The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-01-06
TWO LETTERS
ON THE NAVAL
CONTROVERSY
Roosevelt RoaSts Rear Admir-
al for ReSigning Rather Than
Obey Orders of Superior.
CONTROVERSY OVER THE
HOSPITAL SHIP RELIEF
PRESIDENT GIVES REASONS
WHY DOCTORS SHOULD CON-
MAND SUCH VESSELS.

Washington, Jan. .. - President
Roosevelts attitude on the question of
the command of hospital ships in the
navy, which resulted in the resignation
of Rear Admiral Willard II. BrownsOn
and incidentally some caustic observa-
tons on that incident, and the cOntrO-
Nersles among the naval officers and
their adherents as to details of naval
construction and methods of training
were made known today, when Secre-
tary Metcalf gave to the press two let
tiers from the president addressed to
lin on these subjects.
In the first of these letters President
Roosevelt condemns in mmeasured
terms the act of Admiral BrOwnsOn,
declaring it TO be unseemly and i'm
proper The question upon which Ad-
miral Browns0n took issue with the
navy department, the president de-
clares, Is one on which there can be
entirely legitimate differences of opin-
ion, but, he adds, there is no room
for difference of opinion as to the gross
improperly of the admirars conduct in
resigning sooner than carry out the or
ders of his superior officers in such a
matter. The officers of the navy must
remember that it is not merely childish,
but in the highest degree reprehensible,
10 permit enough personal pique,
wounded vanity, or fractional feeling on
behalf of some particular bureau or or
ganization to render them disioyal to
the interests of the navy and therefore
of the country as a whole"
Defects Acknowledged.
Regarding the Controversies in the
navy, the president admits there al
ways was and always will be defects,
both in the construction of the ships
and in the organization Of the depart
ment, and in the actual drill of the
fleet. 1t is well, he says, that these
defects be pointed out, but il is also
well that they should be pointed out
without exaggerations or malicious I'M
truthfulness. He scathingly rebukes
those guilty Of exploiting them in
grossly exaggerated form in the fan
cied interest of an individual or clique
of individuals, or Tor the sake of sup
plying sensational material to news
papers. Because of so much misrepre-
sentation and eXaggeration the presi-
dent has asked Secretary Metcalf for
a statement of the exact facts concern
ing which there have been disputes. de-
string particularly the opinion of Ad-
miral Converse, formerly chief of the
navigation bureau. who. because of his
high professional attainments and
standard of conduct and duty, the pres
lueul CONSUMERS peCulldriN Eltted to give
judgment. The letter to Secretary Met
calf regarding the retirement of Ad-
miral Brownson and the controversies
IS as follows:
Roosevelt Letter No. I.
The White House. Washington.
January ?, 1908.
The Secretary of the Navy: In ac-
cordance with our conversation of to-
day, Captain Pillsbury will be appoint
ed chief of the bureau of navigation
The action of the late chief of the
bureau, Admiral Browrson, in tender
ing his resignation because he did not
gree with the president and the de-
partment regarding an order issued be-
fore he came into the bureau, by the !
secretary of the navy, as to the con- !
troll of the hospital ships. was unseem- /
ly and improper. and, coupled with the 1
various controversies among the Off /
GERS of the navy and their adherents as
10 details of naval construction and /
methods Of training has undoubtedly /
Continued on Page 2.