Evening star., 1909-04-19
NAVY INTEREST KEEN
Probable Outcome of Panther
Pamphlet Charges.
MAY REPRIMAND OFFICERS
Rumors of Court Martial, However
Not Taken Seriously.
SECRETARY TO INSPECT YARDS
Personal Investigation to Be Made
Before Deciding What Action to
Take on the Newberry Order.

Affairs at the Navy Department CON
tinue calm. Notwithstanding the grea
excitement at the Philadelphia navy yarG
over the so-called s'Newberry midnight
| orders" 1t may be merely a case OF
suppressed excitement, or 1t may be the
sort Of calm that precedes a storm. Sec
rectary Meyer is in Boston, and naval
| officers are prohibited by the regulations
from publicly discussing the affairs Of the
| service.
| The report that the recent issuing OF
a pamphlet by the officers at the Phil
| adelphia meeting would result in a SEN
sational court-martial is not taken seri-
ously at the Navy Department. 1t was
pointed out today that the circular was
submitted to Secretary Of the Navy Mey-
er. and when he disapproved of its circu-
lation 1t was Immediately suppressed.
| Friends Of the officers say that they were
| acting within their rights and merely
| doing their duty when they suggested
changes in the management of the navy
yard which they deemed would benefit the
| service.
Lieut.. Commander ]. s. Mexican OF the
ordnance department Of the Philadel-
phia navy yard. and Lieut.. F. H. De-
| laney. attached to the Panther. at that
yard. are in this city today, having come
over from Philadelphia last night. There
Is no significance In their visit further
than that 1t was in pursuance Of orders
issued In the regular routine. Lieut.. De-
faneY reported at the local navy yard
here today for examination for promo
tion and Commander Mexican appeared
as his friend and counsellor. Although
both officers signed the much-discussed
Panther pamphlet, 1t is declared at the
Navy Department that they certainly had
not been summoned here on that ACCOUNT.
Question Of discipline.
What discipline. II any. is to be admin
istered to the officers who signed the
pamphlet will not be finally determined
until Secretary Meyer returns TO this city
and confers with the President on the
subject. An admonition to fully respect
the laws and regulations Of the navy is
believed to be the extreme punishment
likely to be visited on the critics OF the
naval policy. coupled with q direction to
cease further public discussion or the
reorganization plans under consideraIion.
When Secretary Meyer took charge he
was Immediately petitioned to upset the
Newberry reorganization OF navy yard
administration. He declined to 90 SO
without giving the new plan fair trial
either he or Mr.. Winthrop will make
a personal inspection Of all the most
important yards on the Atlantic coast
within the next few days. MI. Meyer Is
now in Massachusetts and will inspect
the Boston navy yard today and the
New York yard tomorrow. Next week
M. Winthrop will 60 to Norfolk and IN
vestigate conditions there, and then do the
same at Philadelphia.
Secretary Meyer to Decide.
It is understood that Mr.. Meyer Is con-
yinced that the consolidation policy Is
sound and should be continued. There
are two matters which the Secretary
must decide, however. before the smoke
Of the present line and staff battle dies
away. One is whether what the service
now terms 1.-The general manager. ex-
ercising general direction OF the repair
work in navy yards, shall be naval
constructor or a line officer. Another Is
whether the line officers assigned as in
spectors on new construction. as well as
repair work, shall have more latitude
than they believe is given them under
the Newberry orders.
| Many of the line officers held that the
Newberry orders limit them to an onlcia
inspection Of work after it has been nm
ished. The constructors, on the otnel
| hand, hold that the order does not pre-
\ vent their inspecting work during its
progress, but that 1t checks them from
acting before work Is started. etc.
Another reform In prospect is the as
| signment Of officers OF the active list t.
important posts now held by retired OF
| ficers. The navys shore establishment II
| largely in the hands OF the retired ilst
In the army 1t is not possible to en-
nf1Norc on
a special law, enacted when there were
too many ships for the officers properly
to man. gave permission for the assign
ment Of retired officers TO active duty witt
active pay. Although each Secretary ant
each chief of the bureau Of navigation
for years has laid stress on the fact tha
younger officers should be placed In TIT
posts of important commands in ordel
that they might get valuable experience
the practice Of the department has beer
exactly the reverse.
The Order and Protest.
The order which has caused so much
discussion in naval circles was promul
; gated by former Secretary Truman II
!, Newberry. January 25 and approved b,
j President Roosevelt on the same day. i
? theory the commandant was supposed II
J have full authority at the yard. but Il
practice it was found, 1t is declared, tha
| urcSt vi kuc Icdl duIHOTity OCSdiuC III
: vested in the chief naval constructor
> That. 1t Is said, was a violation Of all pa
val traditions and caused dissatisfaction
J among the officers Of the line. which
eliminated in a meeting on board thu
: United States steamship Panther. at Phil
adelphia, March %, at which the follow
, ing named officers were in attendance
7 Capt. Albert G. Berry. chairman OF tn
. committee; Commander B. c. Bryan
! treasurer; Lieut.. Commander ]. 8. Nc
!. Kean. Lieut.. Commander ". c. Twining
secretary: Lieut.. Commander R. D. Has
brouck. Lieut.. d. II. Delany. Lieut.. G. w
: Steele, jr., Ensign H. T. Dwyer and Mid
shipman w. 8. Farber. Rear Admlra
Z Pendleton. who is in command at tn
yard was not present at the meeting.
AS result of the meeting on the Pan
ther. athirty-two page pamphlet was print
: edQ charges that 1.-The commandant Is de
{ prived of real command: the officers o
E real authority: the technical work in ord
: nance. steam, electricity and civil en-
= cheering Is placed In the hands of officer
6 6 who are experts in naval architectur
only" and that . II will establish an In
eradicable cause for discomfort, frictio
2 and consequent inefficiency' 1t advocate
. the formation of an organization @
naval men to study the problem" apd It
Z determine the practicability of an inter
bchange Of views among the scattered on
I'll GERS OF the service, so that the cryStalltze