The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1870-08-16
NAVY DEPARTMENT CoBRUprToN.
Facts that Congress- should Investigate.

Facts that Congress should Investigate.
Correspondence OF Tho Sun.
wAsHISeroS, Aug. 1.-The plunderers who
have done so much to bring the navy into
disgrace are nov here again, hoping, In the
absence Of Congress-, to renew their outrageous
schemes Of robbery by manipulating tho De.
parthent as has heretofore been successfully
done. As the Mediterranean squadron lie to be rein
forced under the weak pretence OF necessity oeca.
stoned by the existing war the hitting out OF new
vessels will involve large expenditures pt home,
wns sn,Isc r IN orSg1 waters win AFFORD
jobs which have lowered our navy Nil over Europe
A fellow named Abecassis, formerly the keeper Of
again, expecting repeat the Infamous contracts by
which the Government has been robbed OF hundreds
priyity OF the bureaus in the Navy Department.
This ADVENTURE gives out openly that he Is sus-
Gently OF the Bureau OF Equipment aud Repairs,
who made the outrageous coal contracts with
Aoecassis, by which he poeketed - so IN gold per
vice and Others equally meritorioua and creditable
ADMIRAL Smith was promoted to the command OF the
When this follow Abecassis last came to wnsh
ington he made contract for olive oil to the extent
the market value in Lisbon. Commodore Alden
contracted for 1900 gallons, and Admiral Porter
~ TO give his protd0t good job In consideration
perhaps of the OF wine the boxes OF Gloves
and other persuasive Arguments which had been
And when Mr.. Neal, the Consul at Lisbon. re-
ported tl'is and other truuds and showed that
tain paymaslers had deliberately disobeyed the
Naval Regulations, and In fact conspiring to
carry on these roCuerios IN order 70 profit by them
calls sheltered, as they bad systematically been by
the Department rom the moment that Admiral
Smiths disgraceful contracts were exposed.
The navy has become a close corporation, and is
run entirely In the sense OF personal interest. The
present organ zation must and " III be broken up to
the good which still attaches to a part Of
the service 1t can only be saved BY reconstruction
the effort Ii not TO punish and purge the navy but
to cover up the villany by asssiling whoever may
have made the charge known especially IL it comes
IRON q civil service. Thore is no high esprit Dc
corps isft, such eKlsts In tue army. In q word,
the navy is sadly and seriously demoralized
The Regulations require commanders of squadroas
and vessels to inform themselves about all pur.
eIases, contracts aud safes Of bills OF exchange in
| foreign ports They rarely perform this duty and
hence il i left almost exclusively TO the paymasters
Having no check upon them, these officers tempted
by presents, profits or other Inducements, are too
apt to all INTO tue hands Of sharpers and thus II is
that outrageous prices charged TO the Govern
ment and paid by oppressed taxpayers.
nat consul reports such facts to tile Departme en- the
Admiral or commander has an interest In protecting
the paymaster, even II he Is not party to the con
he has dei4ulted TO his own duty Us prescribed by
the rules OF the navy Hence, to protect his squad
ron or vessel, influence is enlisted at WASHINGTON,
and the Consul Who has striven 10 prevent extor-
ton finds himself assaiied with mean suspicion, in.
stiga'ed by the very criminals whom he had ar
Gen. Washburne reported an amendment TO the
Naval bill last session which would have sum.
marily stopped this system OF plumber. But Mr.
sconeld, Chairman OF the Naval Committee, which
represents The close corporation, and not the people
objected TO IL on the technical ground OF being
" new legislation" ana tile amendment was thus
ruled out. Porter, Smith, and Others concerned,
put Schohed up to that unworthy trick, because
such legislation would have condemned them, aud
closed the jobbery hoh they had favored.
Tho failure TO pass that amendment las assembled
the thieves from abroad and at home Tor a new at
tack on the Treasury. But Mr. Robson had better
look 10 II how he permits the intended robbery,
since thai Department will hardly escape athOTough
overhauihs next winter, from new deye lopments to
be made, SPECTATOR