have been kept lodging right
up to the present second.
The Newport conference, with Presi-
dent Roosevelt on the spot did not
cheer them up, and the cabinet change
with rumored shake-up of the bureaus,
has not encouraged them. Having been
strongly attacked they are devoting
their efforts to prove that the armor
belt is not too low to afford protec-
ton. and that the big guns arc placed
high enough to shoot over the waves
This was the milk in the cocoanut
at the Newport conference, and the
nervousness Of the navy men is shown
by the premature publication OF two
conflicting reports Of that conference.
Which Is True Report?
The report, proceeding from the
bureaucracy, gave all seven desk adj
mirals and their satellites a fine bin of
health.
The other proceeded from critics of
present methods of construction.
Now it develops that the official re-
port of that conference VIII soon be
Forthcoming. and those not IN sympa-
thy with the bureaucracy's methods de-
clare that Metcalf, not much to the
presidents liking, wanted that report
drawn so as to uphold the work OF the
bureaucrats.
That Mr.. Metcalf should stand out at
all against the president is a little diff
ficult to understand. OF all cabinet
he has been first to run to the
president for instructions, and he has
a wel-worn trail from the navy de-
partment to the White House.
MetcaIf No Expert.
But Mr. Metcalf is anxious to please
and lacks independence to steer him
clear of the bureaucratic influence.
When he went to the navy depart
ment Mr.. Metcalf, thru visits to the
San Francisco waterfront, knew the
difference between4a battleship and a
trolley car-which Is much knowledge
for secretaries of the navy, as they go.
But lacking further technical informa-
tion and being a clever, sociable gen
tleman, he enjoyed the open-hearted
welcome with which the bureau gen.
tlemen received him.
Newberry Knows the Ropes.
Their knowledge of the way to make
a. secretary feel good has been begot-
ten. during the Roosevelt admfnistra-
ton. of much experience in welcoming
new secretaries. And the fact that they
usually succeed so well in proving
their naval ability to "a man who
doesn't know anything about it is one
of the big things behind the presidents
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