New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-12-14
Give the Navy a General Staff!

/ Secretary Daniels's report shows that
he has been converted pretty thoroughly
to belief in an adequate navy. 1t does
not show that he has been converted to
belief in an adequate central board to ex-
ercise military control Of the navy.
The paragraphs in which he discusses
the work of the new Office Of chief of op-
erations betray the same hostility to the
creation of anything resembling naval
General Staff which animated him last
winter when he put quietus on the Bu-
reau of Naval Operations, which Congress
was willing TO authorize. The House
Committee on Naval Affairs strongly IA
vored the establishment Of bureau, con-
Isisting of a chief and fifteen assistants,
who were to exercise the functions Of
General Staff In the House of Repre-
sentatives this provision was stricken out
OF the naval appropriation bill on a point
of order. 1t was restored in the Senate.
Then Mr.. Daniels interviewed and per
shaded the conference committee to
slaughter the paragraph Authorization
was given for the appointment OF only
single chief of naval operations, wholly
subordinate to the Secretary Of the Navy.
This retreat was justified by the chairman
Of the House conferrees on the ground
that 1.-The principle of civilian control OF
the navy is not to be violated
In his latest report the Secretary says
4I,a af of r
ations include "the direction of the Naval
War College, Office of Naval Intelligence,
Office of Target Practice and Engineering
Competitions, the operation of the Radio
Service and of other systems of communi-
cation. of the naval defence districts and
Of the Coast Guard when acting with the
navy: the direction of all strategic and
tactical matters, organization, manGu-
vres, target practice, drills, exercises OF
the training of the fleet for war and the
preparation, revision and enforcement OF
all tactic drill books, signal codes ana
Icipher codes" He must also prepare and
maintain in readiness plans for the use OF
the fleet in war;
That is a stupendous Job for one man
far more than any one man can begin 70
attend TO. 1t will be an even bigger JOB
when the navy is enlarged under the ne"
building plans. Why, then, pretend, as
Mr.. Daniels does, that the present ar
rangement provides for competent mill
tary direction of the navy?
The Secretary said last spring that ne
didn't ike to hurt the feelings of the Gen
eral Board of the Navy by approving the
creation of what would be virtually a
naval General Staff. But it is perfectly
feasible to incorporate the General Board
into a General Staff and give the latter
body a statutory standing, with recog-
MED responsibility for the military con-
troll Of the fleet. The General Board ex-
lists now only by sufferance. 1t cannot
even publish its recommendations, and
Mr.. Daniels takes great credit to himself
for generosity that he made public last
vcar for the first time the boards recon-
mendations as a small type appendix to-
his own report.
When it comes to framing military
nolicv for the fleet the judgment of a.
heard of officers will carry far more
weight with the country than the iudg-
ment of a civilian Secretary. A real Cen
eral staff is an indispensable feature OF
any programme for an enlarged navy.