New-York tribune., 1908-01-24
HOSPITAL SHIP CONTEST
LETTERS SENT TO HOUSE,
BrO5cnSons Objections to Command
by Surgeons and Rirey's Reply.

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Washington, Jan 23.-The Speaker laid before
ths House of Representatives to-day the re-
sponse OF Secretary NIetcalf to the resolution in
troduced by Representative Gill. of Maryland.
calling for the correspondence relative to the
designation of staff officers TO naval commands.
The correspondence is voIuminous, dating back
to 1904 when Acting Secretary Darling
thorized medical officers to use the term lin
command of" instead of in charge of" to desg-
nate their official status. Much of the matter
sent TO the House to-day had already been pub
lished. as, for instance. Admiral Brownson's
letter of resignation and the two letters OF the
President criticising that officer for the course
he pursued There was also of historical
matter showing the army practice in regard
to hospital ship commands and including orders
issued in the Navy Department by Secre-
tary Bonaparte. with copious Endorsements by
bureau officers. all bearing on this question. An
interesting paper is an Endorsement by Admiral
Converse. then chief of the navigation bureau,
dated June 4. 1906 proposition originating
with the joint board of medical officers of the
army and navy. to place hospital ships under
command of naval surgeons In that case Ad-
rniral Converse opposed the placing of hos
pital ships in commission in time of peace
and also the placing of medical officers in COM
mand. even with civilian crews. Admiral Con-
verse held that ii necessary to discipline
and efficiency that the officers and crews or
such ships should he subjected to naval laws
and regulations. and that the officers in com
mand should he fitted by experience and train
ing to navigate and command a vessel under all
conditions of weather and unforeseen contin-
gencies.
ADMIRAL, RROWNSON'S MEMORANDUM.
The new matter in the correspondence about
which Congress particularly desires informa-
4ion consists of q long memorandum prepared
bv Admiral Rrownson. then chief Of the bureau
of navigation. This Is dated November lS'
1907 thereby anticipating the admiraPs resig-
nation by nearly month, and in 1t the ad-
rniral submits the reasons why, in the opinion
Of the navigation bureau the department
should reverse its decision to commission the
Relief in command of medical officer. Ad-
nliraI Brownson holds that whether hospital
ships or not such vessels as the Relief must
accompany a feet TO fulfil their purposes and to
do so must be navigated and handled in the
same seananIize manner which is required Of
all vessels to assure safety on the high seas
There is nothing in the training of medical
officer the admiral contends. which fits him
for s,Ich command. It requires just skilful
2 navigator. he asserts, 70 pilot hospital snip
as Il does to pilot a n-of-war-the difficulties
are wholly independent of the internal arrange
,,,ents Of the vessel or the uses to which it may
he mt To call it a hospital ship does not fully
describe the ship. 1t would be more nearly
correct TO state that "a hospital ship is a sea-
e,oine vessel having a large hospital on board
Existing regulations give medical officers all
necessary authority to control and care for
their DEPARTMENT on board such q snip. YET
the surgeon general seems TO belleVe, says Ao-
,i-.1 F3ro,vnson. that the navigation, safe con-
duct and general administration of seagolng
,-aeeeI are secondary as regards the responsible
Tale nh OUprafOrS
engineers are not put in command OF caole
ebine nor are postmasters put in command OF
mail steamers BattIeships can with proprlety
he called floating forts but artillery officers
are not fit for command Of them. Long expert
80 with merchant crews and officers on board
naval golfers, tank ships transports. supply
vessels ETC. shows that officers of the merchant
marine do not perform this duty as efnclentY
as naval officers.
Admiral Brownson cites his experience IN
of the Asiatic station to support this
,e-ortion having there thoroughly tested ships
t,t FUN merchant crews, with full naval crews
"a NTH merchant crews and officers and one
liz officer of the navy in command He found
that the last system the least efficient NOT
,,,thstanding the best efforts Of the Navy be-
rartn,ent sharply 10 define the functions Oh 'io
aeicers. complications constantly arose regard
mo navigation and administration, and cases are
o;ted where the Iris was run ashore ana tie
>-o,sban was the scene of a disgraceIul ols-
,,orce I'm the harbor of Hong Kong as the re-
rIt Of a clash Of authority
II a hospital ship were merely noaths nos
a., eecurelv nloored and not called on to move
fro,o point to point it would, perhaps not De /
,,eu in Admiral Brownsons opinion TO nave
anv sea line officers on board In addition 10
he navigation OF the vessel and administration
hereof the discipline OF the crew must De mani
,af,.d and there be no complete cohTo' J.
ov.r the discipline Of the persohne' Oh ooaIh d
.osn;tEI ship when part OF IL Is aIne-iao'e 10
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