New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-01-28
A REORGANIZATION
BOARD FOR THE NAVY
DEP4RTHENT SURPRISED
BY PRESIDENTS ACT.
Announcement of Commission I'm.
medately Succeeds Issuance of
Order By Mr. Ne1cberry.
[From The Tribune Bureau.

washington Jan 21--President Roosevelt is
:. the opinion that the organization of the Navy
ranartment is not such to bring the best re-
s,lts and to-day he appointed a commission
r,bose announced duty viii be ''to consider GER
go, needs Of the navy The Presidents action
MAS somewhat of surprise. in view of the fact
that the members of the commission appointed
+o6av met two weeks ago at Washington and
,,6orsed Secretary Newberry's plan Of reorgan-
,,ation and in view also of the authorization
~ the Senate Of an inquiry into naval expendi-
+,res the conduct of business and the need. if
snv Of legislation to improve the adnlinistra-
tion Of the Navy Department
ArnoYncernent Of the Presidents action was
r,sre1v ,1nexpected at the Navy Department.
Secretary Newberry. who to-day had issued an
order carrying ont his proposed plan. with par
,;,,,lar reference to the navy yards, appeared
:. he the most surprised of all. He declared
,sat he was not aware that the President had
,.ten such action. had not seen the letter of ap
,oir,n,ent addressed to the various members of
+hs commission and did not know the purport
of tho letter addressed to them His first in
formation on the subject he said. had come to
him from the press
The President has sent Identical letters TO
,ne eight members of the commission. which is
headed by Paul Morton. formerly Secretary OF
she Nayv. the other members being Justice
Moody also eX-Secretary Of the Navy; Judge
A G DAYTON, formerly chairman Of the House
Naval Affairs Committee. and Rear Admirals
6 r Luce. A. T Mahan William NJ. Folger,
Rchlev D. Evans and William S. Cowles, all OF
x.bom are on the retired list. He sets out Ger
tain subjects for the commission to consider
under two general heads, first. as to the funda-
mental r.rincirEes OF an organization that VIII
insure an efficient preparation for war in time
of peace. and. second. specific recommendations
IS 20 the change IN the present orgahlzatioil
that will accomplish this result
THE PRESIDENTS LETTER
The Presidents letter is as follows:
have appointed you as member of q COM
mission 10 consider certain needs of the navy
The organization Of the department IS now not
, such as to bring the best results, and there is
g feiit1re TO coordinate the work Of the bureaus
and 10 make the department serve the one emo
for which il created, that is, the develop
rnent and handling OF first class 1ghting neet.
with this proposition in view l viii ask you 10
consider:
! All defects in the law under which the
Navy Departr1ent is now organized, including
esuecialIy the defects by which the authority
Of chiefs is bureaus is made, in certain respects
practically equal to that Of the Secretary or the
The division of responsibility and conse-
ouent lack Of coordination in the preparations
for war and conduct of war
The functions Of certain bureaus. so to
see whether it is not possible to consolidate
them -, e,.
of the Navy with military advisers, who are
responsible to him for co-ordinating the work
OF the bureaus and for preparation for war.
The necessity for economical allotment and
disbursement of appropriations and for system
which will insure strict accountability
s Finally I want your views as TO how best
10 recognize and emphasize the strictly military
character Of the navy. so that preparation Tor
var shall be controlled unoer the secIetary. t py
the military branch Of the navy, which bears
The responsibility for the successful conduct of
operations.
I wish to have the above subjects considered
under two general heads:
First as 10 the fundamental principles OF an
organization that viii insure an efficient prepa-
ration for war in time of peace, a separate re
port under this head 10 be submitted at the
earliest practicable date
Second, specific recommendations as to the
changes in the present organization that will ac-
complish this result the report under this head
10 be submitted later.
In addition TO the above reports, desire yo1r
Recommendation as TO the number, location and
general facilities of the navy yards Whlch are
required bv strategic considerations in time Of
war and for maintaining the feet in constant
readiness for war in time Of peace
SECRETARY NEWBERRY'S ORDER.
Preceding by several hours the Presidents
announcement came the issuance Of general
order by Secretary Newberry, which had been
approved by the President, designed TO carry
into effect the Secretary's naval reorganization
plans so far as they pertain to the navy yards
and naval stations.
The radical plan of reorganization was sur
prise 10 naval officers on duty in the depart
ment save in a few instances where the officers
had been called in consultation during the last
day two. The work at the navy yards will be
in accordance with q plan communicated to the
commandants Of the yards on Saturday ana
outlined in the Washington dispatches of The
Tribune Of that day. The changes are in the
line Of the general scheme of consolidation.
which seeks to do away with the duplication OF
bureau 6uties
The bureau Of steam engineering is TO be con-
unued. although many of the present duties OF
tnat bureau will be transferred to the chief con-
structor, at present acting as chief of the nu-
reau- II is commonly understood that what is
left Of the bureau will be placed In charge or
Lieutenant Commander Hutch L Cone who has
been specially trained for engineering duty and
VINO Is the feet engineer of the Atlantic Meet
That officer will pe available for duty upon the
return Of The ships from their world circum-
navigating cruise He will be detached from
me feet early in March The transfer OF the
duties from the bureau of yards and docks and
the bureau Of equipment comes as surprise SO
Ear as the first named bureau is concerned
The situation does not lack for critics.
and to-day many predictions were made that
there might be some legislation restricting the
PRESIDENT and the Secretary of the Navy IN
carrying out the plan the initial action in which
las already been taken. Then, too, there are
those officers who believe that the system VIII
receive SO much criticism. largely for the reason
that the chief constructor is materially increased
u Importance that the next administration viii
restore the bureaus with the exception OF the
bureau Of equipment. which is marked for aooh-
ton