Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1908-01-09
BROWNSON SCORED
PRESIDENT GETS AFTER NAVAL
CUTTERS.
SAYS SUCH ACTION CHILDISH
Executive Deplores Lack Of Obedi-
ence and Loyalty in Navy
Department..

cHC0 aHu Loyalty IN Navy
Department..
Washington. d. c., Jan. 6.--Presi.
dent Roosevelts attitude on the ques-
ton OF the command of hospital ships
in the navy, which resulted in the
resignation Of Rear Admiral Brown
son. and incidentally caused some
caustic observations on that incident,
and the controversy among the naval
officers and their adherents as to de-
tails OF naval construction and meth
DDS OF training, were made known
yesterday when Secretary Metcalf
gave to the press the following letter:
| Washington, d. c., Jan. 2. 1903
The Secretary of the Navy: In ac-
| cordance with our conversation today,
Captain Pilsbury will be appointed
i chief of the bureau of navigation.
The action of the late chief of the
bureau, Admiral Brownson, In tender
| ing his resignation because he did not
agree with the president and the de-
partment regarding an order, issued
! before he came into the bureau, by
the secretary of the navy as to the
control of the hospital ships. was
unseeming and improper, and coupled
with the various controversies among
the officers of the navy and their ad-
herents as to details of naval construc-
ton and methods of training, has un-
doubtedly been prejudicial to the in
tereSts of the navy, and may seriously
/ Impair the confidence in the navy,
| which is essential to securing the
legislation so sorely needed by the
navy.
The way in which these controver
sizes have been carried out Is highly
Injurious to the service, whether the
communications are made openly over
the signatures of the naval officers or
by civilians who have evidently gain
ed their information from naval Of
| fcers. There always are and will be
defects to correct, both in the con-
struction of ships and in the organiza-
ton of the department and in the
actual drill OF the fleet. 1t is well that
these defects should be pointed out
but it is also well that they should be
I,pointed out without hysterical exag-
geration or malicious untruthfulness;
while 1t Is OF course reprehensible in
| the highest degree to exploit them in
! grossly exaggerated form in the fam
| cied interests of an individuals or
clique of individuals, or for the sake
of supplying sensational material to
some service or nonseryice newspaper
| The officers of the navy who are
guilty of such conduct deserve grave
rebuke. They cast discredit upon the
| service and their conduct is deeply
notifying to every American who be-
| lieves In the navy; and is anxious
to uphold its interest and honor,
There has been so much misrepresen-
tation and exaggeration that desire
| you to make me statement as to the
exact facts concerning which there
has been dispute. In particular, de-
sire to get the opinion of Admiral Con-
verse, who, until last spring. was
chief of the bureau of navigation, and
whose high professional standing and
| professional knowledge and attain
ments, render him peculiarly fit to
| give judgment.
| | would willingly pass over the con-
duct of Admiral Brownson because
| Of his fine service in the past IL it
were not that at time when a new
chief is chosen to succeed him 1t be-
| comes imperative to stamp with dis
oPpiOhdl Vic UCHdNlOIl Which,, IL lOi~
lowed through the navy generally,
| would literally ruin the navy's efficien-
| cy The questions as to which Ad-
miral Brownson took issue with the
| department | will deal with in sepa-
rate letter. 1t is one as to which
| there can be entirely legitimate diff
| ferences of opinion. although in my
I Judgment the considerations In favor
| pf tho
whelming. But there is no room for
difference of opinion as to the gross
| Improperly of the admiral's conduct
| in resigning sooner than carry out the
orders Of his superior officers in such
matter.
The question whether one officer or
another shall command a ship is of
| little consequence compared with the
weakening of all command and disci-
pine, which would result if officers
were TO refuse to serve whenever their
tempers are ruffled by adverse de-
cisions on the part of their superiors.
| Their sole concern should be the good
of the service and save only lack OF
courage in actual warfare, obedience
and loyalty are the most essential
qualities in keeping the service up to
\
bureaus of the department, the differ
ent branches of the service, must act
in coordination or the questions that
arise between them must .e settfeu
by the authority of the secretary OF
the navy and of the president, under
and in accordance withthe law en-
! acted by congressional re first
duty of every officer, whether of the
line, of the pay department, of the
medical department or of the con-
struction department, whether in one
bureau or another, is to give i'm
/ mediate and loyal obedience to every
lawful command of a superior and of
course, above all, to the law itself.
This duty is incumbent upon all. but
1t is most incumbent upon those high
est In rank, whose example may be
of far reaching effect"
| (Signed) Theodore Roosevelt.
In the second letter the president
persists an argument to sustain his
decision to assign medical officers to
the command of hospital shops. He
cites the British, German, Japanese
and Italian navies, calls attention to
/ the especial fitness of military sur
geons for the positions, and says:
/ I'm time of war the presence OF
| combatants, that Is, of line officers or
| crew, would certainly cast suspi-
cion upon the neutrality Of the ship
and no line officer worth his salt
would wish to be on such a ship, while
1t seems Incredible that any line Of,
ficer should desire to have another
line officer on board such a ship
Powers Almost Acquitted.
/ Georgetown, KY, Jan. 5.-After be