The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-01-06
ROOSEVELT ROASTS
ADMIRAL bROWNSON
PRESIDENT SAYS ADMiRAL's CON.
DUCT WAS IMPROPER.
AS TO DEFECTS IN THE NAVY
The President Says They Should be
Pointed Out, but Not Exaggerated
Medical officers Will Com
mand Hospital Ships.

Washington, Jan. 6.-President
Roosevelt's attitude on the command
of hospital ships in the navy which
resulted In the resignation of Rear
Admiral Brownson and, incidentally,
some caustic observations on that in
cident and the controversies among
the naval officers and their adherents
as to details of naval construction and
methods of training, were made
known Sunday when Secretary Met.
from the president addressed to him
on the subject.
In the first of these letters Presi.
dent Roosevelt, without mincing
words, condemns In unmeasured
terms the act of Admiral Brownson,
declaring it to be unseemls and i'm.
proper. The question as to which Ad.
miral Brownson took issue with the
navy department the president de-
clares is one as to which there can
be entirely legitimate differences of
opinion, Nbut he adds there is no
room for difference of opinion as to
the gross impropriety of the admiraPs
conduct In .resigning sooner than
carry out the orders of his superior
officers in such a matter. The officers
of the navy must remember that II is
not merely childish, but in the highest
degree reprehensible to permit either
personal pique, wounded vanity or
factional feeling on behalf of some
particular bureau or organization, to
render them disloyal to the interests
of the navy and therefore of the coun.
try as a whole"
Regarding the controversies in the
navy the president admits there al
ways will be defects to correct. both
In the construction of ships and In the
organization of the department and in
the actual drill of the fleet. II is well
he says that these defects be pointed
out, but ii Is also well that they
should be pointed out without hysteri-
cal eXagge"at'on or malicious untI'uth-
fulness. 10 cathingly rebukes those
guilty of oiting them i'm grossly
exaggeratf form In the fancied in
terest of an Individual or clique of in
dividuals, or for the sake of supplying
sensational material to newspapers.
Because of so much misrepresenta-
ton and exaggeration' the president
has asked Secretary Metcalf for a
statement as to the exact facts con.
cerning which there have been dis.
putes, desiring particularly the opin,
ion of Admiral Converse, formerly
chief of the navigation bureau, who
because of his high professional at
tainments and standard of conduct
! and duty the president considers pc
culiarly fitted to give judgment.
The presidents second letter to Mr.
Metcalf is an argument to sustain his
decision to assign medical officers to
the command of hospital ships. He
recalls an order of the navy depart
ment of December ~, 1906, made by
Secretary Bonaparte directing that
hospital ships be placed under com
mand of medical officer. Such ships
| the president therefore directs shal
hereafter unless otherwise directed
by congress, be placed under the com
mand of medical officers, their naviga
| tion being exclusively controlled by {
| competent sailing master and civilian
crew, the sailing master having tn,
complete responsibility for everything
connected with the navigation of tn,
| ship.