Greater interest over naval affairs has been manifested during the opening days of the Sixtieth Congress than by any Congress since the close of the Spanish-American War. There is a general realization that the parting of the ways has now been reached in naval administration and construction, and that it behooves Congress to qualify itself for intelligent action by thorough consideration of every phase of the service requiring legislation. The transfer of the Atlantic Fleet to the Pacific Ocean, the widespread belief that the American navy is destined to take a prominent part in the working out of the politics. of the Pacific, the discussion on both sides of the Atlantic of the relative values of the naval forces of Japan and the United States, the Reuterdahl article and others regarding the character and manner of the building of American battleships, the significant incidents connected with the controversy over the assignment of Surgeon Charles F. Stokes to the command of the hospital ship Relief, and the attitude of Senator Eugene Hale of Maine, who has been arbiter of the powerful Senate Naval Committee for many years, these are lights and shades of the Congressional situation less than sixty days after the assembling of the House and the Senate.

SCORES OF BILLS INTRODUCED

In both branches of Congress many bills have been introduced dealing with important features of the naval situation. There have been several measures offered in the Senate and the House providing for "reorganization" of the Department; and, whatever the merits or shortcomings of these propositions, it is perhaps significant that they strike at present methods of naval administration and construction. The most important of these bills, on account of the dramatic manner of its introduction, the broad ground covered by its text, and the influence of its sponsor, is that of Senator Hale (S. 3335), introduced January 9, 1908, "To increase the efficiency of the personnel of the Navy and Marine Corps of the United States."

THE PROPOSITION OF SENATOR HALE

It is no exaggeration to refer to the manner of the introduction of the Hale Bill as dramatic. Bills are generally read only by title when presented in the Senate. Senator Hale adopted another method, one so unusual in the Senate that it immediately attracted widespread atten

tion and comment, and indicated his intention of pursuing a vigorous policy toward naval matters. Instead of offering the bill in the usual form, Senator Hale asked that its full text be read to the Senate "as the matter is one of great importance and has excited much interest." The bill covers a wide range of subjects and introduces some novel, and what are regarded by many as several exceedingly dangerous, features into the controversy. Senator Hale says that he regards his bill as "far from perfect," but that he tried to formulate the measure as a basis for naval legislation, and also for investigation before the Naval Committee.

SENATOR TILLMAN'S ACTIVE INTEREST

Senator Tillman of South Carolina served notice, immediately after the holidays, that, as senior Democratic member of the Senate Naval Committee, deeply interested in the welfare of the Navy, he intends to participate actively in all matters before the Senate pertaining to the Navy. Senator Tillman will use his influence to bring about a complete investigation of the charges made in the Reuterdahl article, and expects to present witnesses before the Senate Naval Committee when it undertakes serious consideration of the Hale Bill. Senator Tillman inquired of Senator Hale, when the latter's bill was introduced, whether, in the consideration of that measure by the Committee, "an opportunity will be given to have all the facts brought out relating to the personnel and the controversy in the Navy Department, the articles in the magazines, and the other charges, the crimination and recrimination, that are floating back and forth."

"Will we in the Naval Committee be able to get at the facts?" he inquired of Senator Hale. "I have an idea of introducing a resolution instructing the Naval Committee to inquire and report upon the subject, but if we can reach the facts by this method it is just as satisfactory to me."

"I have been asked," responded Senator Hale, "a great many times by people having a most intelligent interest in the Navy, whether, in view of recent transactions in the Navy Department and the great public interest in these transactions, I did not propose to introduce a resolution of investigation. The subject undoubtedly is worthy of the direct attention of Congress. Looking over the matter as carefully as I have been able to do, I have selected the method of action covered by this bill, involving full consideration and discussion by the Senate, instead of

submitting the Department to an investigation upon a Senatorial inquiry. I have thought it better to frame a bill, which I do not claim to be perfect, but which will cover, as I think, the many controversies,—not only that which has arisen and sharply attracted public attention of late, but old troubles and jealousies between the different grades and ranks of the Navy Department."

THE HALE BILL

On the day of the introduction of his bill, Senator Hale entered upon a general explanation of its features. The character of the bill is so important in its bearing upon the naval situation, since it will undoubtedly constitute the basis of inquiry and legislation, that it is perhaps best to present the complete text:

"Be it enacted, etc., That the entire business of the Navy Department under the Secretary of the Navy shall be transacted by the bureaus and offices of the Department as now existing, and all reports and recommendations of such bureaus and offices shall be made direct to the Secretary of the Navy. No permanent board of any kind shall hereafter be appointed by the Navy Department or continued in operation unless expressly provided for by law after the passage of this Act, but from time to time the Secretary of the Navy may convene boards for temporary service connected with the pending business of the Department.

"SEC. 2. That officers in the various staff corps of the Navy shall hereafter have actual rank and title as now established for the staff corps of the Army. Such officers of the staff corps of the Navy shall at all times have the title and designation of their rank, and new commissions in accordance therewith shall be forthwith issued to them: Provided, That this provision shall in no case carry with it command over any vessel of the Navy Department, but such command shall be exercised only by line officers.

"SEC. 3. That hereafter from the midshipmen who successfully complete the six years' course at the Naval Academy appointments shall be made as may be necessary, and in the order of merit at graduation, to fill vacancies in the lowest commissioned grades of the line and other corps of the Navy to which such graduates are eligible for appointment under existing law, and that the number of said appointments which shall be made to the various corps of the naval service in any one year shall not exceed seventy-five; Provided, That the foregoing provision limiting the increase in any fiscal year shall not apply to midshipmen who may have entered the Naval Academy prior to January first, nineteen hundred and four, and have completed their four years' course at the Academy. That the order of merit of graduates of the Naval Academy upon final graduation and the eligibility to appointment in the Navy shall be determined as now provided by existing law and regulation, and the assignment of graduates to the various corps shall be made by the Secretary of the Navy; Provided further, That if

there be a surplus of graduates above that necessary to fill the vacancies in the manner and to the extent hereinbefore authorized, those who do not receive such appointment shall be given a certificate of graduation, an honorable discharge, and one year's sea pay; and hereafter any midshipman whose position in his class entitles him to be retained in the service may, upon his own application, be honorably discharged at the end of the four years' course at the Naval Academy with a proper certificate of graduation. The appointments herein authorized shall be made upon July first of each year, which shall be regarded as the beginning of the year for reckoning vacancies for the purposes of this Act.

"SEC. 4. That when an officer has been thirty years in the service he may, upon his own application, in the discretion of the President, be retired from active service and placed upon the retired list. When an officer has served forty consecutive years as a commissioned officer he shall, if he makes application therefor to the President, be retired from active service and placed upon the retired list. And any officer of the Navy who is now serving or who shall hereafter serve as chief of a bureau of the Navy Department and shall subsequently be retired, shall be retired with the rank, pay, and allowances authorized by law for the retirement of such bureau chief.

"SEC. 5. That the pay of all commissioned officers, warrant officers, midshipmen, and pay clerks in the Navy and Marine Corps is hereby increased 20 per centum. And the pay of all noncommissioned officers, mates and other petty officers, musicians and other enlisted persons in the Navy and Marine Corps is hereby increased 40 per centum: Provided, That the word "pay" as used in this section shall be exclusive of all additions in the form of allowances and commutations.

"SEC. 6. That all Acts and parts of Acts so far as they conflict with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed."

WOULD ABOLISH THE GENERAL BOARD

Senator Hale's bill provides for no change in the "Bureau System," but, strikes in its opening section at the various permanent boards of the Navy. According to his bill only "temporary" boards could be convened in connection with "pending" business. No other permanent board of any kind would be allowed by the Hale Bill. It would do away with the General Board of the Navy of which Admiral Dewey is President, and, all other permanent boards, unless they are expressly provided for by law "after the passage of this Act." Explaining this Mr. Hale declared it was only "of late years that permanent boards have been organized." He did not criticize the personnel of these boards. He regarded many of the officers composing them highly but thought "on close observation of the Navy," that the general operation "of these boards has been to create dissension and to make trouble for the bureaus and other offices of the Navy,

where the real work of the Department must be done." Therefore he had proposed the abolition of boards "not as any reflection upon any officer who is a member of any of the boards" but because he believed it "a wise thing to do in order that the jealousies and the very sharp, and at times I think unjust, insinuations and aspersions upon the Bureau officers should at least have no rallying point in the Department."

"A BATTLE GROUND FOR FORTY YEARS"

The section of Senator Hale's bill which seeks to confer positive rank and title upon staff officers will meet with considerable opposition. He spoke of this section as dealing with "what has been a battle ground in the Navy for forty years or more- the differences arising between the line and the staff, between the active officers of the navy, in command of the navy in all its various and diverse component parts, and the staff officers who have raised questions or upon whom questions have been raised with reference to rank, title and recognition." Senator Hale told the Senate he had "looked over precedents afforded by the army" and found there "the staff corps with duties nearly parallel to the duties of staff officers of the navy." He said he had found that actual rank had been given in the army, "conceded for years, and gives rise to no conflict, no trouble, but on the other hand has freed the War Department from many troubles, embarrassments, and controversies that perplex and disturb the navy." So he provided in his bill that staff officers of the navy shall, like army officers, receive recognition, with actual rank and title, and "that these shall be accorded everywhere."

TO INCREASE THE SHORTAGE OF OFFICERS

Very strong objection has been raised against the third section of the Hale Bill, which seeks to limit the number of graduate midshipmen to be commissioned in the navy. to seventy-five annually. The strongest of these objections is found in the fact that the navy is already so short of officers that it has been compelled to place many ships out of commission, in order to obtain officers for duty on newer vessels. Great difficulty is being experienced in the effort now being made to obtain the proper complement of officers for four new vessels just about to be commissioned.

So vigorous has been the opposition to this feature of the bill that Senator Hale decided, on January 21, to offer two resolutions, both of which were passed by the Senate, calling upon Secretary of the Navy Metcalf for information as to the number of line and staff officers on duty in

Washington on July 1, 1905, and on January 1, 1908, including a complete list of such officers, their duty, whether any of them serve on Boards, and the reason for such assignment. It is understood Mr. Hale contends that probably ten per cent of the total number of line and staff officers are now on duty in Washington. In his speech of January 9, Senator Hale asserted that, as a result of doubling and quadrupling the number of midshipmen appointments to Annapolis, there were now "852 midshipmen at the Academy, 312 at sea, or 1,164, more than 200 in excess of the number of all of the line officers of the entire Navy." Mr. Hale continued, "One thing is sure to result from this. When these immense classes complete their graduation and at the end of six years are poured into the lower ranks of the navy, there is at once a glut, or what we used to call a 'hump.' The lower ranks are unduly swollen. There is no opportunity, except slight, for emergence or issue, and unless something is done to arrest this condition, a bright youth, after his six years' course, receiving the appointment of ensign, will be twenty-five or thirty years older before he will attain the rank of lieutenant-commander. The number of ensigns and lieutenants today, without this vast number of appointments to pour in during the next five years, amounts to 523, and all the other line officers of the Navy number 442. In the presence of so great an evil I have provided that up to a certain point, to be decided by examination, the brightest, ablest, and most prominent of the midshipmen should be promoted to the grade of ensign and that all the others should receive a certificate that they had complied with the rules of the Department, that they had graduated with honor, should be given a year's pay, and left to enter civil life." Senator Hale declared his belief that this project would not cripple the navy, because the "entire fleet had been despatched to the Pacific or is there now"; that these "great aggregations of naval force will, combined, practically represent the entire naval force"; and that "it is completely officered."

WILL THE COMMITTEE INVESTIGATE?

When Senator Hale had completed his explanation of his bill, he was again pressed by Senator Tillman to answer whether, in the consideration of the Bill by Committee, the members of the Committee would go "into the question of the construction and unfitness of our battleships which has been raised." Senator Hale responded that the Committee would have to settle how far it would go. He thought great amplitude should be given the discussion of the bill in committee. "I do not think," declared Mr. Hale, "we shall get through this session,

discussing the navy and all the other questions coming up, without having a pretty general and wide airing of all these subjects." Mr. Hale said the Naval Committee "can settle then and there whether we will, in connection with this bill or by an investigation upon a Senatorial resolution of the special facts in such cases, go into that

very important question of the wholesale criticisms which have been made of the Department and the scandals almost that are connected with it." The Hale Bill pends before the Naval Committee, which Committee has not yet begun its regular sittings, because its members have been largely engaged upon other committee work.

At the request of the Secretary of the Navy League, we print the following:

At a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Navy League of the United States held in New York on December 20, 1907, the following resolution was adopted:

Resolved: That the Board of Directors of the Navy League moved by a profound sense of bereavement at the death on December 14, 1907, of their fellow member, Dr. W. W. Hollingsworth, President of the Nicholas Biddle Section of Philadelphia, and a Director of the Navy League, desire to place before the League some permanent record of his worth and character.

He was a firm believer in the principles upon which the League is founded. His advice and the earnest at

tention which he gave to the work and welfare of the League were particularly appreciated by the management of the organization, while his estimable character, his ability and his geniality earned for him the respect, admiration, and affection of all who came in contact with him.

At no time has he more conspicuously displayed his courage, bravery and devotion than when at a League meeting just before his death, he raised his voice in earnest advocacy of his well known views regarding the scope and purposes of the League. HENRY H. WARD, Secretary..

HORACE PORTER,

President.

At the request of the President of the Bluejackets' Friends Society, we insert the following:

The Bluejackets' Friends Society has been incorporated under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts after a year of successful work. Its objects are threefold:

First, It aims to secure respect everywhere and always. for the uniform of the enlisted men of the United States Navy, because whatever the MAN who wears it may be, the uniform represents the honor of the Nation and the patriotism of its people and, as such, should always be treated with respect.

Secondly, As many of the enlisted men are boys from seventeen to twenty-one years of age who have voluntarily left good homes and all the social advantages which those homes afforded, to serve their country, it becomes the duty of patriotic persons everywhere to welcome those enlisted men into our own homes and in every way possible compensate them for the sacrifices they have made. The members of the Society believe that many desertions

are caused by the treatment accorded the enlisted man when on shore and that these will become fewer as the work of the society becomes better known and its scope becomes wider.

Third, It aims to create in the hearts of citizens such a feeling of patriotism that no keeper of any place of public resort will dare refuse admission to any one clothed in the uniform prescribed by the U. S. Government.

Any person having a good moral character and desiring to help better shore conditions for the enlisted men of the Navy can become a member, excepting those who are in any way connected with the Navy. It is the desire of the officers of the Society that it be kept strictly civilian, as they most earnestly believe that in no other way can the results sought after be obtained.

The originator and President of the Society is Mrs. Abbie Fosdick Ransom, of Milton, Mass., the first vicepresident is the Rev. F. H. Gile, of 6 Beacon street, and the secretary is Mrs. Maud Walker, of 360 Broadway, Chelsea. Any information regarding the Society will be cheerfully furnished upon application.