Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-23
|GR|T|CS SPEAK MINDS
Active Naval Officers Talk
! Openly to President.
SURPRISE At WAR COLLEGE
!
All Laymen Excluded and Discussion
: Is Invited.
AN "EPoCH.MAKING" EPISODE
Ship Construction Expected to Bene-
At by Open Hearings 1naugu-
rated at Newport
N "EPoCH.MAKING' EPISODE

:.
NEWPORT. r. l.. July 23.-That Presi-
dent Roosevelt had two separate. two cis-
.tinct and two significant purposes IN his
extraordinary action in summonins the
highest rank officers Of the navy to meet
him at the Naval War College was made
easily APPARENT yesterday One was to de-
liver through the college a message TO
this nation. a message urging the rec"s-
sity Of adequate sea power as an effective
guarantee Of peace; the other was plainly
10 give countenance to the claims per-
,sistently advanced by so many OF the
navy that our present system of navy
administration is inherently wrong.
Speech for People.
= In his address to the officers assembled
at the college President Roosevelt frankly
stated that what he said was INTENDED
Jess for the congress of distinguished or
.6cers who were in attendance that for
.the bulk of the American people. And
while the President was saying this the
eminent naval rear admiral who occupies
fhe post of the President of the war
College, and who had strung GORDON
of marines around the building and us
Tar and near approaches to fend OFF the
American public from the place. was con-
strained to pinch himself to make sure
that he had heard Alright.
= The admiral doubtless had reason FOR
assuming that the President desired a
clustered conference with these nigh
tank officers of the navy, and tue rost
extraordinary precautions were taken 10
insure that end Yet in his very frst SEN
tence the President took occasion to say
to the men in blue and gold that he was
not talking to them but through them.
= 1t was not only the first time that the
President had used the college as
-. 10 xtaA aY0f hot ho hod
ever appeared before it. 1t was by his
direction that the notable gathering as
.kembled there. Lest the reader may be
confused. 1t should be made clear that the
college is habitually in session during the
summer months. and that such officers as
Gan be spared from other uuties attend
4 then.
: Distinguished Gathering.
e But at the instance of the chief exec
.utive nearly every officer above the rank
Of lieutenant who could attend the gath
ering was in the lecture hall. Washing
ton furnished it's contingent OF bureau
chiefs and members of the construction
board. the various shipyards sent the Of
Tcers detailed as inspectors Of new con-
Struction.
: From nearby battleships came the bat
tleship commanders. Commander A. L.
Key. who commands the Salem. one Of
The new scout cruisers. was in attend
Ance: He was former naval aid to the
President. Commander w. s. Sims. the
with starting the revolt against the ''bu-
feau SYSTEM, was conspicuous in the
gathering. Lieut.. Commander F., K. Hill,
another of the protestants against bureau
Goodrich and eight other rear admirals
were present, as were also numerous
c&ptaius and commanders.
4t was by far the most numerous gath
wfvfep NJ AZ III
efer assembled in the college, 1t is dfiite
aparent that Rear Admiral Merrell, the
p4esfdent Of the college. had no idea Of
tae purposes of the convention. from
ofhers had any inkling OF the reason the
resident had In summoning them to this
conclave. Was 1t merely to talk over
cneir heads to the world at large? At
nfst it seemed so,
& Naval officers Surprised.
The President ceased speaking, and.
there was an air of perplexity about the
hall. Was it. only to hear an address
which frankly was for the world and no,
particularly for the hearers that the
President summoned this gathering? That
and kindred questions the officers asked
one another. What good was 1t to strip
washington, the navy yards and the
ships of the navy of officers merely to
say what might very well have beer
said TO the score or more Of officers who
are now regularly attending the daily ses-
SlOns of the college? =
Then u became. apparent that something
eise was TO happen. The lecture hall was
cfs,reti of visitors-of every one who was
not AL officer Of the army and navy. In
e0oth. there were not many. The few
press representatives who had been per-
m3tted to hear the address filed out.s.The
only others not included in the category
of Officers were Mr.. and Mrs c. Grant
La Forge of Saunderstown. L. L.: Miss
H. Tyler. a cousin of the President: Mrs
Newberry. wife of the assistant secre-
tary of the navy. and Mrs. Fullam, wife
of the commandant of the naval station.
These went out.
Then ii was that the President made the
important announcement that he wished
all officers. present to submit their own
views. and to lay these before the college,
not the summer habitues of the institu-
ton: but before the officers who had at
OF the eastern seaboard to hear these
wishes of the President personally ex-
pressed
Epoch Making for Navy.
There has been much guessing as to
the attitude Of the President regarding
the critics of naval administration, par
ticularly that part OF 1t in which the
now famous bureau system" is in
volved.
For a long time many of the most
prominent of progressive officers Of the
navy have been insisting that a reform
Is urgently needed. Now this element
and 1t Is regarded as highly significant
that so many had been summoned by
the President. regard this action Of his
as q complete vindication Of their
claims and signal victory for them
selves
To press representative one Of these
said:
1T Is epochal. 1t Is what we have
been striving years to attain. Now,
with free discussion and an open hear
ing, we may finally come around to
method of ship construction that will
at least put our ships on an equal foot
ing with foreign contemporaries You
have only to look out of that window to
see an examples There Is the Missis.
sippi. battleship newly commissioned;
she is not only obsolete now. she was
obsolete before she was launched
There are our two much-vaunted
Dreadnoughts. now in course of con-
struction. 1t is popularity believed that
the type originated In the Russo-Jap-