The Washington times., 1909-04-17
REVIVAL IMMINENT
OF OLD NAVAL FEUD
Secret" Circular May Be
Signal for Line and Staff
HoStilities.

4 coalition OF line officers. backed up
by civil engieners and members of the
old steam engineering corps, has grown
to such formidable proportions that
Secretary Meyer OF the Navy today will
take steps TO Illustrate the fight
Threatened by this combination with
the constructors. head.d by Chieg Con-
structor Capps.
Evidence Of a renewal OF the row be-
tween line and staff officers reached
the Navy Department through comics
Of secret circular sent out by line off,
GERS Of the Philadelphia Navy Yard.
The circular Is aimed at the Newber<v
reorganization Of the department and
especially Of the change in the man
agement Of aavy yards. II Is also said
to set forth details OF 9 project to raise
Iund, by means OF Individual assess
meuts, to be devoted 10 the cause OF
unc9ing the Newberry organization.
AS evidence that the Navy Depart
ment will take steps for the prompt
suppression OF the "insurrsction" orders
were issued this, morning, according TO
99Ilclals IN the 0ffce OF the Bureau Of
CONSTRUCTION. that absolute secrecy
should be preserved as To the nature
OF the coFcular or as TO what action
was contemplated toward the punish
ment Of the offenders
Calls Circular 1Nutinous."
The circular Is characterized by one
officer who has seen it as "mutinous,' .
and is said 70 be in direct violation Of
naval regulations, and also of the
special order issued by the President
prohibiting organizations among Gov
ernment employees to effect legislation
The circular is thought to indicate
that a feud Is imminent between the line
and stan officers. more bitter than the
Olc line and Stam fight Because of the
long standing enmity between these fac
lions Il ia thought that the most agres-
sive action Will be needed 70 stamp out
hostilities.
Il have known for some time" said
an officer of the department, that there
was intense dissatisfaction between line
ofhcers at the way the power of con-
fumorS or determined efforts TO brOing
about a Change have reached the de-
partment."
Philadelphia Is Hot Bed.
The Philadelphia Navy Yard, it is
understood, has been the hotbed of the
movement The purpose or the cam
paign is to restore 10 civil engineers the
job of recOnstructing buildings at navy
yards. Under the new system this
work has been given TO constructors.
and they have fUu charge of all navy
yard work except the military features
While line OFFICERS have included the
steamer engineer ana civil engineer
corps all of the STAFF men do not ap-
prove of the way the fight is. being con-
Quoted They claim the objections 10
/ the Newberry scheme should have been
filed with the board that is now consid~
ering the matter The violation of navy
regulations, which they claim The re-
port constitutes, they fear will prove a
boomerang. Just why efforts have been
made to keep the movement a secret
they can not understand as the depart
n nj a fr1se
of this nature when properly filed
Although the report is secret and
confidentiaP' officers at the depart.
ment do not deny a knowledge of il,
/ though they declare their lips are
sealed as a result of the order Of
Secretary Meyer. While il is not
known what Secretary Meyer con-
! templates, II is thought his action in
suppre6sing the circular means that
he will take STEPS toward quelling the
outbreak.