The Washington times., 1915-04-29
GEN. SCOTT OF NAVY"
POPULAR WITH ALL
Every One Pleased With Ap-
pointment of William Shep.
herd Benson.

His intimate friends refer, to him af-
fectionately as Dear Old Ben" His
superiors describe him with the single
word loyal His subordinates call
him human" And. in brief, coupled
with his record for steady advancement
and absolute dependability. which has
made him the prototype in the navy Of
what Brig. Gen. Hugh Scott, chief Of
staff, stands for In the army, these
characteristics give perhaps as good an
idea as can be obtained of the kind
OF man Capt. William Shepherd Ben
son. chief OF naval operations. really Is.
But be not misled by the nickname, or
by the fact that he was graduated in
n. and Is nearing his sixtieth birth
day. into picturing him as a crotchety
and bewhiskered old seadog; for after
Old Ben and have heard how he has
spent twenty-five years at sea, circum-
navigating the African coast at one
time and going to the Arctic with the
Ireeiy reief expedition at another,
meeting Captain Benson includes con,
Siderable of a shock.
"Upstandin' Man."
In appearance odd Ben" Is fine
upstandin~ man of forty-fve. He is
tall. we'll knit, and compactly sinewy.
His dark hair is closely cropped and
shows traces Of graying. His mouth is
large and friendly. and his eyes. dark
instant comprehension, for YOU dom
nave to say thing to old Ben" more
than once.
When the announcement was made
Yesterday that Captain Benson. COM
mandant of the League Island navy
yard. would be advanced to the grade Of
rear admiral and given the new billet
30 recently created by Congress, a gen
eral wave or satisfaction swept through
the ranks Of his fellow officers.
Those of conservative convictions felt
sure that "Old Ben" would not violate
any OF their tenets by wild or ill-advised
moves. while the radicals of the navy
were equally as confident that "Old
fact that he has made a lifelong study
OF the handling of ships. keeping al
ways abreast of the times, would NOT
permit him to allow the service to be-
come moss-draped and anachronistic.
Everybody Satisfied.
And so everybody seems satisfied.
They all like "Old Ben" personally. sno
nave faith in his ability, and yet they
are prone to wonder a good deal that
ne should have been selected, for. Won
sec. his record has been anything but
In Captain Benson's rise in the navy
there have been no ups and downs His
'lse has been steady. though not mark
sGly iapid. and he stands today, his
lrlehds declare, perfect example of
the Well-b balanced, well-rounded Off
cer. III whose makeup no one talent
mas been oVer-developed at the expense
Of some other.
A native of Macon Georgia. and the
son OF an instructor in Greek in one
OF the Southern Colleges. Captain Rano
son. out OF thirty-eight years service,
twenty-five of which he spent on ships
IN IN commission, has held only one
W ashlngton swivel-chair assignment
ana mat only lasted two months.
AND the conclusion drawn from All
OF these circumstances by the OFFICERS |
or the navy today is that SECRETARY
Daniels has found in "Old Ben" the |
Qualities which he desired present in
the makeup of the chief of naval
operations. plus man outside of the
naval social set in Washington.