The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1908-01-24
RESPONSE
CONGRESS GETS A PEEP INTO
NAVAL MIDDLE.


Washington, Jan, 23-The Speaker
laid before the House OF Representa-
lives today. the response of the secre-
tary of the navy to the, resolution IN
troduced by Representative Gill OF
Maryland. calling for the correspon-
dence relative to the designation or
staff officers to naval commands.
The correspondence Is yolumtnous,
dating back to 1904 when acting Secre-
tary Darling authorized officers 10
use the term OF 'In command OF. In
stead OF TN charge Of" to designate
their official positions Much OF the
matter sent to the House today had
already been published.
An Interesting paper among the new
matter cited from navy records, - an
endorsement by Admiral Converse, then
Chief Of the Navigation Bureau, date
June 4, 1906. upon q proposition orisi-
mating with. the Joint Board OF Medical
Officers Of the army and navy to place
hospital ships In command of naval
surgeons In that case, Admiral Con-
verse recommended against the plao-
ing of hospital ships in commission
in time of peace. and also against the
placing of medical officers In command
even with civilian crews.
The new matter in the correspop-
dence about which Congress particu-
larly desired information consists of
long memorandum prepared by Ad-
miral Brownson, then Chief of the
Bureau, dated November Is last, there
by anticipating the AdmiraPs resigna-
tion. by, nearly q month and in II. the
Admiral submits the reason why, In
the opinion of the navigation bureau.
the department should reverse its de-
cision to commission the Relief In COM
mand OF a medical officer.
Admiral Brownson concludes his
memorandum by summarizing his OBJ
jections to the proposed order In the
case OF the Relief as follows:
Z "a. 1t is directly contrary to tho
law, for the medical officers to exer-
else military command in any other
than their own CORPS
2. Divided responsibility leads to
confusion and poor administration.
8. Experiences both with the Solace,
in the Spanish American war and with
auxiliaries on the Asiatic station show
eonclusiveIy that the only organization
for the fleet auxiliary is to have full
naval crew and officers.
T. A seagoing ship to be efficient
must Of necessity be commanded by q
seagoing officer.
The last chapter in the correspon-
dence, a new one also. Is a reply by
Surgeon General Rixey to Admiral
5rownson's memorandum under date Of
January 20. The surgeon genetal de-
MES that he ever asked that medical
officers be entrusted with the naviga-
tion Of hospital ships. On the contrary,
he had asked that the bureau of navi-
cation elect a sailing master and crew
to navigate the ship, all orders to and
from the sailing master to pass through
the senior surgeon. "who will be in
command" The Relief. as an army
hospital ship was commanded by a
medical oficer. and there can be no
question, he says but that navy medi-
cal officers are as well qualified.
The surgeon general states that
neutrality of the hospital ships demand
that line officers and fighting crews
should not be put aboard. He contends
that q merchant master and merchant
sailors are as eficient In piIotage and
navigation as line officers and fight
ing crew. And" says the surgeon
general, "a naval crew who would wish
TO be on a naval hospital ship when
there was lighting to be done would,
% say the least. be most unsatisfactory
Rb naval men of the lighting branch"