Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-01-08
inquiry FOR BROWNsON
Admiral May Ask For Investigation
Like sch|ey's.
PRESIDENT HASN'T TOLD ALL
Officers Friends Say Delayed Letters
Are Not Full Correspondence over
Doctors on ships-Now on Shooting
Expedition in South Carolina.

calling for the correspondence he.
tween President Roosevelt and Ad-
miral Brownson on Christmas Eve.
leading to the latter's sudden resIr-
nation as Chief of the Bureau of NAY
igation. two letters on that incident
We're made public at the White House
this afternoon. One Is the letter of
Admiral Brownson rendering his res
ignation as chief of the bureau. while
The other Is the Presidents letter of
acceptance. both being dated Decem-
Der "a.
Naval officers find three peculiar
thinss worthy of mention in connec.
iion with these letters MS given out
-'hey were unaccompanied by Ad-
miral Brownson's statement explain
ing the law regarding the command
oi hospital ships. reviewing the con-
,ehlions or the line ana staff regard
ing their command and explaining
III luil why his resignation was ten
dered. The Presidents letter accent
ing MS resignation Is much shorter
.han IL was generally supposed to he
Indicating the possibility that il had
Deen abridged: the explanation of tho
| president that this correspondonce
WAS Inadvertently omitted from tint
made public this morning" referring
10 the two letters of the President
10 Secretary Metcalf. which were civ
en- out at the White House last night.
why these letters were "inadyer-
tently omitted" from the corresnon-
uence given out yesterday no one
seems TO be able to understand. Sine,
the day Admiral Brownson gave his
resignation Secretary Loeb has been
asked numerous times to make the
letters public, and each time tho In.
lnqulrcrs were Informed that thov
would be given out at the time the
Presidents letters were. When ON.
Gals of the Bureau of Nnvirntion
learned that the two letters Of ms
PRESIDENT to Secretary Metcalf in
which he so bitterly arraigned Ad-
miral Brownson and all line officers
VINO are In sympathy with him. they
personally suggested to Secretary
Metcaif that, in fairness to Admiral
Brownson and the Bureau of Noyipn.
tioh, his letter and statement be made
public
Senate May Hold Up Pilsbury.
Accordingly there was marked
thonsh suppressed Indignation among
me officers when 1t was learned tbot
The correspondence purported to GOV.
er the entire situation, but did not
contain the Admirals defense of his
stand by citation of Federal laws. mn
val regulations and precedents. The
situation has attracted the attention
OF the Naval Affairs Committees of
Congress. and 1t is rumored that the
nomination of Captain Pillsbury n ;
| Chief of the Bureau of Navigation
may be held up in the Senate In OF.
| der TO call for Admiral Brownsou's
statement and give the whole con-
troversy thorough airing.
| Following is the text of the letters
given out and the explanatory state,
ment introducing them:
The lnadvertcnt Part.
The following correspondence was
Inadvertently omitted from that mauc
public on Sunday.
The letter follows:
Department of the Navy.
Bureau of Navigation,
Washington. Dec. "a, 1907.
Sir: In April last | was detached
by your order from the command
the United States Asiatic fleet and
ordered to Washington and appointed
chief of the most important bureau in
the Navy Department, the bureaus
which under the Secretary is charged
with matters relating to the person,
mel, the discipline and the efficiency
of the fleet
This transfer from command
winch ranks second In Importance
afloat to one which is second 10 none
on shore. coming on the eve of m,
retirement from active service, while
not 10 my personal liking. was deep
~ gratifying to me, as it appeared to
DC an evidence of your confidence il
my professional ability.
IN order, however, that any effor'
Oh nine to maintain n high standard
OF efficiency and discipline in the ser
vice be attended with success, 1t is
absolutely essential that should have
the confidence of the service at large
rs well as that of his authority. The
emciency of the fleet can only be
maintained when the officers and mer
leel that the chief of the Bureau oil
Navigation has the confidence of the
COMMANDMENTS Chief of the army and
navy and when a strong military
spirit exists in the service. Anything
mat shows q lack of, confidence oil
mat tends to lTeak down this mill
tary spirit. which has been the safe
guard and principal asset of the navy
since It's beginning can but impaii
such efficiency.
The recent order placing medi
cal officer In command of a hospital
snip is, in my opinion, and as I have
endeavored on several occasions t.
point out TO you, clearly opposed. tc
the intent of the law, is a radical de-
parture from established naval usage
and fraught with danger to the Ell.