The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1915-07-06
MANY OFFICERS PRAISE IT
Removes Bullets Who Stood
Between The Secretary OF
The Navy and The Officers
Actually at The Head of
Things; Efficiency The End
in View
washington Correspondence N

I w dS1lf1StOH CSpOuuCiS AVN" |
York Evening Post.)
When Secretary of the Navy jose
phus Daniels discontinued the aide
system in the administration of the
Navy Department n substituted
therefor the advisory council, COM
posed of all the officers holding posi-
tons of Presidential appointment rank |
in the Department, he brought down
upon his head the structures Of those
who worship a particular system as
q fetish and Of those whe would estab-
1ish a general staff in the navy along
Prussian lines What Secretary Dan
iels has done to the administrative
machinery Of the Department by the
substitution has been to retain all the
good features Of the aide system, SO
far as they went in the a of direct
and effective administration, without.
at the same time, ENGRAVING the gen.
eral staff idea on the navy. The sub
stitution. it may be said. is the result
of experience and careful considera-
tion Of every possibility involved.
Under the regime of Secretary
George Won L. Meyer, the aide system
came into being. AS a result OF it.
there came to be in the Navy Depart
ment a duplication of work in many
instances, and a multitude OF CORE
spondence between officers occupying
desks almost in adjoining rooms. In
practice the system became a buffer
between the Secretary of the Navy
and the officers who were actually
doing the work in the Department. In
some instances it became a means of
suppression Of news as to what was
actually transpiring in the Department
80 far as the Secretary. who was
charged with the highest responsible
ity, was concerned.
Where Duties Uashed.
h our aides under the Meyer
plan were the advisers of the Secre-
tary OF the Navy on operations. ma
terial, inspection. and personnel. The
work In these ines reported to them
instead Of to the Secretary. The Sec
rotary found out what his aides per
mitted him to know and whatever else
ne could find out in the routine Of
office. In practice the aide for opera.
tons conflicted and duplicated thu
work OF the chief of the Bureau o;
NAVIGATION. regarded under the ole
system. even before the aides cam
into being, as the biggest job in tn,
department d the Secretary an
assistant secretary. Likewise the chic
OF navigation came into conflict will
the work of the aide for personnel
The inspection work lone in the Nav,
Department itself made the aide TO
iuSpcCtlOH aAIIlOSC Unnecessary, Tor Tn
reason that every bureau in the de
partment which was buying machin
cry or other material was receiving o
making it's own reports on what
was getting. which was a better chez
on the inspectors than an inspectio
OF the inspectors or their report
could be. AS a result Of this situatio
Mr.. Daniels made the chief of tn
Bureau of Navigation his aide for Del
SOnnol- And the aida FOR rCoforio1 h<
came the chief adviser to the Seer,
tary on inspection. The effect OF tn
plan was to remOve q buffer betwee
the Secretary and the man who w.
actually doing the work in the depar
ment while. at the same time, it p
two good officers who had been doir
buffer duty" back into the servic
where they were needed most. II
fullest inspection OF all plants pr
ducing material for the navy has go,
on just the same. every bureau chi
inspecting the inspector. so to spea
as before, and reporting defects i
stead OF through a buffer.
Post Of Chief OF Operations.
The next step taken by Mr.. Dani
was to go to Congress for legislati
creating the office Of Chief Of Opel
tions, now flied by Rear-Admiral
s. Benson. This officer now raT
next to the Secretary and Assist.
Secretary Roosevelt, and is who
and solely responsible for the pre-
ration and maintenance of the feet
battle. officer took the place
the navy administration Of the cid
operations, and has an assistant
operations. Capt. Volney Chase. {
an assistant for material, Capt. JOS
H. Mexican, through whom he is k
In touch with every phase bearing
the preparedness of the fleet.
pairs, construction. manoeuvres,
~~@~-A. ~ifhfn fhA n yHiRy
rovin Of his office. Admiral E