The Washington times., 1910-01-28
Paymaster General Rogers
Objects to Line Officers
Commanding Yards.
DECLARES CIVILIANS
SHOULD BE ENGAGED
Expression of Views at Variance
With Secretary's, Before Com
mittee, May Cause Trouble.

Navy Department circles by the Jesti-
mOny before the House Naval Affairs
Committee Il Paymaster General Eus-
tace b Rogers, wherein ne takes is
sue sqUsrely with the proposed naval
reforms OF The Swift board and makes
Il entirely clear that he does not coin
eide with the views OF Secretary Meyer.
who has indorsed these reforms
Paymaster General Rogers. who has
had about a third OF a century OF naval
service. talked night out IN meeting be
fore the House Naval Affairs Commit
tee, did not conceal in the slightest de
gree that he differed from the views OF
the head OF the Navy Department, stat
ed his own views in detail, and gave his
reasons and now may suffer for his
frankneSs-
May Be Dropped.
In House Naval Committee circles, the
question Is being asked whether Rogers
will keeU his place or be punished
Some members OF the committee even
venture the opinion that he may be let
out Of the navy because he has been
SO outsp0ken-
When before the com rlittee recently,
Paymaster General Rogers was asked
for his opinion as 10 the changes recon-
mended b. The Swift board, so far as
they affect the conduct Of the ne w
yards. and especially with a view to the
organization OF the navy yards in peace
and war In other words, the commit
lee wanted 10 know II the Swift board
plans. which M Never favOrs. would
work IN peace and war. and how well
Opposes Reorganization
Paymaster General Rogers in reply
said fatty ne was not in sympathy with
the reorganization as propos I'd by the
Swift board. He added this interesting
observation. showing re had discussed
with Secretary Meyer his opposition 70
hat plan Of reorganization
But as have already told the Sec
-etarv. I do not see that that opinion
IA the slightest degree iuterferes with
my loyalty and my faith in him I
stated 70 aim only four days ago that I
considered i absolutely within my
power TO carry out IN my office ali his
orders. whether agreed with him or
not but that ne could not control
nor I control the opinions I had formed,
based upon nv experience. ana that
those opinions several members OF me
committee had told me they wished 10
hear and hat I wished TO express
them, and re told me to do so entirely
upon my own TeSpOnSioi lity. but uslng
rI.v. common sense 50 that whatever l
may say. I have no desire whatever 70
criticise the Secretary any more than
that 7 NAV mention n being out OF &C
cord with some Of the measures he pro-
pCses-'
Calls Plan Impossible.
The paymaster general toid the COM
mittee that the organization as re
ported By the Swift board. was an inn
possible one He objected strenUously
10 the idea Of turning the navy yards
ever to the line officers. and building I'D
IT. each navy gard an engineering de-
partment. taking away from the Bu-
Ieau Of Construction and other bureaus
everything to do with the machinery OF
every kind except the coffee mill and
the clothing factory"
Pzymasrsr General Rogers declared
the most important asset the Govern
menL has Is the educated trained en-
IhusiastiC, patriotic line officer That
man has been TRAN ed by the Govern
nieut Tor one specific purpose perhaps
for One-ha.f hour. maybe for one single
shot out Of a tnlrteen ~ S5il, gul- me
Government has spent Slo,c9J 10 educaIe
that man at the Naval Academy as a
boy Il mas g. big Investment IN him II
is paving q very high rate OF interest,"
10 keen that man trained for one single
moment the supreme moment OF battle
To sav that that man can be supine-
" put IN any shop. in any yard under
anv circumstances. IS 70 negative ey-|
ervrhfnE that the navy has ever done, -
declared Drvmaster General Rogers
1t is az insult TO the man. and he
himself would tell you So
The duty q the line ofhcers the Pay
master General said, was 70 be al the
front, on the line. in case OF way If
the plan Of Secretary Meyer were fol-
lowed OF putting line officers IN charge
Of navy yard work in time OF peace,
every line officer that could would jump
out 10 sea IN case or war, leaving the
navy yards utterly crippled
Paymaster General Rogers expressed
great admiration for the line officers,
but he could not agree with the line
officers that they must command every
thing ashore. On shore. he declared,
the line officer had to yield 10 civilian
conditions He COntended the shops OF
the navy yards ought to be conducted
on purely industrial lines. He would
have neither stan nor line In the ad-
Eninistration Of the shops IN the navy
yards.
IN effect. as explained by Paymaster
General Rogers. he wOu!d have the
line Officer, when ne came ashore, and
went into the Industrial part Of the
shop at the navy yard, lay aside the
military and become a civilian
Il admit II would be difficult" said
the Paymsster General because his
pride is erOrmOus-and &c is a perfectly
natural pride Z Is q matter We can
not find faUiJ with He is educated in
that why
Less inilllariSm ana more OF the n
duSJTial element and training IS needed
IN the administration Of the Navy De-
paTtment and the navy Yards, according
10 the Paymaster General He spoke
out IN most pronounced fashion against
the absolute subordination Of the pay
masters and naval constructors to the
line
Position Unusual
It is reported IN Naval Committee cir
cles that the testimony OF Paymaster
General Rogers is being gone over by
navy officers carefully under orders
TO see whether and 20 what extent #
constitutes an laIractlon Of the navy
regulations and discipline. Il has sell
dom happened that an officer has been
20 outspoken against the recommends (
lions OF his highest superior next 10 ]
the President
Rear Admiral Cspps in his testimony