New-York tribune., 1909-05-21
MEYER AT NAVY HELM
TO FORMUL4TE HIS OWN
REORG4NIZ4TTON PLAN.
Efficiency of Fighting Fleet To BE
Foremost Consideration - Good
rich Assignment Suspended.
From The Tribune Bureau

Washington. MAY 2O-The Secretary OF the
Navy has practically decided TO formulate
plan of his own for navy yard reorganizalon
founded on the basic principle that the hlsheS'
nossihle degree of efficiency afloat shall be the
controlling purpose of every change ana OF MS
entire administration.
since the sperrv board made it's two reports
on changes in the navy regulations secretary
Never has been applying himself industrtously
to the subject He has heard the commandants
Of the navy yards and obtained from them
.Lair views on the Newberry system of organl-
za+ion hut without much satisfaction as there
was no unanimity of opinion concerning the
relative economy or extravaganza of the various
features of Mr.. Newberry's project some OF
the features were heartily indorsed by the COM
mandants especially that which provides 1or
consolidation of various plants 1t was repre-
san+ed 70 Mr. Meyer in emphatic terms now
ever that the Newberry system went 10 the
extreme Of a business" administration, and
failed to take into account the fact that the
navy Yards and their various branches must be
o-erated with a view to maintaining. ana II
rossitla increasing the military efficiency or
the fleet.
Rrief as his experience at the head OF the
Navy Department has been. Mr.. Meyer mas al
ready grasped this basic proposition that the
e7,tancv of the feet is the great essential and
that all else must bend to that end Whhe
efficiency and economy will be promoted IN the
navy yards they are 10 be recognized aS VI
secondary importance
MI Never has sought to obtain from the So
called hghting personnel of the navy-that Is
exrarfa7co7 officers of the line who have been
doing du., with the fieet-their views concern
fDp the conclusions OF the Sperry board, with
enecial reference to the recommendations lnaue
: n, the majority report. Moreover MI Meyer
intends to visit practically all the navy yards
of importance. and will make round OF 'ie
wards on the Atlantic Coast in the coming sum
NOR and go to the Pacific Coast IN the 1aI' Visit
fne the Yards at Vallejo. CAL ana brehie'toh'
| Uoeb and returning to this city in time 10
formulate his views for ms hFsI "''ilua i'P'''
| as secretary of the Navy
a., that time. also. he will he in possession OF
tho renorts from the fleet officers, speclal re-
+ from naval attaches in Europe on whom
| 10 has called to send to the department. what
ar information they may obtain on the SUD
| d.. of foreign methods, report from hear Ao-
-, D Rodgers chief intelligence officer of
! tho navy, who viii make a tour oil lhslec'ioH u
| -. rrylish backwards with view TO ascertain
liie -,. r,ster, II, vogue at the government
| -. ,,,,der the British Admiralty, and reports
! En-, officers who will be designated to examine
| the s,-stern of administration and operation AT
| The leading private shipbuilding plants IN TINS
r,+r,- Nv this means Mr.. Meyer viii be able
| =. ., before the House and Senate Naval com
/ i+.aes carly in the regular session OF congress
| NTH concrete recommendations, backed by iacts
/ Odd statistics which ought 10 serve as valuable
| ,,;da in framing legislation on this subject.
I, the mean time it is probable that little VIII
| ta dome toward changing the situation. except
sirl,- in modifying some Of the radical pro-
isions of the Newberry plan. 1t was an
| ,o,,ncad at the Navy Department to-day that
to assignment of Rear Admiral Goodrich ire
lid, 10 duty as a general inspector of navy
ode has been indefinitely suspended as had
| -, uredicted in these dispatches 1t is not
| considered necessary TO revoke the order issued
-, ,5r Newberry, but Rear Admiral Goodrich
,,, ba given TO understand that his services are
| not "a be used by the department in the direc-
| ,ion contemplated by Secretary Newberry
cho,,rd IL ultimately be determined to employ a
General inspector, It is probable that the duties
;u he performed by an officer on the active
,,+ of whom there many available. It is
| o-+air that IN designating a general inspector
secretary Meyer will not give that officer the
| ,,nrecedented authority TO issue orders to COM
| Tnandants which Mr.. Newberry purposed to dele
/ gate to Admiral Goodrich.