The evening world., 1908-01-09
NAVAL BILL HITS
ROOSEVELT AND
STAFF OFFICERS
Only Men of the Line Can
Command WarshipS Under
Hale Measure in Senate.
BEARS OUT BROWNSON.
Senators Gail for Full Airing
of Trouble Between PreSl-
dent and Admiral.
BEARS OUT BROWNSON.

WASHINGTON. Jan. "A bill the
massage of which ii is expected will
work many important changes in the
personnel of the navy and greatly in
crease its efficiency was introduced to-
day by Senator Hale. chairman OF tao
Senate Committee on Naval Affairs. 1t
proposes a settlement OF tae VeXatious
question recently made prominent
through the resignation OF Rear -Ad-
miral Brownson as chief OF the NaVl-
cation Bureau, as to whether the men,
bers of the staff corps shall have rank
with the line officers; puts an end tn
the creation of bureaus by the Secre
tary OF the Navy and gives suostan-
tial raise in pay to every commissioner
officer and enlisted man of the navy
and the Marine Corps.
There is an important section re!atlhs
TO the appointment of midshipmen to
the line and staff corps and also pro-
vision calling for the retirement of
officers of certain age.
The first section of the bill deals with
the bureau question by granting author
ity to bureaus now existing to continue
to transact the business assigned them
and recurring that all reports and rec
concentrations shall be made direct 10
the Secretary of the Navy.
Against Roosevelt.
There Is then added the provision that
mo permanent board OF any kind shall
be hereafter appointed by the Navy De
partment or continued in operation un-
h,,l lovu hut
from time to time the Secretary Of the
Navy may convene boards for tenn
porarv service connected with the pend
ing business of the department"
That part of the bill which relates
to tho assignment OF line rank to Off
GERS of the various divisions of the
staff corps contains provision that they
shall In no instance assume command
of any vessel. The section Is as fol-
lows:
That officers In the various stan
corps OF the navy shall hereafter have
actual rank and title as now estab-
nshed for the staff corps of the army.
Such officers of the staff corps of the
navy shall at all times have the title
Nnd designation of their rank, and new
commissions in accordance Herewith
shall be forthwith issued to them pro-
vided. that this provision shall in no
case carry with At command over any
such command shall be exercised only
by line officers"
The provision forbdding the command
OF warshtps by staff officers is directly
against the ruling OF President Roose-
Welt, who favored giving naval surgeons
of proper rank full authority on hospi-
haab tai ships f OF the ma navy; II was this that
President and Admiral Brownson and
led to the resignation, OF the latter.
the appointment of midshipmen to
Sls0,as Pesda as folloWs: tn SRs me ana S'Ah ana
men who successfully complete the
six years course at the Naval Acad-
emy appointments shall be- made as
may be necessary. and in the order of
In the lowest commissioned grades of
the line and other corps of the navy
20 which, such graduates are eligible
for appointment under existing law
and that the number of said appoint
ments which shall he made to the
various corns of the naval service in
THAT the merit Of graduates of the
Naval Academy upon final graduation,
and the eisibili1y 10 appointment in
the navy shall be determined as now
provided by existing law ana regula-
tlon; and the assignment of graduates
the Secretary of the Navy.
IF there be a surplus of graduates
above the necessary to iil the Nacan-
cies in the manner and to the extent
herelnbcfOre authorized, those who do
not receive such appointment shall be
given certificate OF graduation, an
honorable discharge. and one years sea
pay: ana hereafter any nidslp1an
whose position in his class entities him
10 he retained in the service may. upon
his own APPLICATION, oe honor4hly dis
charged at the end of the four years
course at tho Naval Academy with
proper certificate OF graIuat!un.'
Under these provisions of the meas
nTe otSers NAY GI be Ge,iTea on apptra6 1r6
commissioned officers after forty con-
secutive years.
All Salaries Go Up
The bill requires that any officer of
the navy who is now serving or who
shall hereafter serve as chief of a
bureau of the Navy Department, ana
shall subsequently be retired. snail be
retired with the rank, pay and allow
ances authorized by law tor the retir.-
ment of such bureau chief
The following section OF the bill pro
vllcs substantially increases of pay to
mon throughout the Navy and marin"
corps:
That the pay of all commissioned or
fiCers warrant officers miishipm N
and pay clerks In the Navy and Marine
Corps is hereby. increased 20 per cent.
officers mates and other petty officers,
musicians anu other enlisted persons in
the Navy and Marine Corps IS hereby
increased 40 per cent. Provided, that
the word pay as used in this section
shall be exclusive OF all additions in
the form of allowances and Commuta-
tions'
TiIlman Wants Light.
The Introduction bv Senator Hale to-
day OF his Navy Personnel bin proved
the occasion for somewhat general
discussion OF the navy and recent oc-
ourrepccs in connection with that
9ranch of the public service
In presenting the measure the Maine
kTnator entered upon It fun explanation
OF Its provisions, IoESthec with his
reasons for its adoption. but before
he proceeded far he was called W.
by Mr. Tillman a member OF the Naval
Committee 10 say whether the consid.
Grafton Of the bill would probably bring
out the facts relating to the contro.
versy in the Navy Department Mr.
Tillman added that he considers the