The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-18
rnB INDIANA rs A1n nrenr.


WARRINGTON. Sept. 17.-ActinR Secretary
Roosevelt talked for publication to-day about
yellow journalism. A story was published this
week in one of these papers that the battleship
Indiana had been badly injured at her recent
docking in Halifax. and since then a number of
inquiries have been made OF the Navy Depart
ment about the truth of the statement. Mr..
Roosevelt did not mind the yellow journals
publication, because he thought nobody would
believe II. but when people began to ask how
much the Indiana had suffered he lost patience.
To dispose OF any question as to the condition
OF the vessel he telegraphed to Capt. Taylor,
the lndiana's commander, for a statement of
the facts. and sent an officer to inspect her.
Capt. Taylor responded that the Indiana was all
right. and Mr.. Roosevelt is confident that tho
inspection oflcer will mako a similar report.
To Fl U reporter to-day Mr.. Roosevelt said:
MY experience in the Police Department
educated me TO excessive incredulity as to any
statement coming from the opponents OF tho
yellow journalism, but I found / wasn't quito
incredulous enough. Tho elaborate statements
as to the injuries to tho Indiana. due to her
docking. were reiterated with such circum-
stantiality that 1 finally tclegraphed to find out
whether there was any basis for them. But, of
course. there was nothing in It. l was watch
ing tho Indiana In the mannuvres the other
udg, III ttlkcu at ltHRLn ABOUT z w hCI up
tain. As she was then in excellent trim, l should
have been surprised II any injury had since
been discovered or anything had gone wrong.
And nothing has gone wrong, excepting the re-
ported defect In one gun, concerning which we
shall know nothing until the expert sent to
Hampton Roads makes his report. Tho injury
in the dock at Halifax consisted in q slight
buckling In some OF the plates, never getting up
to an inch and a hall. SO trivial was 1t that it
did not cause the tiniest leak. Its the kind Of
accident. II accident 1t can be called, that occurs
continually when warships or heavy merchant
vessels arc docked. 1t happens frequently in
every navy and in every merchant service.
That 1t does not impair the ships efficiency in
tho least would be evident to any one who has
seen the Indiana handled. Only an expert
would know that it existed. Dozens of such
things occur all the time. and they will never
be Of any consequence. excepting to the sensa.
tional journalist.
II may mention incidentally that these same
sensational journalists lack discretion. Much
more serious things happen all the time. The
ordinary cruisers, and especially the smaller
cruisers, can be handled almost as IL they were
merchant vessels and don't get out OF repair.
But the really formidable fighting machines,
the battleships at one end Of the line and tho
torpedo boats at the other. are very delicate
mechanisms, and we must constantly be keep
ing them in order and watching them to see that
they arc up to the highest point OF efficiency.
And while this is going on there will be an op-
portunity from time TO time for some scandal
Munger. anxious to discredit his country, to
bring out some story Of alleged damages TO, or
worthlessness OF. one OF our ships. In each case
1t will DO as it is in this case, q fake pure and
simple. Our ships are as fine as any of their
class throughout the world. and they are han
died and manned by officers and men whose su-
periors are not to be found in any foreign SER
vice"