The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-03-27
SkIRMISH Of
NAVAL EXPERTS
Secretary of Navy, Presidents
Aide. AdmiraIs and
Others Involved.
(aIan Special TO the Advertiser.l

| (A1ail Special TO the Adyertiser)
| WASHINGTON. D. c.. March II
! Officers in the Navy Department are
| now ranged in two camps, as one re-
| suit of the Senate committees investi-
| CATION Of Henry Reuterdahls charges
that battleships are effectively con-
strueted. Feeling is very high. Sec
rotary Metcalf has been drawn into it,
jected TO sharp talk from veteran SEN
ators within a few days for permitting
conditions so subversive Of discipline
There has been no such condition of
affairs among the unusually well dis
cipIined officers of the navy for a gen.
GRAFTON. The investigation into the
methods Of designing and building
ships has in fact developed into a war
between the chiefs of navy bureaus
and their respective foIlowings, on the
one hand, and members of the Cen
eral Board, favorites of President
Roosevelt and officers on special and
fancy duty on the other. OF course
both sides are raIlying for the fight
Up TO date the bureau chiefs seem to
have the best of things before the conn
headed by Commander William S. Sims,
expert in target practice and President
Roosevelt's naval aide, are having an
inning this week. A number of wit
nesses have been summoned at Com
mander Sims request and will be
questioned exhaustively.
Commander Sims zeal for getting
his case before the public has given
the committee fresh offense. He was
requested in a letter from Senator
Hale, chairman of the committee, to
submit the names of officers who
would furnish more enlightenment. He
complied by sending a very long list
It included some junior officers, whose
brief service was thought to preclude
their being experts. Secretary Met
calf was asked to designate from the
number the older and more expert !
enced officers. The new list was pre- /
pared by the Senate committee for the /
press, whereupon it was learned that |
Commander Sims had anticipated the
committee by giving out the entire list. |
The outcome Of this was some plain |
speaking with the Secretary of the /
Navy about the need of navy officers /
observing the customary proprieties.
The attacks before the Senate COM
mittee. were at first directed against
the construction bureau. That brought T
George Converse retired, who
had reviewed the ReuterdahI charges
at the Presidents request, and Admit
raj Washington L Capps, chief of that /
bureau, to the fore. Their testimony
was threshed over by several expert |
witnesses but. in the view of the COM
rittee, was not materially shaken.
Then Commander Sims led the attack
on the Bureau of Ordnance. As an
expert on target practice who is con-
coded to have done some very good |
work toward improving the standard
Of navy gunuery, the Commander is
something of a rival of ordnance Off
Gals although he holds an assignment
as assistant in the bureau of naviga-
ton. His testimony was chiefly about
armor belts and ammunition hoists.
Since he testified, the witnesses have
confined themselves largely to those
two subjects.
In this warfare between admirals,
and commanders, there has
,een great exultation according as one
ide or the other scored. One Of the
attest bits of effective work as navy
Ulcers look upon it, was the testimony
# Admiral William s. Cowles, chief
# the Bureau of Equipment and Re-
lair, who is the Presidents brother-in-
aw. As President Roosevelt is credit {
d with having encoura ged the onset |
gainst the bureaus. Admiral Cowles
ssertions that our navy is as good, I
hip for ship, as any navy in the !
rorld. was regarded as a special :
riumph for the bureaus. !
What is known as a Board on Con- 7
truction' was put on the defensive as :
} certain portions Of the Reuterdahl t
rticle. It is composed Of five mem I
Admiral Converse, who was T