The Washington herald., 1908-01-11
Naval Reformers Challenged.

The naval controversy, I'm all its phases.
will be greatly accentuated by Senator
Hale's bill 10 increase the efficiency Of
the personnel Of the navy-a measure
that fairly bristles with disputable propo-
sitions. Least among these is the pro-
vision combining the command of naval
vessels to officers Of the line. for that
according to Admiral Brownson. is the
law now, and Mr. Hale's bill simply
removes all chance for future difference
Of opinion on that score. The really inn
pOTtant feature Of the Hale bill is its
frank acceptance Of the bureaucratic or
ganization Of the Navy Department, Sc
harshly castigated by Henry Reuterdahl
in his Mcclure" article, as the most eff
Gent organization possible So convinced
is Senator Hale Of the merits Of the
bureau system that he proposes the
abolition Of the two boards established
by the department for the purpose of
minimizing. so far as that was possible
without legislation, what were regarded
as the defects OF bureau management.
We refer to the general board of the
navy and the board on construction. To
these boards Senator Hale attributes the
dissensions in the Navy Department He
accuses them Of making trouble" for the
bureaus. by whose action. in his judg-
ment every accomplishment of the
navy has been achieved heretofore Ills
bill is intended to make permanent the
bureau system. and to impose on the
Secretary OF the Navy personally the
duty Of harmonizing and unifying the
work Of half dozen or more indie
pendent bureaus and Offices.
When We say that this PROVISION an
tagOnizes the views OF many of our
ablest naval officers. that it contravenes
the recommendations OF several Score
taTies OF the Navy. and is opposed ~ the
convictions of the President himself. as
expressed in his message Of 1868. it will !
be understood that Senator Hale has di-
rectly challenged the movement for re-
form in the management Of naval af- |
fairs that was given a strong impetus /
BY the publication Of the Reuterdahl az
-icle- Only last year Admiral Converse, /
then chief Of the Bureau Of Navigation |
wrote In his annual report that the 1
need is painfully apparent for military
authority under the Sec /
-etary, whose purpose would be to initi- 1
lte and direct the steps necessary to /
AIRY out the departments policy and to /
coordinate the work Of the bureaus and /
irect their energies toward the effective
preparation Of the fleet for war" Mr. /
Moody, when Secretary of the Navy. pre-
'ented various considerations in behalf Of
/ reorganization Of the department IN
which he referred 10 conflicts Of iuris-
LECTION between the bureaus. sometimes
INJURIOUS. and tendency TO consider the
interests Of the bureau rather than the
interests Of the navy His recommends
ions were REINFORCED by President Roose-
.elt, who, in his message Of 1903. said:
TT il eminentiy desirable that there should he
roTided naval general staff on lines similar 70
hose Il the General staff lately created for the
rms. We need the establishment by law
{ a body ri trained officers. who shall exercise
-7tematic control Of The military affairs Of the
aTy. and he authorized advisers Of the Secretary
Jncerning it,
Senator Hale has boldly joined issue
nth the naval refoTmers by proposing to
bolish the boards which, he asserts.
ave been the rallying point for unjust
lsinuations and aspersions upon the bu-
eau officers of the navy" and by con-
rming the bureaus in their independence
nd lack Of coordination II is well
hat the issue has been joined for the
hole subject of naval organization will
ow get much needed airing in Con-
ress. The question whether a surgeon
hall command a hospital ship is a small
latter compared with the efficiency of
he methods by which our fleet is built !
nd maintained.