The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-03-15
New System for Navy.

New System for Navy.
WASHINGTON, February 27.-Presi-
dent Roosevelt S commission on naval
reorganization, whose final report went
to Congress today, outlines a new de-
partmental system which the President
declares is sound and conservative, and
In full accord with American policy.
It contempIates for the secretary a
general council, military council and
the redistribution of the duties of the
present bureaus in five divisions, the
chiefs Of which are to compose the
grand council, who are to be the as
sistant secretary, three flag officers and
another flag officer, naval constructor
or civilian with technical training.
In submitting the plan the President
says: !. Nothing drastic is recommend
ed as to the bureaus or other agencies
by means of which the purely business
affairs of the Navy Department are
now administered. The plan outlined
does not imply any greater expenditure
of money than at present. 1t provides
merely that the money should be spent
wisely, instead Of, as at present, spend
Ing 1t 30 slIdJ d CClt eiih
wasted in useless work.
To supplement and finish the work
of this commission, the President says,
another commission must eventually be
designated to take up the proposed
plan and complete it as to details; but
no plan can be satisfactory If there
is deviation from the essential military
principles specified in this report.
The bureau system in its entirety has
been retained. but with additional per
sonnet. The commission S scheme is
merely an illustration of principles, and
not digested plan.
IT contemplates that the assistant
secretary shall be a civilian; .maf
Of affairs, = who shall be the chief of
| fieer of the first division, and shall have
charge of the business of the bureau
| of yards and docks, the bureau of sup
plies and the bureau of medicine ant
| surgery; the employment of civilians
and kindred SUBJECTS.
/ The second or division of nava
operatfons, whose chief shall be a Has
officer. the principal military advise
| 10 tbe secretary. to be without admin
istrative functions. but to be ex-officI'
head of the general board and tn
| hoard Of construction, is to supervls
war plans and the general policy an
| have under his control the naval wa
| college. the officers of naval intelli
gence and kindred subjects.
The third or division of personnel
| whose chief shall be a flag officer, t
be charged ex-offieio with the bushes
of the bureau of navigation, all eduea
tional institutions except the naval wa
college,; the marine corps, the diseiplin
of the navy, the office of the Jndg
| Advocate General; the naval observa
| tory and kindred subjects.
The fourth or division of inspection
whose chief shall be a flag officer, shall
be charged with the duties pertaining
| to the trial of ships; the inspection o
/ fleets, squadrons, and ships of nav,
! wards and stations, of sites for naya
stations. aud kindred subjects.
The fifth, or technical division, who's
| chief shall be a flag officer. nava
constructor or a civilian, with tech
meal training. shall be in supervisor
charge of the business of the four tech
meal bureaus of construction, ordnance
engineering and equipment.
No chief of a bureau while actlnj
as such shall act as chief of a division
| The military members of the genera
/ council TO be appointed by the Presl
| dent. with the advice and consent o
| the Senate, for three years, and, wit
the exception of the chief of the divi
sion Of naval operations, to be ipeligi
BILE for reappointment except after a
intervening period of three years. Tn