FRENCH NAVAL REFORM.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 740, 12 February 1910, Page 6

FRENCH NAVAL REFORM.

DECENTRALISATION POLICY.

FAR-REACHING CHANGES. , wViting on December 20 the Paris cor-

respondent of the London "Standard" states-.— ■ ■ ■

Vice-Admiral Boue do Lapeyrere,.Minis-.; tar of Marine,, is busy dratting a scliome for the reform, of: the I'rench.naval service,. which, iin- iill probability, will- bo tho most important of the odd score or so that have- been evolved'sincetlie" ill-fated career' at tho Marine ,of M." Camillo Pel-. ietan. The Augean . .stables at -the Ministry of Marine have, constituted a problem that has ttapted'niany parliamentarians who flatter themselves with* a. genius for organisation;:and at times, when some of these " too-active -' minds discovered parallel' tendencies --in'; their : 'lines . of' thought, committees' were' formed to givp their proposals an air .of greater importance. In this way ' theroSvero sheaves of proposals for. the performance of.. differ-. erit surgical operations, or tho. npplica-' tion of strange 'medicines to' the administration of the navy, especially, after ■ the disaster of the lena,' and again during the inquiries.of the Delcasse committee of the Chamber. - ■ • • '- The scheme ..for'an'organic law drawnHP by; M.' Chaumet, tho main proposal of. wiiich was the elaboration, of a fixed progranime- of naval'expenditure for 'several years ahead, was,; perhaps, the. only one which contained anything but mere panaceas or ■ procrastinating devices; ana, tho new seems, to concur.in this, 'as although- ho. does not adopt this proposal in its: entirety,, and .makes 110 ; suggestion; for a :'iiaval programing lie takes up. .several other, .valuable points-for, decentralisation contained in M. Chaumet's scheme. Admiral Boue do Lapeyrere proposes reform's "for— . ■ 1. The administration of ; the forces. :. , 2. The administration, of ports of war 'and arsenals. .. ; ... • 3. Tho central-admintoation;-in'Paris!; These. Teforms are all based, upon - a principle, which.: divides the iwlmiiiistration Under three" heads: first,, the general management; second, .the carrying-out of orders: and the keeping', of : accounts;. and third, supervision.' Under the first head, the n&wil forces,-Admiral;Boue. de lapeyrere that' . the ■-, Commander-rift-.: Chief shall be; given- full; administrative responsibility. Under the' second head, in the ports 'of war, ho proposes that each shall have such' .'autonomy-, as is. necessary.. and. useful. •*' The. work of the different arsenals is to. be divided more in accordance,with'logic than it has 1 been hitherto, and ,the ports: are , to 1 ;be placed more directly, under,the authority;of- the Naval Prefect; who shall be: made entirely responsible: v; , . .

'."'-.These - two 'reforms- 'are.-pf *.great■; iin.lMrtance,- as ithe/'are in' two 'respects"a" greater advance on- all, other reforms. tlius . far. proposed, except, by' M. Chauinet.' By increasing the responsibility; of the mari-* time prelects and; the commanding admirals, the Minister ,for"Marjne:will reqiove ■from .the central' staff of tho Marine;the almost -incredible ;strain on its capacity due- to' the . incessant; referenai' to headquarters for. approval of 1 . tho .smallest .plans. It has . been related' in the several 'times: .how the ebief ■officials in Paris : 'have been consulted about'the purchase; of half-a-dozen screws at .Toulon, or: the; alteration in the de-. 'sign of a wheelbarrow at Brest: The. reforms also cut at the roots of ..the: polioy of centralisation- wHich for : many years ■has been .throttling the Marino and other State administrations. The constant. interference of: the":c'eniriJ" authority in matters, about which;, they could have no first-hand -information .has.,, been one of the, worst: features i;in.;.repent- years/ and' . has tended, to affect; the general ,discipline of tho 6taff. ;; *' ,-: .

, Admiral Boue. de, Lapeyrere, also' propose's . that every. week' in ' each.: of the 1 ' naval : : ports •; the different l ' technical' -:a,n-. .'thorities shall meet under thei presidency .of the marititne .prefect;, He "also proposes paymaster-general shall ';, oe appointed in- each port to relieve the, cen-; tnil administration ,in' : -the .matter of /ac- : counts.' ' The. Minister's scheme for re- , form- -will need-, no. pa'rliamcn tary disens- ' sioii > or sanction, as.vit can-be,put into, feffecf by,,;n^9 t decree. WW ,? c'ii¥' be. carried "out, without 'an , increase., in. expenditure. According to the ; Minister - for, Marine" i'th'ey .will impose a more methodical divi-; ; sioii of work.'ia better sense of Tespoiisicbility, and a ' closer- co-operation ,in the management, of, naval'affairs.; = Tiyo otherreforms" are in- dMiberatioh,' Oiie' for ' reforming the central; administration, and ,the: other for. "the-salary list;of 'civil servants in" the Marino.' :