The National tribune., 1909-09-09

Government expense, ought to lead the
!orld in designing warships. The Gov
drnnent is very liberal with its Navy
dfficers@ them well in spite of occa-
Jonal statements to he contrary, and
iIas as much right to demand the high
cit efficiency in construction as in the
operation of ships. But because Eng
land is the first naval power the habit
has grown of looking to England for
NEW designs. Thisehabit has become so
slavish that certain supposed improve
mints which were made in the English
lnafy and proved undesirable have been
copied in ships of the American Navy,
eydn after the Admiralty at London has
deTided they should be discarded as er-
roiF.
secretary Meyer is going to change
radically the organization which has to
d o with ship designing. He proposes to
abolish the Board of Construction. COM
poAad of the Chiefs of Bureaus in the
Nafy Department. He is convinced
thak those men are too much occupied
with other work to give the requ SITE
am}un of time to studying out which
desis isus are preferable. That board has
beet passing upon the work of the
Burteau of Construction heretofore. Now
la BSard on Military Design is soon to
TAXI the place of the Board of Con-
struftion. Secretary Meyer has chosen
SUM- oi ttS lneHlbeTSi anu an tllt iiStihSS
willjbe announced in few weeks. Ihey
are 10 be the best experts the Secretary
can find in the Navy. who are to give
tbeif' time entirely to questions of de-
sgnA and to passing judgment upon the
work turned-out by the Bureau of Con-
struStion, to which all naval construc-
tors! are attached.
berS of the Board of Military Design
WIFI be expected to originate ideas, as
welk as to keep track of what the con-
struction corps of foreign nayies are
doing. Certain of the experts will voy-
age to Europe occasionally and study
the operations of the most modern
ships of war on that side. Naval at
tactes of our embassies in Europe have
been expected to dc that, but as Il mat
ter of fact naval attaches have gener-
ally been chosen because Of political
considerations. and for that or some
other reason have not helped the De-
partment as much as they should. The
experts of the Board on Military De-
s sn are acaor1ingly to go after inform-
alton at first hand.
Much other reorganization work for
the Navy is either under way or con-
templated. 1t all fits into the big pro-
gram of Navy improvement. the founda-
tions for which have been laid in recent
times. The country is quite well in
formed about the reorganization of the
navy yards, as far as affects their opera
tions and administration. That is to be
worked out in the Autumn, and some
changes are to be expected. They may
not he sweeping, for there is reason to
expect that the reforms in that particu-
lar which Secretary Newberry institut-
Ell in the closing months of the ROose-
Welt Administration Will stand in all
essentials. The training of officers and
men to a high degree of fighting eff
cheney was well under way before Pres
ident Taft took office and Mr.. Meyer
became Secretary of the Navy. There
are still questions of greater efficiency
of the personnel, however, which are
not to be lost sight of. For instance,
younger men are to be selected as Com
mandants of navy yards and the nomi-
nations of Admirals. about TO retire, to
serve few months, and thus attain
some added distinction for themselves,
will be discontinued.
But whether it be in the Improvement
of the personnel or the material, Presi-
dent Taft and Secretary Meyer want a
Navy trained to the minute and able,
like fire company. to perform service
of the highest efficiency whenever there
is an alarm.