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 great
excitement at the Philadelphia navy yard
over the so-called 'Newberry midnight
ORDERS" 1t may be merely case OF
suppressed excitement. or It 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
q pamphlet by the officers at the Phil
adelphia meeting would result in 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. II. 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-
laney reported at the local navy yard
here today for examination for promo
tfnn rod
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
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 ts
believed to be the extreme punishment
likely to be visited on the critics OF the
naval policy. coupled with a. direction to
cease further public discussion Of the
reorganization plans under consideration.
When Secretary Meyer took charge he
was Immediately petitioned to upset the
Newberry reorganization OF navy yard
administration. f16 QCCllutO " oO cO
without giving the new plan fair trial.
AS q final aid to reaching conclusion,
either he or Mr.. Winthrop will make
q personal inspection OF all the most
important yards on the Atlantic coast
within the next few days. Mr.. Meyer is
now in Massachusetts and will inspect
the Boston navy yard today and the
New York yard tomorrow. Next week
Mr.. 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 "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 we'll 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 ofdcial
| inspection Of work after it has been nm
| ished. The constructors, on the other
| hand, hold that the order does not pre-
vent their inspecting work during its
progress, but that it checks them from
| acting before work is started. etc.
Another reform In prospect is the as
! signment OF officers OF the active list to
important posts now held by retired OF
| ficers. The naVy's shore establishment Is
| largely in the hands Of the retired list.
| In the army II is not possible to en-
ploy retired officers on active duty, but
| 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 with
| active pay. Although each Secretary and
| each chief OF the bureau Of navigation
| for years has laid stress on the fact that
| younger officers should be placed In the
posts of important commands In order
| that they might get valuable experience.
| the practice of the department has been
| 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 III.
1Newberry, January % and approved by
/ President Roosevelt on the same day. In
| theory the commandant was supposed to
have full authority at the yard, but In
practice it was found, 1t Is declared, that
most of the real authority became In
vested in the chief naval constructor.
That. 1t Is said. was violation of all pa
val traditions and caused dissatisfaction
among the officers of the line, which
eliminated in a meeting on board the
United States steamship Panther. at Phil
adelphia, March %. at which the follow
ing named officers were in attendance:
Capt. Albert G. Berry. chairman Of the
| committee; Commander B. C. Bryan.
treasurer; Lieut.. Commander J. 8. Nc
kean. Lieut.. Commander N. C. Twining,
secretary: Lieut.. Commander r. D. Has
brouck. Lieut.. ID. H. Delany, Lieut. 6. w.
Steele, jr.. Ensign H. T. Dwyer and Mid
shipman w. 8. Farber. Rear Admiral
Pendleton. who is In command at the
yard. was not present at the meeting.
AS result Of the meeting on the Pan
ther, athirty-two page pamphlet was print
ed. Vt charges that 1.-The commandant Is de-
prived of real command; the officers of
real authority, the technical work in ord
nance. steam, electricity and civil en-
gineering Is placed in the hands OF officers
who are experts in naval architecture
only" and that !" ii will establish an in
eradicable cause for discomfort, friction
and consequent inefficiency." 1t advocates
the formation of an organization OF
naval men to study the problem" and Ito
determine the practicability of an inter
tchange Of views among the scattered on
n GERS Of the service. SO that the crystallized