New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-07-22
ARMY AND NAVY NOTES
Daniels Has New Plan ito
Bridge the Social Gulf"
Iron The Tribune Bureau
WASHINGTON III

Washington, July p.
( MARINE OFFICERS AROUSED.-In
pursuance of his cherished scheme Of
bridging the social gulf between the
commissioned officers and the enlisted
personnel. the Secretary Of the Navy has
ordered certain changes in the plans for
( the marine barracks at Philadelphia
which have caused CONSERVATION TO ma
rine officers and grave apprehension on
/ the part of all who understand the naval
military service and have its welfare az
/ heart.
/ After the plans had been approved ana
the contract let for these barracks Sec
rotary Daniels so altered the plans and
specifications as TO provide that one wing
Of the barracks shall be used as quarters
for the commissioned officers, this being
designed TO achieve a physical bridging
| OF the gulf such as has never before
, been undertaken and such as those ex-
perienced in military affairs are convinced
will prove inimical alike 10 the discipline
of the service and the contentment Of the
1 enlisted men.
/ Mr. Daniels undertook TO cancel the con-
tract for the barracks even after the con-
/ tractor had himself contracted for the
material but was dissuaded from that
course by the contractors notification
/ that he would seek damages 10 the extent
/ Of $4,000 from the government He then
ordered that one wing he converted into
officers quarters.
| Secretary Daniels has also ordered a
suspension of the work on the marine
barracks in the Panama Canal Zone and
/ at Boston-for what purpose is not yet
disclosed-despte the fact that urgent
representations regarding the need Of
/ these buildings in the Canal Zone have
/ been made TO the department and that
/ the present buildings at Boston are in 80
bad a state of repair that their abandon
ment has been urged on sanitary grounds.
! The Tribune published recently an ac-
count Of Secretary Daniels's scheme to
| abolish all messes on board ship and the
| fact that he had caused 10 be prepared "A
general order directing that all officers
and enlisted men should eat at the same
table II was further told that one OF
| the several officers who were convinced
the Secretary was making a serious er-
ror. finally bethought himself of the fact
/
groes and appealed TO the Secretary TO
know If he would be willing to eat with
negroes whenever he happened to be on
board ship.
This appeal to the Secretary as "a
/ Southern gentleman" proved effective,
and the order was pigeon-holed and IS
still in allegiance. Unfortunately, in the
| Tribune dispatch the ingenuity OF making
this appeal to race prejudice was attrio-
uted TO Rear Admiral Victor Blue, chief
Of navigation, which was an error that
made possible a prompt, although mis-
! leading, denial Of the story. The man
who bethought himself Of the presence
Of negroes among the enlisted personnel
and who made the successful appeal TO
Secretary Daniels was Captain Robert l..
Russell, Judge advocate general Of the
navy Had it not been for that slight
and somewhat immaterial inaccuracy in
| The Tribunes dispatch no truthful denial
OF the story would have been possible.
| ORDERS ISSUED-The following army
and navy orders have been issued:
ARMY.
! No.Onti W lbLSIA8 IHOlSDiNp' WI ihtA"hS
Major WILLIAM H. WILSON. medical corps.
from Fort Mckinley 70 Fort Mcdowell
Major JAMES l.. BEVANS. medical corps;
from san Francisco on expiration leave Of
absence. TO Fort Mex inley. ,.,
| Captain ROBERT VI. BRAMB1LA, detailed
! Quartermaster ana in charge construction
! work Vancouver Barracks vice Major JAMES
! CANDY. to Washington october 10. as as
sistant depot qlarteIinaster. vice Major
/ PIERRE g. STEVENS, 70 Plattsburg Bar
| racks as Quartermaster, vice Major WILL
! IAN x. JONES.
| First Lieutenant CRESWELL GARLlNGION,
corps Of engineers, from LIST Battalion 10
Washington Barracks. thence 90 Culebra,
/ Cana Zone.
Second Lieutenant ROBERT c. +. GoETz.
4 from I'd 10 1st Field Artillery.
Second Lieutenant T.. FRANCIS RIGGS, from
/ 9th 10 % Field Artillery August II
! Leaves Of absence: First Lieutenant RALPH
| MT. PENNBLL. 9TH Field Artillery. twenty
days; Second Lieutenant SLOAN DOAk ON
| Cavalry, one month and fifteen days from
| August 5; Lieutenant Colonel CARL
| REICHMANN, 18th Infantry. one month
First Lieutenant ROBERT r. OLIVER. den
| tai surgeon two months. thence TO Letter
man General Hospital.
| NAVY
Captain A. S. HALsTED. detached the Califor-
Captain T. r. COONTZ. detached naval sta
ton, Guam, home. await orders.
Commander n. A. MCULLY, detached the
! Mayhower; command the California.
Commander A. II. SCALES. detached the PTai.
rie, July 81 receiving ship az Norfolk and
naval training station, ST. Helena.
| Commander II. o. STiCKNEY. detached Naval
| Academy. July 2s: command the Prairie.
| Commander w. ID MACDOUGALL, detached
the Nashville; command the Moylower.
] Lieutenant Commander +. r. BALDWIN. de