The Washington herald., 1910-03-26
SATURDAY. MARCH Is. 1910.
a Serious Charge Against the Navy.

The impartial observer of naval affairs
will await with keen anticipation the re-
joinder which should be made with
promptness and vigor BY the naval
authorities to the attack which has been
made on the navy by Representative
Hobson, OF Alabama. and incorporated
by that gentleman in a minority report
one Of two such documents which pro-
ceeded from the House Naval Commit
tee in reporting the annual naval ap-
preparation bill at this session Of Con-
gress. Mr.. Hobson believes, in the
first place, there should be four battle
ships instead of two as provided in the
bill. In the second place. he believes the
Meyer system of naval administration is
all sorts Of things, as compared with the
Newberry system. lie bases this latter
view on some ten reasons, cogentIy given
and including such indictments as unfair
ness, extravaganza, unwisdom in princi-
pie and in practice, harmful of public
property, demoralizing to the personnel,
injurious to the fighting officers and
the manufacturing officers, reactionary
against consolidation, an impairment Of
the standard Of workmanship. contrary
to foreign navy yard practice and the
practice of private yards at home ana
abroad, and generally demoralizing.
He calls attention TO the prejudice in
the Navy Department against the Chief
Constructor and the Paymaster General
who have had occasion to criticise the
Meyer plan, and Mr.. Hobson adds: TT
is currently stated that the Secretary OF
the Navy is only waiting for the ad-
jOurnment Of Congress to take action in
this direction 1.-THE disciplining Of the two
oficersI and that the President himself
is only waiting upon the action Of Con-
gress. in respect with the Meyer plan, to
concur with the Secretary IN disciplin-
ing these two officers"
More than this. Mr. Hobson alleges
the existence of "a line clique" which has
''inausurated a concerted attack upon the
construction corps" and which devised
plan of their own as a substitute" for
the Newberry plan, which plan has been
foisted upon Secretary Meyer. TT is pre-
cisely this degenerate part of the Meyer
plan." adds Mr.. Hobson. that Congress
is now asked to approve. Mr.. Hobson
has always a masterfuI command of the
Englisa language. He is always able to
make himself known as 10 what he means
to say, and this latest production as a
minority report Of one member Of the
House Naval Committee is no exception
20 the rule. The charges made by Mr..
Hobson must be founded on something
in the way of tangible information which
their author possesses. We do not see
why this IS not sufficient justification for
demand for the proofs OF the assertions
made by Mr.. Hobson against the secre-
tary Of the Navy and the advisers OF
that official, to say nothing of the com
missioned officers Of the navy who are
in a combination to do up the construc-
ton corps II would enliven the closing
days Of Congressman by any means
without incident as things have been 60
ing-if Mr.. Hobson's charges were taken
seriously. It would be well to know If
such state OF affairs really exists in
the Navy Department and among the
commissioned personnel OF the naval es
tahlishnent