New-York tribune., 1916-07-12
Give the Navy a General Staff !


The Senate Committee on Naval Affairs
has shown admirable courage and fore
sight in making over the House naval ap-
preparation bill. 1t has increased the ap-
propriation carried in the bill by s45,S3O,-
600. 1t has mapped out three-year build
ing programme of it's own, which will re-
store the United States by 1919 to second
rank among the worlds naval powers.
The committee has turned its back on
the pifling incompetent who has unhappily
been intrusted for three years past with
the management Of the navy. He is now
repenting the fatuous advice which he has
given Congress for several years and is
eagerly trying to annex some credit for
the enormous betterments in the naval es-
tablishment which are already in sight by
writing letters congratulating the House
and Senate committees on having dlsre-
earded his leadership and voted increases
| in ships and personnel over his head.
Having shown so much independence and
intelligence in providing for the proper
growth Of the feet, why should the Senate
committee not 60 step further and thor
oughly reform our antiquated system Of
naval administration? What the navy
needs most to-day is competent military
direction. We may pour out our money
IL : IL of lN-
enlarged fleet. But that fleet will not make
a proper return on the investment which
it represents unless all-'round efficiency is
guaranteed by competent handling, by the
coordination of all its units into a COM
plete fighting organization. First class
ships and a first class personnel will fail
if expert high command is lacking.
Secretary Daniels has been able so far 10
restrain Congress from creating a Naval
General Staff. Both the House and the
Senate were inclined last year TO set up
Bureau of Operations in the Navy Depart
nent, with powers and functions very simi-
lar TO those Of a General Staff. But i'll
the privacy of the conference committee
the Secretary prevailed on the House con-
| ferrees to wreck the provision made in the
kSenate for bureau competent to assume
the military direction of the navy. All
hat came out Of the conference was an
authorization 20 Mr.. Daniels to nominate
kngle Chief of Naval Operations, who is
more than the Sccretary's personal
publicity agent.
wear the House tried to give the
Naval Operations more dignity
pendence by comforting on him the
admiral But admirals, vicead-
hd rear admirals all look pretty
Ike to Mr.. Daniels. who wants to
Ftrol of the navy centred in his own
So long as the Chief of Naval
Etions is a mere personal adjunct to
VSecretary's office, it will not matter
greatly what rank or title he holds or
what compensation he draws
The Senate committee has wrongly fal-
len in with the idea of the House that the
situation can be remedied merely by as
signing a higher title and more compre-
hensive duties to the Operations Chief If
the Senate committees amendment stands
the Chief will be burdened with functions
which no single individual could even begin
to discharge. He will be assigned to do
a general staffs work, without the time or
power TO accomplish one-tcnth of it, and
he will be almost as completely personal
subordinate of the Secretary as the present
Chief of Naval Operations is.
The only way TO create a centralized eX-
pert military control in the navy is TO es-
tablish Naval General Staff as indepen-
dent and permanent as the Army General
Staff is. Secretaries come and go. But
a General Staff remains and builds up ira
dtions, military policy and military
system.
There ought to be such body in the
N navy. The present General Board is an
n anomaly. Its only warrant for existence
is a departmental order. and it can be abol-
ished at any time overnight. 1t lacks the
status which Congress has given 70 the
General Staff of the Army. 1t cannot look
TO Congress for moral or legal support
when its activities are being abridged by
an inexperienced or hostile Secretary.
The Senate should seize the present IA
vorable opportunity to bring about vital
reform in naval administration. Mr.. Dan
iels's prestige and authority are at the
lowest ebb. His counsel is being spurned
all along the line. His attitude towarl
Congress is now almost servile Why
therefore, humor any longer the grotesquc
delusion that ne and Chief of Nava
Operations, toadying to him, are equal u
the great task Of developing military
policy for the navy, of unifying and coor-