New-York tribune., 1908-01-10
HALE'SNAVAL SOLUTION
NEW PERSONNEL BILL.
Prorides Only Officers of the Line
Shall Command PesseIs.
From The Tribune BureauI

Washington Jan 9-SendtOr fdle Chairman
Of the Committee Naval Affairs. brought TO
a focus to-day the smoldering dissatisfaction OF
Congress with the affairs in the navy by intro
ducing and explaining to the Senate a measure
he has prepared and which is farreachins in It's
effects
The Hale bill, which shows radical opposition
TO certain policies of the administration, pro-
vides that the navy General Board shall be aboi-
ished as shall other special boards not created
to carry out provisions OF existing law. IL was
a special board il will be recalled which recon-
mended that naval surgeons should command
hospital ships and whose recommendation Mr.
Bonaparte. then Secretary OF the Navy, infor-
mally approved
The bill provides that staff officers shall en-
ioy the title as well as the ray Of their rank.
but expressly prohibits their being placed IN
command of naval vessel. which command
shall be exercised only by officers of the line
other provisions are that officers may retire
after thirty years service and shall retire after
forty years service; limitation on the number
of midshfpmen at Annapolis. confIing the NUM-
Der which shall be commissioned each year TO
seventy-fve. and increase in the pay OF Of
ficers. midshipmen. warrant officers and pay
clerks in the navy and marine corps OF 20 per
cent and of enlisted men Of 80 per cent.
In his remarks Senator Hale indicated that he
expected pretty general investigation OF naval
affairs including the BrownsOn matter and the
ReuterdahI charges. Incidentally. il may be re-
marked that the President has already instruct
ed Admiras Converse and Capps to investigate
and report the Reuterdah1 charges
EXPLANATION BY SENATOR HALE
Mr.. TilIman. a member of the Naval COM
mittee asked whether the consideration Of the
bill would tend bring out the facts relating
to the controversy in the Navy Department
r,-S1a adv Sah
ity of Offering a resolution for such an inyesti-
CATION.
Il have been asked great many times. in
view of recent transactions in the Navy De-
partment" Mr. Hale replied whether did
not purpose introducing a resolution CT Inves-
| tigation The subject is undoubtedly worthy OF
the direct attention Of Congress but after look
| ing the matter over carefully as have been
able to do have selected this method of action.
| which involves the consideration by the Senate
| instead of submitting the department to an in
| vestigation"
Mr. Hale then proceeded with his explanation
! eff the provisions of the bill The first proposi-
/ tion he said. to see that the business OF
| the department shall be conducted as it had
! been in former times of great emergency and
| great peril to the country. by the bureaus and
offices tnot oficers) CT the department
| Every accomplishment of the navy he said,
| has been by the action OF these bureaus II is
only in late years that boards have been organ
| ized Many of them are composed OF officers
whom we can respect; but I have thought that
| those boards have created dfssension in the
| bureaus where the real work is done
Il have provided in this bill that unless boards
| are to carry out specific law they shall not be
| continued or appointed in the future That
believe is a wise thing to do in order that
| jealousies and at times unjust insinuations and
aspersfons of bureau officers of the navy. should
at least have rallying point in the department.
itself I have been led To do this because do
not know when the bureaus of the department.
have been filed with more able and energetic
officers than at the present time Any cabinet
| officer or president may be glad to consult with
! them
/ He spoke Of the provision concerning line
and staff officers and their duties. saying that
it dealt with subject which had been a bat
tleground for many years He had, after care
| full consideration, inserted the provision that
! the rank OF staff officers should not carry with
| 1t command OF any vessel in the navy
There are two sides to this question" the
Senator added. "and 1 have simply Incorporated
that provision in the bill in order that il may
| be considered by the committee and perhaps
| by the Senate"
! REDUCING NUMBER OF MIDSHIPMEN
! Mr.. Hale sroke Of the Naval Academy and its
| magnificent equipment. saying there now
! 1854 midshipmen at the academy and on prac-
! tice cruise and that it would. in his judgment
soon be necessary to receive in The higher ranks
| of the navy only a small portion of these mid
/ shipnlen, who in number are greater than the
officers OF the navy ITSELF and 20 permit the
/ others TO go into civil life
! Senator Gallinger objected TO the practice Of
| appropr iating $10OtOO0O $15.OO0.0oo for
naval academy and then merely giving edaca-
| tioa TO men who are 70 enter private life
| Mr. Tiuman again referred 70 the Brownson
| incident. he quoted magazine articles criti-
/ Cislng the navy and charging that naval ships
are being built in way to "At them only for
The scrap heap" That assertion he said. should
| either be contradicted or the construction OF
| such vessels should be stopped He wanted 10
/ know whether the committee wcuId bring cut
| the facts in respect 70 those charges
VIII il fad'' he asked. why Brownson re-
! signeda The President has given his version os
/ the controversy. but although he is great
! sttckIer for square deal. he does not give Ad-
/ r,iraI Brownson-s version of il. I want To know
/ vhather the minority members of the Commit
+ tee on Naval Affairs win be given opportu-
/ nity TO have the facts brought out?
! Mr Hale said in reply that ne hoped there
would be no question of minority or majority
/ in the committee. as it had always acted as
one body
/ ~ .iu,plv want to know said Mr.. TiIlman.
I whether we win be stopped from getting Wit
/ nesses?"
/ II should certainly hate be in the way of
/ the Senator when he wants to call in Witnesses.
I responded Mr. Hale smiling Il have no doubt
that they will be received"
Mir Foraker said he would like 10 know
I whether the precedents cited in the Presidents