Evening star., 1921-07-04
Editorial Digest
Discipline in the Navy.

OASC4 pllUC III WIG ANoVy'
Although the majority Of the news
papers support Secretary Denby's ac-
tion in transferring Capt. Stearns Of
the U. S. S. Michigan because he al
lowed a morale committee" composed
partly Of enlisted men. to discuss mat
ters of discipline on his ship. there are
a good many writer's who decry the
use Of the word ''sovietism" in connec-
tion with the affair. and present case
for the accused captain and the
methods which grew out of the
Daniels policy of morale-building in
the Navy.
Among those to criticise the Score
tary for his act Is the New York
World (democratic). which f1nds it
extreme to dub the morale committee
sovietism." because there has always
been a morale committee In the Amer
lean Navy, only it was called by an
other name, Jimmy Legs" The re
versal' of the Daniels policy which
encouraged this institution. which had
the skilled workers on warships.
Seems strange" to the World, since
DENLY has been "an enlisted man"
himself The Brooklyn Eagle Cinde-
pendent democraticl. too. while 1t
laughs at some Of the former secre-
tary's ideas and admits that Mr..
Denby's plan suits Annapolis" is not
certain that 1t suits America" Speak
ing from the viewpoint of blunt
landlubber." the Birmingham News
room in the American spirit for de-
from such precedents as Sec
retary DENLY fears to violate" The
work of the committee. as the News
takes it," implies "co o-operation. CO.
ordination and efficiency and every
possesses" and objections to it seem
pure bunk The Hartford Times
(democratic) says: LAS matter Of
fact the morale committees which
Daniels authorized had for their sole
purpose the Improvement Of discipline
and the removal of prejudice against
service in the Navy which. until re-
Gently. was widespread"
That the action against the offend
ing captain and the other officer who.
it developed. had permitted his crew
to choose the port at which II
wished to land, seems drastic" to the
New London Comm Day Tepub-
lican).
Much more emphatic approval OF
Secretary Denby's action. however.
comes from the majority of the press.
1t is such. says the Detroit Free Press
from any man Of sound. American
IDEAS" and sound thinking people"
declares the Montgomery Advertiser
tdemocratic) will agree with him.
Most Of the papers credit Capt.
Stearns with the best of motives"
and the Baltimore Sun independent
democratic) thinks that he was not
wrong in feeling that there are oppor-
tunities af1oat as well as ashore for
creating closer sympathy between CO.
workers and thus improving the gen
eral morale" but this sentiment is
not typical Of the majority of COM
ment. which applauds the roofing out
OF "sovietism." which has resulted
from the innovations Of Secretary
Daniels"
The Philadelphia Public Ledger Gin
dependenp thinks ship soviets'' are
the Daniels regime. and while the
Pittsburgh onicle-Telegraph IRE
publican) looks upon the activity as
only "a weak imitation" OF bolshevism
and well meant" it rejoices in
peneys os action in endng it, ,aa Ths Chi
same way. and the New York Times
Gndependent democratic) is even
more emphatic. There Is no know
ing" it says. ito what lengths the
desire to share authority would go
II stop were not put to the notion
To the Adrian tMich.) Telegram Gn-
dependent) this beginning is like "a
boys first drink Of whisky or the first
smoke Of opium" and II the move
ment were continued the San Antonio
Express independent democratic)
predicts that we would have seen the
unprecedented spectacle Of vote on
a man-of-war as to when. where and
how the ship should go into action"
The Manchester Union independent
republican, recalls the fact that a
similar experiment on French ships
resulted disastrously and approves Of
the fact that the meeting
method Of doing business" in the
navy will not continue under the
present administration.
The Buffalo Commercial Gndepend-
ent) also supports Secretary DENLY.
as does the Rochester Herald Unde-
pendent). which holds that "disci- .
pline is a function performed by the
officers. not by the men" even in a
minor degree" and the Columbus
Dispatch independently says that "a
system which would be impossible in
time Of war must be held as equally
impossible" during the period Of
training.
Even more enthusiastic for the new
Secretary's action is the Grand Rapids
Herald (reDublican). DENLY knows
the need 1>r Navy discipline by ex-
perience," it says, "and he'll have
discipline-be it Sims, Stearns or who
soever is involved-which means that
he'll have q Navy"