The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-01-26
ARMY AND NAVY
AND CONGRESS
Matters of Import to United
Services Are Much
Discussed.
By Ernest G.. Walker.

chooses to press as earnestly as he did
last winter for the enactment of his
own program into law, there will be
spirited sessions at both ends of the
Capitol before adjournment in early
March.
Last year the chief fight between the
President and Congress over the Navy
pertained to the construction of bat
tleships. He insisted on having four.
The House, after merry clash in
which Representative Hobson was the
President S authorized lieutenant on
the floor, voted for but two The Sen
ate was the scene of even a hotter
fight, with Senator Beveridge acting
as the Presidents authorized lieuten-
| ant. 1t, too, decided that but two
batt1eships should be built.
The same question is coming to the
| fore again this winter. The President
| is urging the same construction pro-
gram, and Senate and House are lining
up in favor of two, rather than four,
new Dreadnoughts. Congress may,
| however, favor the construction of one
or even two 25,000-ton battleships. The
House Navy Committee, that has the
| framing of the naval bill, has heard
Admiral Caps, the chief of the Con-
| struction Corps, about the advantage
| of such ships. His argument was ia
| vorably received.
| Marine Corps Controversy.
| The disposition of the Marine Corps
on land, and the withdrawal of its
officers and men from shipboard, as
provided by the President S order late
/ in the autumn, promises also to be the
subject of a controversy in Senate and
| House Most marine officers are OPP
posed to the withdrawal of the corps
from battleships. Although they are
forbidden by regulations from taking
any open part they have friends in
Congress who are carrying the fight
forward for them. A question over
the legality of the President s order,
especially as regards the use of Ma
rine Corps appropriations for land OPP
erations solely, has been raised and
will figure prominently in the Navy
| debates.
Thus far Congress this winter has
| shown nc interest in Navy personnel
| controversies. There is no presenS in
tention of enacting any legislation that
| will change present laws as to person
mel, further than to authorize the ordi-
nary increases in the number of enlist
| ed men and provisions, mostly of minor
| Importance, that can well be carried
on the annual appropriation bill.
| Neither is there any indication that
| Congress will legislate this winter re-
garding administrative questions in the
Navy Department. The remaining
days of the session, which expires in
March by constitutional limitation, are
too few for considering anything but
the most pressing business. The Navy
| bill is always one of the last to be
reported to the House, occupies a deal
| of time there, and this year will prob
ably have TO be rushed with all rea-
sonable haste through the Senate. That
alone would prohibit legislation for the
reorganization of the bureau system.
Satisfied With Presidents Order.
The leaders in Congress, most of
whom have sympathized with the bu
reau chiefs in the main, and frowned
| upon the critics, are generally well sat
| isfed with the President s order vir
tually creating a general staff by IN
creasing the membership Of the Gen
eral Board and augmenting its duties
Most of them approve the President Z
selection of Admiral Capps, chief OF
construction, to act also as chief OF
steam engineering. They have pale
little attention to discussions abou
the legality of that action, believing
that changes in the bureau system o.
the department are inevitable and tina
this and other questions pertaining
thereto must be threshed out, presuma
bly, at the long session of Congress ;
year from now.
The consolidation of construction
and engineering may be first step to
ward other consultations, in which tn
bureaus may be arranged into tw
grand divisions, one affecting person
mel. the other material. The Engineer
ing, Construction, and Equipment Blu
reaus were formerly one in the Nav,
Department. Navy constructors ar
taught engineering as well as nava
architecture. and the constructors sti
retain supervision over the construt
ton and installation of some engines
such as those that drive the steerln
gear. and of considerable of ship
machinery.
Commission to Investigate.
The President has been contemplat
ing the appointment of a eommissio
to investigate the department and t
make recommendations for its reol
ganization on more modern line
Whether he names such commissio
or not, there will be exhaustive stud
of the subject before the next regula
session of Congress. The demand fo
better coordination Of the work o
bureaus is very insistent. The Pres
dent and Secretary Newberry recog
nize it, Some coordination of thi
sort has already been ordered and III
dertaken at the navy yards. The sue
cess, or lack of success, that attend
it will serve to guide Congress i
whatever Navy reform legislation
eventually enacts
The President, although quite a
| much in favor of agitation for highe
efficiency of ships and men as ever
has not been encouraging criticism
thereof as earnestly as formerly H
has been fearful that too much crit
cism might dampen popular enthusiasm
for the service.