Telegram-herald., 1890-03-09
WASHINGTON ECHOES
TIE Coming Investigation IN the
Naval Department.
IHE POPULARITY OF SPEAKER REED
Representative wheeler hessissa< Con-
sratsie ieEioas--sss&tor McJillsa's
DtaasF--A hs.4nazo0lszisA
Specimen.

ol the navy which Vii shake the SER
vice 10 is very Foundation. Not al m
vest CATION Of the department and ITS
methOds-sach thlags have been done
ia the past-but an inquiry IA the per-
soaael, and mere particularly the way
ia which the enlisted men are treated
by their superior officers. Ia view of
the developments OF the last few days
it IS felt that such thing IS absolutely
necessary.
Congress has shown during the last
few wears that il Is disposed " be very
LIBERAL IN the matter OF building up a
navy. IL 4 the one thing on which
both parties are able TO agree and meet
on a common ground. In the last Con
gress the Democrats made very liberal
appropriations, aud il has been gen
orally agreed that the rebuilding Of the
navy shall not be regarded as
party question Because of this temper
of the legislative body It Is re-
garded As particularly unfortunate
AAAtAN AAAN4L oAA0AAA ~ al iAEAEro4AN III
Congressional investiga ton, but the
scandals OF late have been so frequent
and glaring that, unless they arc
promptly checked, the effect will be
disastrous. Public attention, of late,
has been drawn to tOthetremendous num-
Der of desertl0ns IN our army and navy,
and various plans have been suggested
whereby the evil might be migitsted,
In the last annual report OF the Secre-
tary OF War, considerable space was
devoted to the subject, and the differ
ent division commanders suggested
various plans. But the recent dlsclos-
ures which have been made have sug-
gested TO members of Congress and
others, that the fault for so much de-
sertion hes with those in authority, and
that If the men were treated more like
men and less like dogs. the morale and
efficiency of the army would be greatly
improved. The oppressive sentence
passed on Private Wild, at Fort Shell
ing IMinn., and the prompt action cf
the President IN ordering Lieut..
Steele 10 stand trial for
teing guilty of conduct unbecom-
ing an officer, has done more TO correct
n long standing evil than anything else.
On the top of tins come the reports of
the outrageous cruelties practiced by
Commander McCalla. of the Enterprise,
on her European cruise. | do not know
II the full account of all these things
have been published IN Grand Rapids,
but here in Washington everything re-
latIng 70 the two services Is naturally
read with the closest attention, and 1t
= felt that If only one-half of the things
which Commander McCalla is charged
with having done. really took place on
board ms ship, that ne Is unfit to hold
a commission, and that the sooner he
IS kicked out the better il viii be. An
officer IN the navy has not been cash
icred for more than century, but Sec
retary Tracy is determined To get to the
bottom Of this business, and f the
charges are proven there will be no
hope for the bullying commander, and
nc viii have 10 90 out. On the top of
this come repeated stories of un-
plCasautness IN the squadron of
evolution commanded by Admiral
Walker. and which Is now IN Euro
petu waters. This Is the first modern
squadron which tue United States has
ever had atOat, and the officers were
selected from the very cream of the
service. lt was expected when they
were sent abroad that the training
would he of tine very greatest use TO
them. and they would come back
having acquired a lot OF information
valuable to the department. But
according 10 private letters received hv
officers M TINS city, L appears that
pretty nearly every officer OF nigh rank
IN tbe squadron has either been rcpri-
m3uded 0r placed under arrest, or else
suspended. II these stories are true, Il
3, evident that there i something
radically wrong IN the discipline OF the
toct and that what Is needed even be-
fore we get ships Is new set of officers
who know how 20 behave themselves,
and 90 the officers placed under them.
Secretary Tracy Is intensely annoyed
by thC gOlngs on. and I am told he Is
determined To fully investigate them
aud severely punish the men who
are found % be at fault r. Ger
tain'y reflects no prestige on this
country for it e. send It's squadron to
ANI- - WtttN- LtltA tt lAtht lt~ course
marked by nothing bat the punishment
0f prominent officers. OF course such
things are known TO the officers OF
every foreign navy. and 1t gives them
very poor OPINION Of the discipline
which prevails IN the american navy.
If the National Republican Conven-
ton was 70 be held in a month from
now, and If the delegates largely con
sisted 1T members OF Congress, It IS
safe t0 assert that the Presidential
ticket would have Speaker Reed name
a. the head There IS sentiment
growing ln favor Of Reed and Lincoln.
tlt 70 IS more than year until the con-
vrr.ou IS held aud public opinion IS
vsrs rlS'C and changes a good deal Un
tse course of a twelve months.
Rrr~-srriafve Wheeler. 81 Bay City.
D. receiving the couCratu latrons 81 his
follow members for tbc sucrcsSfui deal
vhe1 ae ha- made respecting lrfs ship
ysri Mr. Wheeler S one of the lucky
men Nho has prohted hv the rage of
els trr sn svn1cates t0 get huld of
everything in this country which wIl
r4v profit. I'sconcern IS capitalized
~ s-fo roc and the RntIshers have ia
,r-arrti she capital to e. 500 wo. which
rFrs fnfu u0seesslou of half the stock
ST. Wheeler stfl retains possession ~
81 rrrs,frrcv ard BIS interest m the
= n,nsnv. The yard was started OF ly a
4 ~ wears sco v'tn c8p'ts' e 80 .ooc