New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-05-08
CAPTAIN REEDS NAME WITHDRAWN.

CAPTAIN REEDS NAME WITHDRAWN.
THE PRESIDENTS ACTION CREATES A SITUATION
UNPRECEDENTED IN THE NAVY.
Washington. May (SpecaD.-The President has
withdrawn from the Senate the nomination OF Cap
tain A. V. Reed, of the Navy to be a commodore
In doing he has blocked the immediate promo
ton of twentyseven officers of the line Of senior
and Junior grades. and prevented the advancement
of these and all other officers who may be found
qualified for promotion within ten months. Not
within recent years has such condition of affairs
been known in the Navy The story of the case Is
this:
About two months ago Captain Reed up
for promotion. He was then in command OF the
Navy Yard at Portsmouth, n. H. He appeared be-
fore examining board In this city. The board
had before it his full naval record. which showed
In detail his duties since his last advancement
After considering all the evidence before It, the
board found Captain Reed qualified in all respects
for promotion to the grade Of commodore. and
recommended that he be advanced The board
was composed of officers senior TO the candidate
and its finding regarded as fair and just
Secretary Herbert approved the recommendation
and with the usual Endorsement. forwarded the
record Of the proceedings Of the board to the
President. The held up by the President
for time 1t appeared in the record that on
one occasion about six years Captain Reed
had some official trouble with Rear-Admiral Gilli,
The board considered this point. but as General
Tracy, then Secretary of the Navy, had held the
Admiral. not Captain Reed, bamabe, it passed
the incident.
The President finally decided to pursue an unusual
course. He sent the nomination of Captain Reed to
the Senate 10 be confirmed, subject TO exainna-
tion" He directed the Navy Department to place
the captain on the probation list for one year,
which period he spend at sea. At the end
of the time he TO come up for examination.
Captain Reed has number of friends in the SEN
ate it appears and they promptly showed we murn
Committee on Naval Affairs that the action OF the
President was not only unusual, put nh5 e rna amo
ed TO the Senate. The points in the case were IN
was held up 1t is said that some member OF the
committee informed Secretary Herbert that
favorable report on the d n, NJ made
Presumably the Secretary gave this information 70
nomination. He has pursued this course in other
instances but in no case now recalled were the CIR
cumstances peculiar and the hardships SO Tar
It is Charged that the President became irrltated
at the attempted dctation Of the Senate commit,
tee. and having concluded that a favorable report
would not be made on Captain Reeds name SUD
with the Intention Of not sending 1t IN again untn
the probationary period OF one year nao e'SpSrv,
ING ont hi, programme he would execute 1t inde-
pendently This OF course he has the right to 90
which officers complain is that as result OF the
Presidents course the nt PEaptan Reed
is again examined: nominated and conl ain OF
dropped from the Navy II foInd disqua.neu p,O
manders Cook and Chester three lieutenant-com-
manders, Hutchns, Ackley and Gilpatrck; iour
Beeher; nine junior leutenants. Gibbons. snowden
| Tilman Lopez. Kellogg, Purcell Bitter Dpes reese
and Phelps; and nine ensigns. Slocum. Miller Kline
McGinnis Strauss. Stanworth Russell ana HisP-
| ham whose promotions are blocked by the fiesi-
| dents course There is telling how many other
| officers may be in the same boat before captain
| Reeds case is settled Under the Presidents d.
| rections Captain Reed will so 10 sea for the re-
| mainder of his period of probation about zen
| months The captain is TO be sent to the Newark
| from which Captain W. b. HofY was summary re-
lieved a few days ago.
| GOV. MATTHEW'S HUNTING FOR VOTES.