Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-07-05


Daniels discontinued the aide system in
the administration Of the Navy Depart
ment and substituted therefor the adj
vsory council composed of all the Of
ficcrs holding positions of presidential
appointment rank in the department.
he brought down upon his head the
structures OF those who worship a par
tlcular system as "A fetish and OF those
who would establish n general STAFF in
the navy along Prussian lines. What
secretary Daniels has done TO the adj
miniStrativc achincry of the depart :
mcnt by the substitution has been to
retain all the good features OF the aide
system, so far as they went in the way
OF direct and effective administration.
without, at the same time. migrating
the general STAFF idea on the navy The
substitution, IL may be said, Is the re-
suit OF experience and careful con-
sideraton of every possibility involved.
Under the regime OF Secretary George
Won l.. Meyer. the aide system came
into being. AS a result OF II there
came to be I'm the Navy Department a
duplication OF work in many instances.
and multitude of correspondence be-
tween officers occupying desks almost
Ill adjoining rooms. In practice. the
system became Il buffer between the
Secretary Of the Navy and the officers
who were actually doing the work in
the department. In some instances it
became means OF suppression of news
AS TO what was actually TRANSMITTING
in the department. so far as the secre-
tary. who was charged with the high
est responsibility, was concerned.
Where Duticn Clnshcd.
The four aides under the Meyer pla n
were the advisers OF the Secretary OF
tho Navy on operations, material in
spection and personnel. The active Of
fcerS in charge of the actual work in
these lines reported TO them instead OF
TO the secretary. The secretary found
out what his aides permitted him to
know and whatever else he could find
out in tho routine OF office In prac-
ticc the aide for operations confi!ctcd
and duplicated the work of the chief
OF the bureau of Navigation. regarded
under the old system, even before the
aides came into being. az the biggest
job in the department under the secre-
tary and assistant secretary. Like
wise. the chief OF navigation came into
conflict with the work OF the aide for
personnel. The inspection work done
in tho Navy Department itself made
the aide for inspection almost unneces-
sary. for the reason that every bureau
in the department which was buying
machinery or other material was re-
ceiving or making It's own reports on
what II was getting, which was n bet
ter check on the inspectors than an
inspection of the inspectors or their
reports could be. AS result; of this
situation Mr.. Daniels made tho chief
OF tho Bureau of Navigation his aide
for personnel, and the aide for material
became the chief adviser to the score
tary on inspection. The effect OF this
plan was to remove n buffer between
the secretary and the man who was
actually doing the work in the depart
ment, while, at the same time, II put
two good officers who had been doing
buffer duty" back into tho service,
where they were needed most. The
fullest inspection of all plants pro-
ducing material for the navy has gone
inspecting the inspector, so to speak.
as before, and reporting defects in
stead of through n buffer.
Post of Chief of Operations.
The next step taken by Mr.. Daniels
was to go to Congress for legislation
creating the office of chief Of opera
tons. now filed by Rear-Admiral w.
S. Benson. This officer now ranks next
TO the secretary and Assistant Score
tary Roosevelt, and is wholly and sole
ly responsible for the preparation and
maintenance of the feet for battle. This
officer took the place in the navy adj
ministration of the aid for operations.
and has an assistant for operations.
Capt. Nolney Chase. and an assistant
for material. Capt. Josiah II. Mexican,
through whom he is kept in touch
with every phase bearing on the pre-
struction. maneuvers and practices are
within the particular province of his
office. Admiral Benson has broader
powers than have ever been enjoyed
by his officer predecessors. but he can
not eXpend n dollar or give an order
to another officer and enjoys only those
powers given to him by the secretary
in the line of large movements.
In taking the steps he has. Secretary
Daniels conferred with Admiral Dewey,
Admiral a. c.. Winterhalter. and other
officers of recognized ability in the
navy. and received their entire APP
prevail. At the same time, he has been
eratifed to receive the comm endation
Of many high officers of the navy who
were not consulted in advance of the
plan some of whom have frankly dis
agreed with him in the past on matters
of policy in the department.
AS was stated above. under the old
plan Secretary Daniels was unable to
get into direct touch with the bureau
chiefs in the department. He wanted to
harmonic the conflicting elements, re-
duce red tape and bufferism to n min
imum, and bring technical and tactical
problems. business, and progress into
such relationship that every angle Of
every question might efficiently and
speedily be disposed of directly by the
most interested officials.
Personnel of Council.
Therefore, when the secretary de-
cided to do away with the advisory
council OF aids, he substituted the adj
visory council Of chiefs OF bureaus, OF
the Marine Corps. and the legal depart