New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-06-09
AFFAIRS AT THE NAVY YARD
,, ATTACKS on OFFICERS IN CHARGE
OF BUREAUS.
THERE IS TO THE CHARGES MADE-A NE"
-,, o,, THE MEADE CAsE-ARTICLE NO.
aa,-woRK ON THE VESSELS
NOTES AND COMMENT


oq,-vonK oN THE VESSELS
NOTES AID COMMENT.
THAT the sensational reports afec'inE oihcerS III
oharrc of the various bureaus Of 'n' '''ooN'' -,
oha's vara and the intimaton that detachment AMI
Nav? ,,rt.rpartial would follow certain alleged
p'sS'' - CIVIL Service rules and The ignoring
'.'n.orv Herbert's demand for an explanation
t,,a cause 10; Of talk was 20 nave pee" "a
80 That there Is any thing substantial 'AVN 81
p,r,s Is not believed by those best aclualn'e'
inc ,,ers Of Navy Yard detail The Tribune
10. morning showed that the delay IN 'hc
-. :. I ieufeuant Knapp's charges reaching sec
..,. Herbert was entirely beyond the coh'ro OF
49,, oaicers implicated. with one exception an" 'hat
~ .,a, one case he officer could be p-ameu ONLY
- stretching of official rel tape. Inc unfortunate
~ 80 tho AFFAIR is that under a strict interpetra-
l. - and obedience tc Article No 20 OF the Naval
wv ,,ions the officers have no opportunity OF de
.d,,g themselves against unjust ana uhwatr"h'ed
attacks ,.u boon ord 10 now al
,,ch to a less extent than formerly, used "s Il
a,,,cal machine and Convenient place in when
=, s,oro away useful men is well known uui 'hat
.,.,. careful and conscientious men should
-, nd. TO suffer from results which they had no
how'd in causing and which they were "'i''''' -
r.,.or+ "a not conducive to a WIZ enthusiasm 10
,,er or remain in service when permits such 3"
,,,e of Affairs A tangling of red tape Is likely
- -. q, errors somewhere and an instance OF
- o,,,a,hout devious way in which minor de-
.le are handled and fine example OF using
,oar, hammer To crack a hickory nut came TO
~. Yesterday \ few days ago the head oil 4
bureau sought to drop from the rolls me name o,
I'm who had been III over two months ana
-, r,h,il,. never hc able resume work. The
a,,.r came before the Labor Bureau. when IN
freed the document to the COMMUNICATE win All
obie,tion to tho term used n specifying the lodSo"
-. ,ro discharge The commandant returned it to
,t.,,.e,,nt within whose domain 1t came with a
,,ry a. TO A substitute for the expression inns
-. ras received noted and replied to. ana the
,,,, milo Of papers returned 10 the commahnah''
r.hose typewriter took a hand IN the ahali' ann
ocoived a dictated Endorsement to the bureau 'hlci
r,n his attention to the suggested alteration
rben the pile was taken to the Once WeIe Z"
started out and in due time the alteration wiz ~
1 and the whole thing gone over again me
s, may he discharged. but 1t is likely that ne Will
he dead before the official papers reach nm.
ttoro &c a case where six commissioner officers oi
tho United states Navy Department have devoted
time trouble and expense TO the so'l'ihen' VI '
burning question as to whether "coh'ihuen n'''
r "loss of muster" is the proper explanation OF
tho reason for dropping man from inc ro"S' '"'
the advisabiliy OF striking his name OH II "i'n,''
The wonder H. not that there are Few mS'nN'S
IN, that any lnislncss is transacted. ana wh'n d"
- man ,ros to run his affairs IN such a man
~ hankrntcy and a shcrins sale are the na'u'a
results. 49, o,,t,,,
q. tho appicat!on Of Article no 20. n''r ''S ."''
II strictly carried out. the business oi '"' Va
recruitment would hc sealed book to the pooP''
s,,,,,,, tho ,;oyernm,nt ana pay ne bills. ana
,.,ac1 IN other dcparm ,nis Of the public service
uopll result, In genera shutung-up OF 'N''"-
mcnt affairs within a wall OF secrecy ""'" W"
reoplc would lose little time In prc"NlnR "'"'
The pertinent question has been asked "n'' r','
h.s resulted from this article" Ana II ~ dnn'"' 10
crit
ma, no advocated by rightihnkins men, p"' " VIII
ho difficult 10 prevent 1t by repieSsN' "''S"' -
Service IN navy army subjects "'" 10 "''
RAISING constraints even dndcr IN" most '"'''
condit,ons and the principle Of suppression sh'u''
NO, he pushel too far. II is the merest hyPo'''S'
:. cesar, tina, regulations are always observed eN-
cant In the rare cases where we have of'icai hio'
nation to the contrary. Every one VINO n'o"'
ANYTHING about Il knows that this Is not the TACT
some OF the most famous officers in the service Oh
~.,or have been chronic 'kickers,' and
coupling &c much the privilege Of the sailor-mah De
he MILDLY or admiral is the drawing OF preatn'
An attempt 10 stop it by force IS sure 10 r'Nu. VIE"
astrously TO somebody. and from the case OF I''''
Admira, Meade. who spoke panty 10 '"e iV0'
,rraan chiefs who feel that they cannot deleh'
themselves the balefu influence Is felt OF RUE
,,hsch in observance deprives a man. sworn 70 ue-
fond the Nation of one Of the hrst Things III"
Nation was founded to secure-free speech ina.
officers AT all times and in all places shoula De "'
accountable for ofcia. acts ana ut'e'd"OoH - -
<oc,v right but that unofficial utterances should
Ia seized upon as preteXts for an onc'd scoiI'I''
~ tia, an officer under unofficial attack should De
deharred from clearing himself in the same way Is
another matter. ..
reu. feature CT the Meade caec is the report mat
the Admiral is under observation; tnat II If eApeci
no will in time make admissions upon which charges
,riable by a court-martia. can be drawn up anu
,ho, q court-martial VIII follow. The Admra :
friends say that this report Is based on iac' anu
they charge that the Naval authorities nave uese"-
Grated into detectives seeking inioTihaNO" uio"
which TO arraign the Admiral The allegation i d
serious one OF course. The Admirals admirers
ao,o ~ nc aware Of this but they no less posi-
tive in making IT, They say intelligence has reached
,heno "a the effect that in revOking the authority OF
the Admira. 20 abroad on year iea'e' inc
President and Secretary Herbert entertained the eN-
recitation that sooner or later the Adhiral "o'u
commit himself The Admiral is somewhat impui-
s.ve at times it is explained. and IN moment OF
anger he might say that he wae correctly reporter
IN The Tribune knowledge of such admission
would finally reach the Navy Department. ana 'hcI"
would be 20 delay in calling court tose'her' Il Il
said Those who sympa;hze with the Adinra are
highly indignant at the idea Of that officer beng
b., ,,rder eenionage They say however. that the
oh,ec, Of the authorities viii not be attained as
tina Admiral is fully aware Of the present cxpecta-
lions in his case, and that he IS observing the
etrjctest silence respecting his afdrs' ana r's"'
here comes the question: What Is there upon the
oncial record TO explain the rebuke administered 10
Admiral Meade? If he has been guilty Of G'src-
snect toward the Chief Magistrate he deserves pun
ishment but his punishment should b. ADMINISTERED
through the proper forms. To disregard 'heSe 10
blow at the service itself
WORK on THE VESSELS.
The Cincinnati. which is at the yard a""l'ins
alterations In her vontilating apparatus, IS III ''
hands Of the machinists although she VIII a'.'"
the open,ng OF the Harlem Ship Canal on June
! and fire a salute The Raleigh and the Atlanta
are also to take part in the celebration ana the ia-
ter will at the end Of the ceremonies. continue on
her way TO New-Iondon Conn. The reasons l''
sending her there not fully known out IL u u-
derstood that she will take part In anoiher uidi "i
the torpedo- boat Ericsson. which has been uh"er-
going repairs since her experimental trips last ia
The Maine Lancaster Will be READY TOT 'h''i
~