The National tribune., 1909-08-05
GREAT WORK FOR THE NAVY.
Continued from page one.)


Chief of Construction and Repair. til
Acting Chief of Steam Engineering
That officer, recognized as having great
ability, was thus given. very unusual
authority, which proved all the more
Objectionable to line officers of sea eX.
perience because the Construction
Corps already had a great share of
control over the yards. where many
millions of Government funds are spent
annually and where. as already stated.
there are nearly as many men as make
up the Nays enlisted force ailoat.
Furthermore. the Marine Corps was
detected thru all its personnel of many
thousands of officers and men. The
order for their removal from active
service on board ships of war was be
ing put into execution. Congress rad
attempted to countermand this by leg
islation. which line officers, nearly all
of whom approved the change, We're
claiming to be unconstitutional.
Secretary Meyers Work.
Secretary Meyer, as soon as he had
taken the oath of office, set about coE.-
! sing these tempestuous conditions. 1t
was naturally the first task before him
President Taft, in keeping with his
declared policy of holding his Cabinet
officers responsible for their respective
Departments, has given aim free
hand.
He had been at his desk hardly an
hour before he was asked 10 rescini
orders closing the gates of Navy Yards
at Pensacola and New Orleans. Law
officers of the Department quickly in
timated that the restoration Of marines
to Shipboard was not legally author
lied by the provision OF Congress. The
embroglio over the chicftaincy Of the
Bureau of Steam Engineering came to
an acute stage When Secretary Meyer
sought the selection of Lieut. Com
mander Cone for that office and PreSi-
dent Taft had forwarded the nomina-
ton to the Senate he was met With the
opposition of the former Chair
man of Naval Affairs. There was said
TO be doubt whether Admiral Capps or
Admiral Barton, the former Chief who
had gone on the retired list. or Com
mander Cone was legally qualified for
the place. And forthwith the oppo-
nents of the Newberry plan for reorgan-
izing Navy Yards Numbered their ap-
peals upon the new Secretary to re-
scind it.
The Secretary expressed no hasty
opinions about these controversies. He
went about an asceitainment pf the
law affecting the two Southern Navy
Yards. Having at-sfied himself that
there was no legal warrant Tor the pre-
Pensacola and New Orleans. Il shall
restore the marines 10 the ships" he
said, eff the action by Congress is con-
stitutional. The Attorney General can
decide that question:
1t was referred to the Attorney Cen
eral, who upheld the law, and the
movement of marines back 10 the ships
began forthwith. incidentally this
course augmented the Secretary's pres
tige with the Naval Committees and
with Congress. and the most violent
or ticiZe his attitude
If Admiral Capps still has authority
over the Bureau of Steam Engineering"
he said in substance to til" Senate. or
if there is doubt about the status of
Barton. the Department should
be fully advised. Both those questions
eral is the only official to whom 1 can
look for final decision"
And when the Attorney General de-
cided that Admiral Capps was not Act
ing Chief of Engineering by virtue of
President Roosevelts order and that
Barton, from the abandonment
of his duties on account of illness, was
no longer Chief, the fact of an actual
vacancy in the Office was established.
There had been no controversy on the
part of the Secretary. He had taken
no sides for or against the Senate nor
for or against the Construction Corps,
nor for or against the line officers. The
Senate was entirely satisfied. Com
mander Cone was promptly confirmed.
Jurisdiction Of the Bureaus.
This settled one phase of the agita-
ton that pertains to the Bureaus of
Construction and Engineering. 1t has
not settled the fundamental question as
to what the proper jurisdiction of those
Bureaus should be in the construction
and repairs of warships. But that has
been receiving the Secretarys careful
attention. He has been seeking expert
advice and information, and has al
ready concluded that there should be
some change. Briefly described, his
opinion is that the Bureau of Construc-
ton and Repair should have supervision
over the hulls of ships and the Bureau
of Steam Engineering over the machin-
cry. This is the division observed in
the organization of the British navy.
The question, however, is somewhat
complicated with the administration of
Navy Yards. Its final solution depends
upon the Secretary's policy
toward the yards. That is the big thing
before him now.
AS soon as the critics of the reorgan-
iZation orders began to urge change
Mr.. Meyer announced that his predeces-
sor's plans for reorganiZing the Navy
Yards were to be given fair trial. He
believed the consolidation idea correct
in principle. There would be modifi-
cation if reasonable evidence were ad-
duced.
This attitude did not please n lot Of
people. The Secretary nonerheless has
clung to il tenaciously, and he has set
on foot as comprehensive ard thora-
going an inquiry as t. what the mali
agement of Navy Yards should be as
has ever been undertaken in the Navy.
1t is his theory that a Secretary cannot
hope to go into all the details of such
u great establishment as the Navy has
come to be. Groups of experts, cducat-
ed and trained along particular lines,
are at the Secretary's command always.
He can set them to making exhaustive
investigations, from which recomnen-
dations for the :5ccretary's guidance can
be had. The Attorney eacral for IN
stance, does not personally look up the
law in the hundred AMI one intricaie
cases referred 70 his Department. IL
investigates and frames
conclusions. If the legal points be par
ticularly knotty, two or even more good
lawyers are put TO work upon il. All
the papers are finally placed before the
Attorney-General for his final Judg
ment.
The Navy Department has highly
skilled experts in ordnance. officers who
have devoted their lires TO designing
warships, officers of I0hs experience at
sea in command of ships, and SD on
thru quite category Secretary Meyer
is attempting to gather from the ex-
perience of these various Navy groups