Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-01-24
ROW Up 1O CONGRESS
Navy Quarrel Reaches House By
Submission of BroWnson-
Rixey Correspondence
TROUBLE DATES BACK TO 1904
Admiral Converse Once Took Same
Position as Brownson-New Matter
in the Correspondence DR.. Rixey
Make Answer to the Angry Ad-
miral.

Washington, Jan. 24-Speaker Cam
non laid before the house of represen-
tatives yesterday he response of Sec
rotary of the Navy Metcaf to the res
Gill of Maryland calling for the cor
respondence relative to the designa-
ton Of staff officers to naval COM
mands
The correspondence is vouminous,
dating back to 1904, when Acting Sec
rotary Darling authorized medical Of
iicers to use the term of lin command
Of instead of "in charge Of to desig-
nate their official positions.
An interesting paper is an indorse-
ment by Admiral Converse, then chief
of the navigation bureau. dated June
4, 1906, upon a proposition originat-
ing 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 pac-
ing of hospital ships in commission in
time of peace, and also against the
placing of medical officers in COM
mand even with civilian crews.
The new matter in the correspond
ence about which congress particularly
desired information consists of d long
memorandum prepared by Admiral
Rrn lan chief of the bureau.
dated Nov. 1S last. thereby anticipate
ing the admirals resignation by nearly
a month.
In ii the admiral submits the reas-
ons why, in the opinion of the naviga-
ton bureau, the department should re-
verse it's decision to commission the
Relief in command of a medical Off
GER Admiral Brownson holds that
whether HOSPITAL ships or not such
vessels as the Relief must accompany
fleet to fulfill their purposes, and
to do so must be navigated and han
died in the same seamonlike manner
which is required Of all vessels to as
sure safety on the high seas. There s
nothing in the training of medical
officer, the admiral contends, which
fits him foe such command.
If hospital ship were merely a
floating hospital, securely moored and
not called upon to move from point
to point, it would perhaps not be we'll,
in Admiral Brownsons opinion. to
have any sea line officers on board.
The last chapter in the correspond
ence, a new one. is reply by Sur
geon General Rxey to Admiral Brown
sons memorandum. under date of Jan.
o. The surgeon general denies that
he ever asked that medical officers be
intrusted with the navigation of hos
pital ships. On the contrary, he had
asked that the bureau of navigation
select a sailing master and crew to
navigate the ship. all orders to and
from the sailing master to pass thru
the senior surgeon who will be in
command The Relief as an army
hospital ship was commanded by a
medical officer, and there can be no
question, he says. that medical officers
are as we'll qualified.
He cites the army transport service
commanded by civilians as notably eff
ficient in their administration. Naval
medical officers, he points out met
the same resistance from the line in
their claim to command hospitals on
shore. yet since 1904. when this ques-
tion was settled in favor of medical
officers, this; sustaining Of the bureau
in regard to command in the shore
hospitals has been most satisfactory.