The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-12-12
Reorganization of the Service
Was a Task That Confront
ed the Last Few Secretar-
les of the Navy.
LINE OFFICERS HAVE
WON A GREAT VICTORY
Their Contention That the Men
Who Handle Ships Should
Have Some Say, Proved a
Great Argument.
(Roderick CIifford.)

14ation of the United States naval es-
tablishment has brought reform of
the defective administrative methods
in the navy department which were
transmitted from a time when war
fare on the sea was far less complex
than it is today. 1t is a task which
has confronted three secretaries of
the navy in the past three years. The
interests of those in the service,
whose interests ran counter to the
contemplated reform, blocked all hope
of relief from the bureaucratic sys-
tenn which had developed The plans
for modernization met the argument
that they would be an invasion Of vest
ed rights.
Traditions live long in the navy and
it Is hard to down them, no matter
how Anticipated life has taken place.
because floating fortresses and dread
thoughts have replaced old wooden
ships, and have even placed the for
midable battleships of fifteen years
ago out of real consideration as ele-
ments of naval strength.
Tradition Died Hard.
1t has been difficult to fight against
the spirit of naval tradition, which has
its powerful sympathizers in both
houses of congress. Secretary Meyer
is to be congratulated on the courage
he has displayed.
1t is true that the reforms he con-
templates are not nearly so sensation
n for.rnoohinO
have made them out, but nevertheless
the Zine" has won the fight which
1t opened some years ago. when the
Washington bureaucrats reached the
cummit of their dictatorial intoler-
ance.
The Zine" officers have always held
that the men who are to spend their
lives on the battleships, and fight
their country's battles, should have
some voice in their construction and
design. The justice of this claim could
not be entirely ignored by senate,
which is dominated. so far as naval
matters is concerned. by Senator Hale
of Maine, who is stepped in bureau
reform for years.
One Great Defect.
One OF the great defects in our ma
val administration has been the over
tapping Of the department bureaus
and the lack of logical distribution
of authority. Warning administrative
elements has made the secretary of
the navy merely a buffer or mediator
in quarrels of the bureaus, which were
4
than in helping him to manage the de-
partment efficiently.
He is now attempting to remove
himself from these factional differ
ences by creating a board of disinter
ested advisers. who are entirely indie
pendent of the bureaus. The appoint
ment of four personal aides will elm
mate the strain of bureau friction.
which has centered in his office, and
will do much to promote efficiency
in every branch of the service. The
line officers, having received the
recognition they craved, are in a po-
sition to exercise direct influence on
the battleship construction of the fu-
ture.
Il Was Anticipated.
The bureaucrats anticipated the cur
tailment of their power. for Secretary
Meyer has made no great secret of
his convictions on the Subject of naval
reform. They have at times frankly |
admitted the failure of the old system
to attach sufficient Importance to the
military ships of naval administration.
Ships were built and manned, but not
enough attention was paid to getting
out of them the utmost military ef-
fectiveness.
Secretary Meyers plan provides for
a new division in the department con-
cerned with the operation of the fleet. |
and its preparation to meet all strate- |
gic contingencies, and it also creates |
an independent inspection division. |
charged with keeping both ships and
personnel up to the required standard |
Bureaus are no longer given the rath. |
err profitless task of criticising their
own work.
The new plan removes many COM
plexities in the organization. The |
bureau of equipment is abolished, and |
its functions partitioned among the |
other divisions. In course of time |
there will probably be only four de- |
partmental divisions; one dealing with |
the material. one with the personnel. |
a third with the development OF a |
thorough policy Of defense and offense |
and fourth charged with the duties |
of inspection.
To Be Eliminated.
Business methods are now in de-
mand. All the points of leakage in |
efficiency are to be eliminated. Many
q bureaucrat will be deprived of his
perQuisites. as the result of Secretary |
Meyers activities. but of the great |
Improvement he has stimulated in the |
navy there can be no question. The
navy exists for the country. and not
Tor the officers OF the bureaus. many