New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-12-02
TO REORGANIZE NAVY
HR. NEUBERRY TAKES UP
THE TASK.
Enlarges General Board So That 1t
May Perform Duties of General
Staf-Mr. Metcalf Retires.
TFron The Trihu. e Bureau. ]


which he at one time intended to confde to Sec
retary Root was undertaken to-day by Truman
H. Newberry Immediately after he had been
sworn in as Secretary of the Navy. BY slight
alteration of the order creating the General
Board, Secretary Newberry provided for the
enlargement of that organization so that it will
be able to perform the duties OF the general
staff. long advocated by President Roosevelt
and others who have made a study of the econ
omy of the present naval organization.
While the Secretary of the Navy is empow-
cred to enlarge the personnel and functions OF
the General Board. he cannot, Of course confer
on it that legal status which would make us
acts determinative instead Of advisory Would
provide additional compensation for its mem
bers and funds with which TO employ clerical
assistance or would insure tenure OF office Tor
its members regardless of changes in the Sec
retaryship of the Navy, as has been done FOR
the General Staff of the army, and as the Presi-
dent has urged on more than one occasion
should be done for the navy
But so confident are the advocates of the
eeneraI STAFF proposition for the floating portion
of the military establishment that they believe
the extension of the system. far as Is pos
sible under the law, and the results which such
extension viii accomplish, will prove so desir-
able that the hostility TO the plan which has
always been shown IN the Senate will be dis
sipated
TO MEET OPPOSITION IN SENATE
While the officials decline to discuss the Presi-
dents change of plan. it is generally believed
that when it was discovered Senator Hale
purposed to retain control Of the Committee on
Naval Affairs throughout the coming session or
Congress the Executive realized that an effort
to obtain the creation by Congress OF general
staff for the navy was hopeless, and therefore
the plan put into operation by Mr. Newoerry
to-day adopted.
Q The Navy General Board, created by gen
eraI order and as 1t has thus far existed has
consisted of seven officers, including the admiral
of the navy the president of the Naval War
College the chief OF the bureau of naVl-
CATION and the chief intelligence officer,
all of whom served ex-oficio In addl-
ton there have been appointed Rear Ad-
miral Royal r. IngersoI and Captain Sidney A.
staunton while Commander Joseph L. Jayne is
the secretary being one Vacancy Deslg-
mated for duty with the General Board have
been Rear Admiral Evans, Commander Clarence
S Williams. Commander Frank h. Hill and
Lieutenant Commander Henry Y. Butler, aid to
Admiral Dewey.
Secretary. Newh herry's amendment TO the Gre
ative order provides that there shall be, in ad-
dition to the members who serve ex oficio.
such other officers the Secretary of the Navy
may designate" and it is his purpose not only
considerably to enlarge the board but also to
designate as members some of the officers who
are now members of the board on construction,
which at present consists of Rear Admiral Con-
verse and the chiefs of the bureaus of construc-
ton and repair ordnance, equipment and steam
engineering 1t is also likely that this board
will be somewhat increased.
One Of the defects in the present system is
that most Of the officers designated for duty
these boards are already occupied with ad-
ministrative duties that they unable to de-
vote to purely military problems the time and
attention they deserve; while another Is that
officer is now member OF both boards. BY the
enlargement of the General Board il is expected
to obtain members who will be able to devote
abundant time to the study Of military sprOb-
lens and TO appoint some who also members
of the board construction. that the General
Board shall at all times be in thorough touch
with the views and proceedings Of the former
board. 1t is a safe prediction moreover. that
the staff will be much more extensively repre-
sented on these boards than at present. when
their membership is composed almost entirely of
line officers.
MAY LEAD TO GENERAL STAFF.
Secretary Newberry. whose capacity for or
SANITATION and effective administration has al
raad,. been demonstrated. believes it viii be
DossihIe 10 convert. without further authority
Of law than ne now enjoys the General Board
info an organization almost effective for the
welfare of the navy as is the General STAFF for
the army. and that the actual demonstration of
the usefulness OF the organization VIII prove 80
convincing that ultimately Congress viii be lea
to appre,.iate the desirablity OF creating by law
2 navy general staff. The Secretary maintains,
however. that his plans are experimental
and therefore if the plan contains the detects
,,bicb some Congressional critics believe they
SEQ they will he demonstrated to exist. and
either corrected OF the plan finally abandoned.
of course the change which Nj NeWherry
has made cannot he considered a violent depart
,,ra from the policy which has for some time
controIIed the Navy Department although II
material progress along that line.
Mr. Newberry took the oath of office as Sec
ratar,, of the Navy and attended the Cabinet
meeting He was accompanied TO the White
House by Mr.. Metcaf, his predecessor, who
formally presented him to the Presidents Of
fetal family. The oath of office was admin
istered to the Secretary in the Navy De
partment in the presence of Mrs NeWberTy
and Miss carol Newberry, MIR. Metcalf, the
chiefs of the bureaus and other officers of the
service In n brief speech Mr.. Metcalf paid
high tribute to the new Cabinet officer. Mr
Nawberry responding in felicitous terms i
The last official letter written by Mr. Metcalf
was to Admiral Dewey. thankiAs him for the
most cordial and loyal support" he had given
him The retiring Secretary left Washington to-
night for his home in California. After visit
ing his son in Los Angeles he will go to his
shooting box. where he viii hunt for some time.
He expects to throw off all business cares until
his health has been fully restored.