St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-11-22
MORNING, NOVEMBER %, 1895.


them. 1, myself, in the presence of
three or four other gentlemen, had
long talk on the subject with the Of
fcfal meaSurer of the New York Yacht
club. There was no concealment in
the matter. The official measurer, all
the people belonging to Valkyrie, all
those on Defender, and the COMMITTEES,
knew about my complaint, and yet the
attempt is now made to prejudice me
in the eyes of two countries by accus-
Ing me of making, from the security
of my home, an entirely new charge,
which 1 did not dare to make on the
other side of the Atlantic, and
charge stigmatized as most gross and
deliberate insult. If it is an insult
now, it was certainly equally an in
suit when it was made, and L cannot
but think that this violent hurricane
of Indignation would have carried more
conviction had it burst over my de-
voted head at the time the compialnt
was made, while l was in America and
could have stood up for myself. 1t
seems a little out of date now.
COULDN'T PROVE 1T.
'I have been criticized here at home,
too tand it has been said: Though
you did make a complaint six weeks
ago, the matter had dropped out OF
sight. Why revive it" l quite agree
that it might be better to let the matter
drop. 1 did not constitute my reason
for Withdrawing from the contest, and
| should not have alluded to the water
line complaint if 1 could have avoided
it; but / could not. l published the
facts here because the committee re
ported them to the New York facht
club and the club published the report
in New York Why those interested
in Defender did not insist that lmme-
diate steps be taken to prove the
groundlessness OF my complaint, ao
not know. Why the committee did
not take the necessary steps Il cannot
tell. 1 could do nothing to justify my
complaint. l could not prove my case.
1t could only be proved by the commit
tee, and the committee having neg
Iected to secure proof one way or the
other, there was nothing left for me
to do.
"As a matter of fact, I believed the
object would not be publicly mentioned
in New York, and took measures TO
prevent it being publicly mentioned
here. But to my surprise the commit
tee reported upon it to the New York
Yacht club on Oct. "a, and the club
gave the report to the public press.
Reading the facts as they are set out
IN that report, any one would suppose
that my complaint was disproved by
the results of the measurement, though
obviously that was not the case, ana L
could not by silence appear to coun-
tenance such an erroneous conclusion
The most straightforward course to
,ursue was to publish the actual facts
md let the people form what opinion
they chose. The facts were that COM
piafned that the Defender was exceed
.ng her measured length. and l asked
for the remeasurement OF both vessels.
[ also requested that both vessels be
taken charge, of by the committee until
relea sed, and that the measurement be
made, if possible, the same day, and
was ignored. All-important because,
obviously, it would leave the vessels
alone to their own devices for twenty
four hours, and then. to measure them
would prove absolutely nothing.
A NATTER OF OPINION.
IT can understand men saying I had
no right to make a complaint against
he Defender. That is to say 1 ought
70 have trusted to the absolute ac-
curacy and integrity of men of whom I
know nothing, and have disbelieved the
evidence of my own senses backed by
the opinion of other people capable of
Judging. I do not think SO, but that
81 owner is justified in making such
complaint, the only fairAeritieisnn of
iIy. action which 1 have heard is that
l ought to have taken more vigorous
action. 1t has been said that I should
have refused to start in the first race
until the vessels were remeasured, and
have broken off the contest altogether
I was not justified, in my opinion, in
taking so serious a step. The race was
about to be started, some $4,000 people
were on some 200 steamers, and I
should have had to get my boat out,
pull aboard the committee vessel, re-
fuse to start, and should have been
accused by the public and press of un-
Willingness to sail because the weather
was not suited to me-too much sea, or
too little wind, and a. thousand things
and certainly deliberate rudeneSS to-
wards a great multitude of people who
had paid to see the race. And, if the
committee refused to postpone the
race, as I think they would have been
perfectly justified in doing, and said
they would have the vessels remeaSur-
ed afterwards, what a silly position l
should have been in? And if they con-
the way they did, and merely order the
vessels to be remeasured the next day,
what position / should have been in
then? You must clearly understand
that could do nothing myself to prove
the justice of my complaints. The
power, and it was possibly only by
measurement, under circumstances
preeluding the possibility of altera ton
of the load-water-line length. Nothing
My object would have been entirely at
tanned had the vessels been taken
charge of and remeasured after the
races as, before. Bear in mind also
that I gained the great point that the
vessels were ordered to be plainly and
visibly marked externally.
TOO LATE
Now, gentlemen, is it not strange
that, if my complaint can legitimately
bear the heinoOaS complexion now placed
upon it, no indignat tion was expressed
when it was made in September? Why
was 1t not commented upon in October,
when the New York Yacht club pub
m na T nnT mn of Org en-
the situation. The managing owner of
Defender in a letter read at the meet
ing of the New York Yacht club Monday
last, assumed full responsibility. He
says he is standing before the world
solemnly charged by me with most
base offenses, and invokes vindication
of the honor of the owners of Defender,
the. New York Yacht club and the
Americans. l am sorry this attitude
was adopted, and 1 strongly demur to
being credited with charges L have not
made. 1 greatly deprecate the intro
duction of the personal element into
the inquiry. l am afraid that with the
best of intentions, the New York Yacht
club inquiry after two months cannot
possibly arrive at satisfactory results.
As 1 have already offered, 1 will, at
convenience to myself, do the best to
assist the club, even If it involve visit
ing America The club will do its ut
most to sift the matter thoroughly and
as, after all, my bona fides is of some
little Importance to- me, | think it was
perhaps Superfluous to endeavor in eio-
quent language to persuade the club
that the honor of the Defender syndi,
cate, of the club and of the whole coun-
try depended upon the nature Of their
decision"
TT is the irony of fate that makes
me the instrument of all this fuss. 1
have devoted much time and thought,
have written volumes, and have spent
a good deal more than 1 can afford In
trying to resuscitate the Americas cup
from the limbo into which it had
fallen. But, now the hope is expressed
in America that no challenge may ever
be received from any yacht club of
which 1 am a member. 1 shall have
TO take my name off a considerable
of clubs. / am also accused Of
desiring to- insult the American nation.
My ideas are not so large or ambitious.
The contract is ever SO much too big
for me. 1t is not preposterously alb
surd that, after my long and close con-
nection with America, and the kind
ness and hospitality have experienced
at their hands, / could possibly desire
to insult them, or that, after immense