Evening star., 1942-04-05
u. S. High Command Emerging
Taussgs Navy Shake.up Plan Followed in Most Respects

1
l. most brilliant and far-sighted Of
American strategists, by appointment Of
the Governor of Virginia, is serving as
chairman of the Hampton Roads SANTA
ton Commission. He still is kept in re-
tirement, though every flag officer retired
before him has been called to active duty.
But Vice Admiral Joseph Knefler
Taussig is credited with an outstanding
contribution to the job Of winning the
war
The revolutionary shake-up in progress
in the Navy comedies in every essential
particular with recommendations Ad-
miral Taussig published more than two
years ago, but which were disregarded
until Pearl Harbor shattered the ad-
ministration's content with a state Of
virtual anarchy prevailing in the Nays
top command since the Civil War.
A graduate of the Naval Academy, Ad-
miral Taussig was promoted for "emi-
nent and conspicuous conduct in battle"
during the Boxer campaign, and was
decorated for services in the Spanish
American War and the first World War.
MdTkcu ny Ills SllUS lOI likbllCo1 COlIl-
mand, he remained stationary in grade
for 10 years after becoming rear admiral
In 1881. The highest post he ever held
was assistant chief of naval operations.
His final command was q shore estab-
lishment, the 5th Naval District and OPP
Grating Base at Norfolk. In recognition
of his services in the first World War he
~ al IN xiro odpa{roJ whay1 hA
retired September /, 1S41, on reaching
the statutory age limit Of "a.
His 21-year- son, Ensign Joseph K.
Taussig, jr., just out of Annapolis, was
one of Pearl Harbors heroes. He has
been decorated with the Navy Cross for
gallantry for refusing to leave his gun
station, though severely wounded.
Choice Of Foe Unfortunate.
The explanation generally given for his
failure to become chief Of naval opera
tions or commander In chief OF the
United States Fleet during the last eight
years is that just after the first World
War, when he was president Of the Naval
War College at Newport, Capt. Taussig
INDUCED in a personal controversy. The
incident was investigated by "a Senate
committee, but apparently every copy OF
its secret report-except two or three
that are carefully guarded-has been
hunted down and destroyed.
AS his opponent in this quarrel. he
was so unfortunate as to choose Franklin
D. Roosevelt, then Assistant Secretary
1g &l.a 80
the United States and the Nays Com
mander in Chief.
In the issue of the United States Naval
Institute proceedings for January, 1910,
Admiral Taussig printed under his sig
nature an article entitled AN Organiza-
ton for the Navy Department" which
won the Institutes prize for that year
AS result of chaos in its upper brack-
cts, he argued. the Navy would have
suffered costly losses of lives and mate
rial in the First World War had it not
been for the fact that we were operating
behind safety screen set up by our
Allies" He predicted that American
sea power would suffer reverses in an
other war unless drastic changes were
made, and hinted that they might not
be forthcoming until grave disasters
proved them to be essential.
He repeated these views on April o.
1910, before a Senate committee inquir-
ing into the proposed fortiication of
Guam, and added a warning that Japan.
having embarked on plan for dominat-
ing the Far East with its war against
China, would proceed in due course to
the conquest of Indo- China, the Philip
pines, British Malaga and the Neither
lands East Indies. His statement was
based in part on letter which Rear Ad-
miral Harry E. Yarnell, commander of
the Asiatic Fleet, wrote on January TO-
1889, to Rear Admiral Charles P. Sny-
der president of the Naval War College.
When the testimony was made public,
Admiral Taussig, by order of President
Roosevelt, was rebuked by the Navy De-
partment and reprimanded by the chief
of naval operations. Senator Clark of
Missouri declared on the Senate floor
that Admiral Taussig should be court
martialed.
Organizational Faults Cited.
In his magazine article, Admiral
Taussig outlined the principal faults
of the Navys organization, which had
existed then for many years and which
continued until about a month ago.
The results, he declared, were disunity
and excessive decentralization, both
of which are detrimental to efficient
operatiOn" The NAVY Department he
asserted, sis not at present organized
to administer the Navy, either in peace
time or war, with that degree of COM
petence which is essential for success"
The supreme defects, in his view, were
as follows:
Two-headed leadership, divided be-
tween officers with equal rank as ad-
mirals-the commander in chief of the
feet and the chief of naval operations
Basic control of the Navy Depart
ment by eight autonomous and policy
making bureaus, the chiefs of which
were responsible only to the Secretary
of the Navy and over whom the chief
of naval operations had no legal au-
thority.
Naval regulations" Admiral Taus-
sig wrote, provide that the chief of
naval operations shall coordinate the
work of the bureaus in certain respects,
but nowhere either in law, regulation or
general order is there any authority for
the chief of naval operations to exercise
command or give orders to any of the
bIlreau chiefs