New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-04-10

Continued from page
/ His reply was 70 send for Rear Admi-
raj Fiske. He instructed the admiral
TO inform the General Board that it's
duties were to recommend such poll
cies as had already been approved by
himself and no others; furthermore,
/ that he Othe Secretary would refuse
to sanction or 70 publish such other
/ policies as the board might suggest.
Admiral Fiske thereupon, according
facts. withdrew TO his own office. There
| he thought the matter over. and. reach
! ing his conclusion. returned and in
/ formed the Secretary fatty that he
must refuse TO deliver such a message.
ANY such order from the Sccretary,
said Rear Admiral FiSS,. would be
! extra legal. would amount IL effect, to
/ the abolition Of &c duties of the
genera! board - defined by Congress,
and II the Secretary still wished such
p message to be delivered he would de-
/ liver il himself
/ DIedCn W lutItu
No course was thus left open 20 the
| Secretary but to send for Admiral
Dewey, president Of the board, with
whom a compromise was eventually
reached. The boards recommendation
for the additional $4,000 men was in
corporated in separate report. But
/ the action of Rear Admiral Fiske, the
/ Secretdry's chief adviser and aid, is
said to have been regarded by the Sec
rotary with the deepest resentment
/ The breach between them continued
/ to grow.
such. then, are the personal reasons
which naval officers believe induced
Rear Admiral Fiske to tender his res
! ignation; but many officers believe that
an officer of the great abilities and
courage of the admiral would nave
overlooked his personal relations with
the Secretary had not far welghuer
reasons interviewed.
On the admiral's shoulders resteG
full responsibility for the condition OF
the Aeet He had testified before the
House committee that five years unfe-
hitting labor was necessary 10 restore
III. feet to it's former efficiency. Re.
pcated statements by the secretary OF
Tho Navy in the newspapers and else
where DTOCld lllltu iiidb gun
had been already achieved. lncorpo-
rsted IN these statements was always
the further announcement that the
fleet in the near future would proceed
TO Panama for review or TO san
Francisco or 10 New York for well
earned recreation" which would cut
the work Of the fleet short altogether.
And all the time the advices from the
South. where the fleet was at driii,
were TO the effect that through contra
dictorv orders from Washington sched-
ules we're being broken and man@uVres
held haphazard or not at all.
The Secretary is accused IN many,
ouarters Of double dealing. 1t IS SAID
~ he his habit. when he has par
,icular object in view, TO summon one
naval officer after another, to talk the
!, matter over with each and elicit from
him some agreement with a part OF
his scheme, which is repeated to the
, next officer to be consulted, and the
. agreement Of both to third, until
AT last the Secretary can quote SUP
stantial agreement with his views. 80
that. in the end, officers are quoted by
the Secretary as holding views they
have never entertained for an instant
and are involved in series OF ueh'aIs
20 their brother officers.
Want TO BE Away from Daniels.
The direct effect of such proceed
ure. and its results. would be charged
70 Rear Admiral Fiske. who. 1t is sald
was often in complete ignorance OF
. what was going on.
A naval officer Of equal rank with
Admiral Fiske is said to have remarked
- or being ordered TO sea, that mo ofhcer
, could be identified with present metn
, DDS in the department and maintain
his self-respect." Recent visitors 10
- Washington assert that substantially
/ every officer attached 10 the depart,
70 ment is pulling wires TO be ofdereu
TO sea.
The Secretary Of the Navy has fur
Their stated on more than one occasion
that the feet was at its maximum OF
efficiency as regards the personnel
This also naval officers fatty deny
with their reasons therefor.
There are three kinds OF court IN the
revv-"deck courts" court martials'
and general courts The asst OF
these. the deck courts, deal with all
criminal and major offences, such as
, desertion, involving dishonorable DIS
missal.
4 few months ago the Secretary rs
; sued his famous order no. under
which enlisted men were to be DIS
missed for repeated offences, such as
drunkenness and overstaying leave.
Acting according TO the provisions OF
this order. general courts have tor
months been discharglng men Tor the
offences specified. In nearly every case,
{ according to officers who have served
, on such courts. the sentence OF dls-
missal has been set aside by the Sec
rotary of the Navy in person. The DIS,
missed man has been ordered p laced
on probation. Aboard ship news trav-
els fast A thousand men Will learn
within an hour that the findings OF
court have been overruled; such &C
tiOn is always interpreted by the men
as reflection on the ofhcers compos-
ing the court.
And there is to be, apparently, no