The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1908-01-31

Washington Especial Tine SPEAK
er laid before the House of Represen-
tatives the response of Secretary of
the Navy Metcalf to the resolution
introduced by Representative Gill, OF
Maryland, calling for the cores
pondence relative to the designation
of staff officers to naval commands.
The correspondence is yoluminous,
dating back to 1904, when acting
Secretary Darling authorized medi-
cal officers to use the term of In
command of instead of I'm charge
of to designate their official posi-
lions. Much of the matter sent to
the House had already been pub
lished, as, for instance, Admiral
Brownson's letter of resignation and
the two letters of the President con-
demning that officer for the course he
had pursued.
There was also a mass of his
torical matter showing the Army
practice in the matter of hospital
ship commands, and including orders
issued in the Navy Department by
Secretary Bonaparte, with copious
Endorsements by bureau officers, all
bearing on this question.
Similar Ground BY Converse.
An interesting paper among the
latter is an Endorsement by Admiral
Converse, then chief of the Naviga-
ton Bureau, dated June 4, 1905,
upon proposition originating 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 Converse recon-
mended against the placing of hos
pital ships in commission in time of
peace and also against the placing
of medical officers in command, even
with civilian crews. Admiral Con-
verse held that it was necessary to
discipline and efficiency that the Of
ficers and crew of such ships should
be subjected to naval laws and reg
ulations, and that the officers in COM
mand should be fitted by experience
and training to navigate and COM
mand a vessel under all conditions Of
weather and unforeseen contin-
gencies.
Brownson's Reasons.
The new matter in the corre-
spondence. about which Congress
particularly desires Information, con-
sists of a long memorandum, pre-
pared by Admiral Brownson, then
chief of the bureau. This is dated
November 1S last. thereby anticipat-
ing the Admiral's resignation by
nearly month, and in it the Adj
Admiral submits the reasons why, in
the opinion of the Navigation Bu-
reau, the department should reverse
it's decision to commission the Relief
in command of a medical officer
Admiral Brownson holds that wheth-
er hospital ships or not, such yes
sells as the Relief must accompany
feet to fulfill their purposes, and
to do so must be navigated and
handled in the same seamannke
manner which is required of all yes
sells to assure safety on the high
seas. There is nothing in the train
ing of q medical officer, the Admiral
contends, which fits him for such
command. 1t requires just as skill
full q navigator to pilot a hospital
ship as 1t does to pilot a man-of-
war; the difficulties are wholly in
dependent of the internal arrange
which it may be put.
To call IL q noSpltai snip does not
fully describe the ship. 1t would be
more nearly correct to state that "a
hospital ship is seagoing vessel
having large hospital on board. .
Existing regulations give medical Of
fcers all necessary authority to con-
troll and care for their department
on board such ship.
The Surgeon General again states
that 1.-The command of the medical
officer should be absolute" and that
the captain should not be naval
officer, but should belong to the mer-
chant marine, and should have en-
tire control of the navigation of the
ship and of the civilian crew and
regulate discipline and matters per-
tanning to them. 1t would seem
from this statement that, in the
opinion of the Surgeon General, the