Beginning with the "Rules for the Regulation of the United Colonies" in 1775, twenty-five editions of regulations for the government of our navy have been issued. They became the "blue book" in 1818, but were changed to "red book" in 1832. when the "Rules of the Navy Department Regarding Civil Administration" were issued, followed in 1838 by "Financial Regulations for Naval Officers." presumably the administration ceased to be civil and officers needed no financial regulating, for shortly thereafter the present title in slightly amended form was adopted, and has been in use ever since. The years between successive editions mark periods of stagnation, as between 1876 and 1893; or of upheaval, unrest, or progress. as indicated by three issues between 1865 and 1870.
The "U. S. Navy Regulations and Naval Instructions, 1913" were approved by the President and Secretary of the Navy on January 25, 1913, after having been under consideration and revision throughout the last three years. They replace regulations issued to enforce various schemes of naval administration that were in force prior to the present system, which was inaugurated in 1909. Since that date the present system has undergone numerous modifications, changes that inevitably result from progress, and that will continue to crop up as the navy itself advances. It was almost impossible to issue definite regulations while rounding the edges and smoothing the rough spots in the new system, but the methods of handling work ashore and afloat are so radically different from those prescribed in the 1909 blue book, that the need for the new book has become imperative.
To facilitate changes and obviate the unwieldy proportions of the old book, with its nineteen C. N. Rs. pasted in place, the new edition is printed single-page and inserted in a loose-leaf binder. It contains an historical preface, table of changes showing the disposition of all old regulations, general, special, and navy yard orders, and the source of the new regulations and instructions. The index, almost twice as comprehensive as the old one, was done by the Government Printing Office, under the supervision of two young officers attached to battleships undergoing overhaul. One of them testified to the terrific strain of cross-reference indexing, by saying, "When I awake in the morning and see my slippers at my bedside, my brain immediately begins to reel with 'Slippers—see boots, shoes.'"
Following the index come the Navy Regulations, which have the President's approval, printed on blue paper. These are followed by the Naval Instructions, on white paper; these consist of such instructions as are usually contained in general, special, and navy yard orders, and are subject to change by the Secretary of the Navy. In the back of the binder are inserted several of the new series of general orders—special orders will no longer be printed—and these will henceforth have a syllabus printed at the top. These are placed in the binder for convenience until a separate binder can be furnished for their exclusive use.
Officers interested in the 1913 book will not have far to look before finding radical changes. The first chapter of the Regulations is given to the Articles of War; the second gives, succinctly and definitely, the new administration of the Navy Department. The assignment of the Section of Accounts of the Bureau of Supplies and Accounts and the Director of Navy Yards to the Division of Material, one week before the new edition was approved, so establishes the new administration as to have all business emanating from or referred to the Navy Department flow through one of the four channels, the Divisions of Operations, Personnel, Material, or Inspections. The only exceptions to this are the Office of Library and Naval War Records, which is under the Chief Clerk, and the Solicitor, who is the Department's legal adviser.
The Aids for Operations, Personnel, Material, and Inspections form the Secretary's Advisory Council; they meet daily to discuss broad questions of administration, organization, and policy; their decisions are made after consulting the bureaus and offices concerned, and are recorded for the information of the Secretary and Assistant Secretary. It will be noted in this chapter that the almost-forgotten Bureau of Equipment occupies a prominent place, but a foot note explains the annual distribution of its duties, as authorized by Congress.
No attempt will be made to discuss the details of vital changes in the chapters affecting navy yard organization and administration, inspections, repairs, surveys, supplies, etc. It may be of interest, however, to mention a few of the changes that are out of the ordinary, and that might easily escape notice for months; these are set forth below in the order in which they occur.
NAVY REGULATIONS.
Chapter 3 places all ships in two classes: in commission, and out of commission. Those in commission are in one of three conditions: in full commission, in reserve, or in ordinary; reserve ships have the same status as ships in full commission, while those in ordinary are under the commandant. Receiving ships have a peculiar status, being under the senior officer present afloat with regard to their material readiness for sea, and under the commandant for receiving ship business.
Chapter 10 prohibits the use of "General Order," "Special Order," "Navy Regulation," or "Naval Instruction" by any bureau or office.
Chapter 11 has radical changes in matters of rank, command, and duty, while Chapter 12 gives more definite regulations upon honors and distinctions. Several recommendations of the Joint Army and Navy Board are incorporated in the latter: the "Admiral's March" is designated for the band in tendering honors to flag and general officers; 11 guns are given consuls-general; and in the absence of a band, "To the color" must be sounded by the buglers upon the occasion of the reception of the President.
In Chapter 15 commanders-in-chief are directed to make an unusually poor performance at target practice or in any part of the steaming competitions the subject of investigation.
The duties of the personal and fleet staff are revised in Chapter 17; the personal staff has been enlarged by the addition of a fleet radio officer and a fleet torpedo officer, and the division staff by the addition of a division naval constructor, when constructors become available.
Two new corps were added to Chapter 27, the Naval Medical Reserve Corps and Naval Dental Corps.
The regulations governing liberty for enlisted men, which were drawn up in the Atlantic Fleet, are given in Chapter 34.
NAVAL INSTRUCTIONS.
Chapter 2 was completely rewritten after having been printed, as a result of an executive order placing navy yard labor under the Civil Service rules.
The reports on fitness of officers, as given in Chapter 5, will, in the future, form the basis of assignment to duty. The use of these reports was evinced by the recent selection of the postgraduate classes, which was based exclusively upon reports on fitness. One officer selected is being returned from a foreign station because his record showed him to be a desirable officer for the course, although he had not applied for it.
The duties of chief of staff are enlarged in Chapter 9, and all the personal and fleet staff perform duties "under the chief of staff."
In Chapter 12, the chief fire control duties are taken away from the executive officer, as a result of a majority recommendation of the Atlantic Fleet. His duties in time of battle now place him near the captain, but where his station would not be involved in any disaster to the conning tower. The gunnery officer is placed in central control of the battery, in Chapter 15, while the first lieutenant is left in the central station (Chapter 13).
Chapter 29 contains a new and interesting series of instructions on the care, handling, specifications, and tests of coal, fuel oil, mineral oils, and gasoline.
As an example of the never-ceasing changes, attention is invited to Chapter 42, on accounting at navy yards. The present system, which was drawn up by accounting experts, is liable to complete revision by a conference of commandants of naval stations. Similarly, the approval of a pending proposition to abolish Title B equipage will cause changes throughout the Instructions.
Chapter 44 should inaugurate an era of conciseness, simplicity, and almost brusque directness in methods of interior correspondence. This chapter deserves immediate and careful study, since official letters must hereafter comply with its requirements with regard to the following:
(1) File number in the upper right-hand corner, for vertical flat filing.
(2) Use of sub-letterheads, when practicable, at shore stations.
(3) Use of "From" only when sub-letterheads are not used.
(4) Use of "To" as at present.
(5) Use of "Subject," "Reference," and "Inclosures" as given.
(6) Body of letter must not contain formal, introductory, or circumlocutory phrases, or useless initials; must be brief, logical, and confined to one subject.
(7) When letterhead or sub-letterhead indicates writer, signature must be surname only for officers above the rank of lieutenant.
(8) Pages must be arranged in inverse order, first page on the bottom, last page on top.
This direct method of correspondence is, by mutual consent, used with the War Department.
In Chapter 44 will also be noted the new telegraphic and cable addresses of flag and commanding officers: as "Flag, Wyoming, Havana," and "Comofficer, Maine, Philadelphia." Telegraph and cable companies will be notified of these changes.
There are changes of interest and bits of consolation throughout the book for all grades. For instance, retired officers will be pleased to know that they may change their address or even go abroad without asking permission (1705 (3)); a commander-in-chief must salute upon the occasion of every visit to a foreign port, instead of once a year (R 1212 (3)); captains are told that battleship crews cannot do repair work while at navy yards (1 3408 (1)); executive officers of first-rate ships never have to alternate with other heads of departments (R 3708 (1)); watch officers may stand day's duty when reduced below five for any reason, instead of merely "by reason of sickness" (1 2508 (6)); the assignment of quarters at navy yards is given in R 4511; the national flag is used at funerals instead of the union jack (R 1308); only one wine-mess is allowed a ship, to be run by an officer not below the rank of lieutenant, but junior and warrant officers may become members thereof (1827); last, and one of the most radical, is this: officers and men shall hereafter salute with the "off" hand * (R 1193 (5)). This was a recommendation of the Joint Board, and the only authorized exception to the use of the off hand is in rendering honors to passing vessels and, to officials coming on board; when the right hand salute is prescribed in Article R 1157.
The last change in the new book was made as the pages were being printed, and was the insertion in Article R 4489 of a provision giving officers traveling between or to shore stations beyond the continental limits of the United States, or returning therefrom, a baggage allowance similar to that allowed by the army.
Enough articles have been left vacant between successive sections of each chapter to accommodate probable additions for five years. Despite careful proof-reading by all bureaus and offices, numerous errors were nipped in the final page proof, and undoubtedly numerous ones remain to be reported by the service at large. Some of the errors that clung to the end were: a statement of radio messages received from "seaweed" (seaward), and surgeons teaching the use of "sprints" (splints).
However, the book goes on its mission with the best intentions.
*AUTHOR'S NOTE.—The Joint Board on February 26, 1912, reconsidered this and recommended saluting with the right hand exclusively, when making hand salutes. This will necessitate a change in the new regulations.