The Washington times., 1908-11-28
President Roosevelt Wants
Volunteer Commission to
Investigate Conditions.
A GENERAL STAFF
PLAN is FAVORED
Chief Executive Said to Want Serv-
ice Made to Conform to Sys-
TEN in the Army.
BY LC. WELLIyFR.

PRESIDENT Roosevelt is contemplating
the appointment Of a voluntary commits
sion. TO consider and report on the
question OF reorganizing the Navy De-
psrtment
Secretary Of State Root, under whose
administration the army was reOrganiz-
ed and the general stan system adopt
ed. has been asked TO become head OF
the commission. This fact, together
with the Presidents welI-kn0Wn eOnVIc-
ton IN favor Of the general stan plan,
may be accepted as quite definitely in
dicating that such commission would
recommend the application OF the gen
eral stan plan TO the navy.
Secretary Root has not yet indicated
whether he viii be able TO accent the
commission. 1t would involve a great
deal of arduous work, and the Secre-
tary's time is so much occupied with
other and very important business that
it IS difficult for him to undertake new
burdens.
The personnel of the commission is
entirely an open question thus far
Whether Mr. Root viii serve, is the
first point 10 be decided. A number
Of distinguished men. whose recon-
mendation would have large weight
with the country. have been mentioned
in connection with the task, but il is
not permitted at this time to give them.
tt may be said, however that the class
Of men discussed in this connection is
thorough guarantee that the commits
sion's report, whatever it might con
tain, would be a historic landmark IN
the movement for reorganization Of the
Navy Department
Not Certain Yet
Between the difficulties which relate
To securing the services OF the right
men, and those which are involved in
the fact that Mr.. Roosevelt is nearing
the end of his term I'm office, Il is not
az present certain that the commission
VIII be named. The President earnestly
hopes that ne may i-s sSle 60 establish
tho machinery, and set It IN motion,
beforr the close of his administration
Whether tie commission could conclude
It's task before March 4, is extremely
doubtful, but people who desire the re-
organization believe that the incoming
Administration would push the work
forward. ~.
Invitations 10 this service do not
present the most allurtng prospect.
There will be no compensation for IT,
ana members or the commission win be
able to assure themselves in advance
that they Will receive their full share
of CrlLtClsm-and WOTse-nO matter what
they may do or recommend. None the
less, it is looked upon as the opportu-
nifty for q distinguished service to the
country.
Exactly what is meant by the estab-
iishment Of general staff for the nasy
may be explained in q few words. AZ
present the head of the navy is a
snHrH
sarily not an expert in technical nauti-
cal affairs. He has his own staff OF
assistants and clerks all civilian, or
mainly So
The Coordinate Bureaus.
Next come the coordinate bureaus
navigation, yards. and docks. supplies.
and accounts, medicine and surgery,
construction and repair, steam engineer
ing. ordnance, and equipment These
eight bureaus are each supreme IN their
own fields Of authority; any order Of a
CHER or bureau Is by law considered
as emauaunE from the Secretary Of the
Navy, and is given fun force as such.
These bureaus are independent of each
other, and the Secretary of the Navy IS
their one common superior. He is not
a technical man. What is the result?
The bureau Of construction and rep afr
builds war vessel. When IL IS out
into commission the bureau Of navlga-
ton takes charge OF it. In time the
latter bureau learns, from the officers /
at sea, that the vessel is defective IN
some respects; at least that some
changes would be desirable in another
of the same class. They report 70 this /
effect, and the report goes to the chief /
of the bureau of navigation.
The chief Of this bureau, being con-
yinced that there is merit in the cTiti- /
cisn or suggestion, passes IL on up 10 |
the Secretary of the Navy.
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