New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-02-23
From The Tribune Bureau.1

From Tho Tribune Bureau
washington. February %
Caps AND ROGERS.-Nfth the de-
cision in the House Committee Naval
Affairs TO pass an appropriation bill which
viii give Secretary Meyer every opportunity
TO give his plan of reorganization years
test interest centres in the course Of Chief
Constructor Caps and Paymaster Genera
Rogers. both of whom have demonstrated
clearly their lack of sympathy with MI
Meyers policy. and have so far incurred tho
displeasure Of the Secretary by their op-
position that broad intimations OF Pur-
pose his part to ask for their reslsha-
tons from their present details have oeeh
heard in the Navy Department. III MI
Meyer refrains from asking these oHclais
TO yield the authority and responsipiiits
vested in them as chiefs of bureaus ii VIII
be solely for diplomatic reasons. ms
does not of course imply any reflection on
the characters of the two men, or ihoeeo
any lack of faith in their ability MI.
Meyer, as the responsible head of the navy,
has determined on a policy 10 which they
cannot by their own statements heafiiS
subscribe integral part OF tne 1ia-
chinery necessary to put that poilcy INTO
operation, and the best interests OF the
service would, in the opinion of many
capa Die opSeENeEs. pS peSl Sti Ntd ~ $780,
retirement from their present posts. This
argument must have weight from their
point of view also, for should the Meyer
plan prove as unsatisfactory as they ex-
pect. il would unquestionably be salts
faction to them that by no possible chance
could its failure be attributed to their nav
ing remained in places OF responsibility dur
ing its year Of probation.
BROWNSON SET PRECEDENT--When,
as chief OF navigation, Rear Admlrai
RroWnson found himself face 10 face with
a situation where ne could not consistently
with his convictions carry out poilcs pro
nosed by the President and the Secretary
of the Navy he promptly hanoed IN MS
resignation and in SO doing he found EN-
,,osiad II, the army regulations the princi-
ME which warranted his course These
regulations declare of the chief OF stan
that the successful performance or the
duties Of the position requires what the hlle
denotes-a relation Of absolute confidence
and personal accord and sympathy De-
tween chief OF staff and the President ana,
necessarily also. between the chie1 OF s'dii
and the Secretary OF War. For ms Tedsoh'
without any reflection whatever upon the
officer detailed. the detail will in every case
cease, unless sooner OAi ny 49,
following the expiration Of the term of the
President by whom the detail was mace
and if at any time the chief of staff con-
siders that he can longer sustain toward
the President and the Secretary Of war
the relations above described it will be his
drIrv TO applv to be retired SO capable an
officer as Admiral Brownson quickly per-
ceived the force and accuracy of the prlncl-
ME involved in the army regulation, and'
snrlying il to himself as chief OF a navy
bureau. he handed his resignation TO Fresl-
dent Roosevelt. The irnposslDlllty that
Chief Constructor Caps and PaymaSteF
General Rogers can sustain relations WIN
the Secretary Of the Navy OF absolute con-
fdence and personal accord and sympathy
is probably as obvious TO those ofhcefs as
II is TO every one else who mas kept III
1cuch with the situation in the Navy De
partment and the naval committees VI
Congress.
POSTAL. BANKS MENACED-Senator
Carter homes TO obtain a vote the pos
tai savings bank bill this week, after the
adoptiou of some compromise amendment
between those Of Senator Root and Sena-
tor Smoot One Of the propositions no"
being discussed is that the funds or the
nroposed bank be made available Tor H.
yestrnent in government securities in time
of war Senators Rayner and Bailey ln'eho
TO speak in opposition TO the bill ana Seha-
Tor Owen will support ii, but no other 1oi-
mai speeches have been announced. 1here
are growing indications OF trouble Tor
this measure in the House, however The
House leaders are not altogether confident
Of their ability to obtain the passage of the
bill without amendments forced on 1t oy
combination of insurgents and Democrats
which would make it impossible for the
President TO approve ii, even if the Sen
ate would accept them, which would be
doubtful The President has set his heart