New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-05-17
NAVAL MEN DISGUSTED.
DISSATISFACTION WITH THE SENTENCE OF
MCCALLA
OF THE COURT.MARTIAL.

Washington, May 1G (special)-The sentence
passed upon Captain McCalla by court martial for
h-lfeathg his crew is the subject Of discussion and
comment at the Navy Department. small minority
llihK that the sentence is about what the offence
deserved, while Others still fewer in number, al
vance the opinion that the old has been treated
roughly The vast majority Of officers. however,
regard the sentence outrageOusy inadequate. IN
eject the sentence simply amounts, they say. to
/ giving Commander McCalla three years leave with
pay. During lis suspension he Will receive the pay
OF an officer on waiting orders which. in the case OF
commander, is $500 year Under ordinary cir
cumStances, an officer coming home from cruise
such as that Of the Enterprise would be first allowed
to have from three to six months leave of absence
the pay being the as waiting orders pay, ana
he would then be detailed for shore duty at $1,000
year. Thus taking no account Of the leave WHICH
he would have obtained, Captain McCana VIII lose
but $780, or the difference between shore duty ana
leave pay. Had he been the most mcrtorouS OF
officers, he could not by any means nave ob'!1hou
more than years leave with pay. mad he asked LOT
it. Pecuniarily Commander McCalla IS, they clalm'
well Oh. his wife is wealthy and he owns hne
house in this city. The loss Of pay Is nothing 10
him, if common report is 10 be believed. lie Is a.
the same time free to engage in any outside business
enterprise lie may WISH and thus recruit MS fortunes
to many times the extent Of his loss
Commander McCalla was to day dctachcd rom COM
mand of the Enterprise.
Expressions of disgust arc to be heard everywhere
Ii seems 10 me- said officer that II would nave
been enough for the court to have let McOdlla OH
easily, without asking for clcmency. Inc ecVen
men who signed that recommendation ought to feel
SMALL
at is a record that should make Naval officers
blush said a service man. They should feel dis
gracod by the fact that ten OF their number can tlu'
practically applaud the tyranny OF commander over
his helpless crew.
"What a spectacle is here presented" was one eN
camation a court finds man guilty OF Aalt
dozen violations of the regulations OF hall dozen us
tinct crimes ard then Furnishes hm by rWaidihH NM
Look at records the cases of IaNnastcI
General Smith and SurgeOn-G General NaicS' S"u sun
another officer. "who dismissed because licS a."
not exercise sufficiently close watch over thcr as
honest subordinatcs and see whether lh'l" j am
found and declared guilty OF pcSluVe t'.Ho o'''
thrcts-y ears holiday and j. paid for taking ~
~ can ma but one mg to and a HAT is } hat ' iney
afraid Of establishing a precedent lItt Nisn.
work against them in case Any OF them sh'un ever
get 10 commanders again 1870
We might well burn up the eeulillon'' no"
that McC ALA has been pItsG on tho baeh ior N4o!ds
ing them" mutteTcd old OiAcrr
thus the talk went on-in nineteen case, ON 81
twenty coudemnatory OF the court and IL, hidlhS-
several folk, cited the case Of Commander Look VINO
for leaving his rotten ship in Alaska To come ~ !"
urge her repairs. suspended from rank a,u V"lt
officer was punished almost twice A. severely a. ~
tain NcCalla for an exhibition OF 100 H'''h %''' ''
'' ~ said on good authority that the fir, vote Of
thc NcCalla court stood as follows: For a'9uNh
admiral Harmony for dismissal Captain N'i'r
Erhcn Phythian Matthews and iIdgnan. 10. ~
maud in general ONicrs-tie rest OF inc '',l''
final sentence compromise between 'he7' &c