The Washington herald., 1908-01-16
Hale Expects 1t to Stop Med
ding with Bureaus.
TO ASK EARLY CONSIDERATION
viii Urge Committee TO Pass Upon
Ii as Soon as Possible - Restores
All Vessels TO Line OhIceTs-Other
Features, OF the Trouble.

critics of his bill 20 increase the efficiency
/ of the navy. lie proposes 10 ask the Ma
4 val Committee. of which he is chairman,
/ to give early consideration TO the meas
ure, which prominent navy officers are
said to be organizing to defeat
The Senator indicates that he has no
pride of authorship. but he thinks the bill
would put an end to the meddling with
the legitimate work Of navy bureaus. He
declares that certain influences have
been busy trying to undermine these bu-
reaus and break them down.
/ The bill will be taken up by the COM
mittee later on and considered said
Senator Hale ye-.Arday, when inquiry
was made Of him as 10 what his purpose
was with reference 70 H.
/ 1T was discussed briefly and informally
at the recent committee meeting. I am
called upon 10 attend meetings OF the FL
nance Committee. considering the cur
rency bill. which is likely 10 occupy the
/ time of that committee for the next week
/ or ten days After that I shall ask the
/ Naval Committee 20 consider the bill in
troduced by ne; but I am not giving my
self much concern about the bill If il
does not speak for itself, and does not.
upon close examination. commend itself
/ TO Congress, and, indeed, 20 the depart
ment. then ! am mistaken as to the effect
/ Of a study Of its provisions.
Puts Bureaus I'm Place.
In the first place. il restores the
bureaus TO their cd position IN transact
| ing the business Of the department. These
/ bureaus have been unjustlN and unrea-
sonably assailed. and there has been a
! deliberate purpose on the part OF certain
influences TO undermine them in public
/ confidence. and in effect 10 break them
down. The bin introduced By me re-
stores them 20 their old place, and Incl
I dentaily abolishes the system Of inter
/ ference with the government and manage
ment by permanent boards which have
T had no existence till within the last few
years The bill does not interfere with
any boards that are created by statute
and which have a reasonable range OF
work in the business Of the department
/ bat it puts an end TO meddIing hereafter
/ with the legitimate work OF the bureaus
Of the navy.
Gives Command to Line.
1T gives TO the line what IL prsc-
I tically always has had. and ought 70
/ have. command In every vessel Of the
/ Navy Department. This was the conten-
/ ton OF Admiral B-Ownson. and I believe
/ he was clearly right in that contention.
TT endows the staff corps Of the navy
with actual and titular and recognized
/ rank in the same manner which is now
/ granted and conceded in the army. This
I is what the staff have driven for FOR
many years. and the adoption OF the
provisions Of the bill will put at rest
/ further controversy.
1T gives 10 officers desiring 20 retire
from the active list and make way for
/ others the conditional opportunity after
( thirty years Of service, and the absolute
/ privilege after forty years Of service.
Tt recognizes the nhTmity Of present
/ conditions affecting the introduction 70
1 the navy Of graduates from the Annapolis
| Academy, and the absorption Of the grad
yates in the TWO lower ranks Of the navy
the ensign and lieutenant grades
Trouble for Graduates.
The worst possible thing that can hap.
pen 70 graduates Of the Naval Academy
is to encounter what is known as d
hump in the next higher ranks; that is
glut whidh condemns every ambition,
young officer TO long years Of service in
the lowest grades before he energies into
any grade which gives him useful and
| important command. II the present con-
ditons are not In some way changed. M
man graduating from Annapolis. with the
! constant pouring In from the big classes
to the lower grades. viii emerge as a
/ lieutenant commander much. II any, be-
/ fore he is fifty years old This statement
alone covers the whole question
The bill which have introduced deals
with Il in the only practical way 1t Sc
/ lects seventy-fve Of the graduates each
year and admits them 10 the lower grade
/ of tie navy This Of itself adds in every
| four years 800 officers 10 the navy I DO
/ not like the feature Of educating men al
J the public expense and turning them over
afterward to civilian llfei but that is bet
| ter than an overcrowded. dense, and al
iAbSA tiili4tF Air mass VI NDAlAN btiltNiE VI
4 the lower grades Of the navy,
Provides Pay Increase.
Lastly. the bill provides for an in
crease Of 20 per cent upon the pay Of ali
officers in the navy, active and retired.
and 40 per cent increase to the rank and
| file It is much better, both for the Off
GERS and the rank and fle. This should
! be settled by law, and not be subject TO
the caprice of departmental or executive
decision. It is in itself right and nat
urally follows the increases made in the
salaries of officials in civil life by the last
! Congress.
Now. If anybody believes that any bill
can be passed that will effectuate more
for the navy, let such a bill be produced.
do not take much stock in newspaper
reports; but it is said that many of the
/ higher officers of the navy, with the
general board and its attaches. including
the officers who are more than suspected
| of having furnished the misinformation
/ for the Ruterdahl criticisms of the bu-
reaus, are engaged in a crusade, the OBJ
| ject of which IS to defeat the bill. l should
/ hope that this will not succeed; but,
/ as said In the beginning. If the bill does
not speak for itself. I can add nothing
/ further showing its desirability as a