New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-06-26
SEES CONFUSION
In NAVY COUNCIL
Ex-Secretary Meyer De-
clares Daniels's New
Scheme All Wrong.
SYSTEM OF AIDS
MUCH THE BETTER
It's Author Insists Its Displace'
ment Will Imperil Service
in Emergencies.
1nu relnrrnnh to The Tribune. ]


Boston. June 25.-Criticism Of Secrc-
tary Daniels's plan for navy council
was expressed to-day by ex-Secretary
of the Navy George Won l.. Meyer
whose system of naval aids, estab-
lished during the Taft administration
and copied in Part abroad, is supplant
ed by the new scheme. Mr.. Meycr
called the Daniels ,ouncil plan a re
version to confusion, and declared 1t
:mperilled and impoverished INC navy
,u case Of emergency
",Ir. Daniels wet into the Navy De-
partment with a p"'conceived preJudlce
scoinss the methods or which IL was
conducted and an intention 70 undo
what was being carried out on the high.
est American expert advice ootaiaaole,
said Mr.. Meyer.
president Roosevelt appointed 2
board a few weeks before going out OF
Office to consider the proper methods
10 bring the United States navy up TO
the highest state Of efficiency possible
That board had the lucid, able advice
and direction of Admiral Mshan, Judge
Dayton and others eminent in naval
matters. | continued their work tur-
Their into details by appointing a BOARD
known as the Swift Board, which sat
all during the succeeding summer, ana
on the combined advice OF these TWO
boards detailed four officers 70 be AIDS,
the lawyer to the department deciding
that was the only way without author
ity from Congress.
Thinks Daniels Wrong.
"Mr. Daniels now finally undoes what
| inaugurated. and although he says ne
does il after consultation with some OF
the ablest officers Of the navy, II is not
known whom he consulted or how many.
Il may have been only one or two Of
ficers. The futility of his Judgment
is demonstrated sharply by the Chief OF
Operations having to concern himself
with material. A chief or aid for oper-
ations should have nothing whatever 10
do with material. Strategy and tactics
are enough for one officer, however
industrious. II we should go to war
now there can be not question but
what there would at once be the utmost
confusion and Generalization, because
the chief of operations would have to
concern himself also with the vital and
tremendous questions of material.
THE stated meetings of his Naval
Council have no advantage over the
system | inaugurated, with the fullest
approval Of the Mahan and Swift
boards and by their suggestion. My
four logical expert aids, who were my
eyes and separations, personnel,
material and nspection-met every
day. saw me once a week and whenever
or they desired, separately or to-
gether.
System Commended Abroad.
"My system went as near to the staff
system as our laws allowed. and was
certainly commended abroad. Some OF
our ideas were adopted in England
when they became known. The demon
strated clear advantage of my aid sys-
TEN was that these men-experts-
planned and did not execute. Opera
tions planned such duties and purposes
as the navy requires in peace or war;
Inspection inspected everything, ashore
or afoat: Personnel provided requisite
and best officers and men; Material
saw TO it the ships and departments
were furnished with what was required
and sufficient Before Rear Admiral
Fiske was appointed as aid for oper-
atoms there was no one working out
war plans absolutely necessary 10 be
done if we were to be prepared for
war-a herculean duty for one man.
as it not natural TO be surprised that
Secretary Daniels did not appoint a
board TO ascertain if the system he
found in operation was effective and
had put the navy in a position that
was creditable? So soon as he took
Office he began preconceived changes to
break up a system that was working
we'll"