The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1898-07-14
! OHIO MEN IN THE NAVY
Dkeye Statesmen Do Not Modest
That Department
; Superstition Is That They Have
Preferred Other Departments
Of Government
Service.

Dne conspicuous but not generally
ticed exception TO the pernicious or
neficentactivity of Ohio men in Amer
An politics is to be found in the fact
at though the state of Ohio has a very
,nsiderable water line on Lake Erie
lere has never been an Ohio man at
ne head of the navy department of
he United States since the establish
nent of the post of secretary of the
Iavy in 1898. The present secretary of
he navy is a Massachusetts man, cx-
Gov. Long; the first secretary of the
navy was a Massachusetts, man, too,
George Cabot; and New England men,
generally, have been largely represent
ed in the administration of this federal
department.
One reason which has occasionally
been assigned for the absence of Ohio
men, conspicuous elsewhere, in the navy
department cf the country is the fact
that so far Is ocean coast line is con-
cerned, Ohio is an inland state; but
this view of The case cannot be very well
maintained for Indiana. which is more
of an inlaId state than is Ohio, has
been Represented in the presidents cab
met in secretary of the navy, and so,
too, has West Virginia, which is in the
same positon as Indiana. Moreover
the state of California, which has a
longer coast line on the ocean than any
other state, has been unrepresented in
the Presidents cabinet by n secretary
OF the navy. Some other reason must
therefore, be sought for Ohio's exclu-
sion. The most probable explanation
of the case is this, that Ohio men gen.
orally have sought in Washington
other posts by preference-that of
president. secretary of the treasury, at
torney-general, or secretary of state,
which is held by an Ohio man at pres
ent. In political way the Office Of Sec
rotary of the navy has usually been re-
garded as subordinate to some other
places in the cabinet of the president,
and it is for this reason, perhaps, that
Ohio men have found in this department
very little attraction. In the last SEN
ate there was not a solitary Ohio rep
resentative on the committee of naval
affairs, and such has been the rule gen.
orally. Ohio men have taken little part
in the affairs of the American navy as
admirals or commodores.
Yet it is fact that the city of Cleve-
land is now one Of the largest ports OF
commerce in the United States, and
that, in the event of hostilities with
any foreign country with which Canada
took part, Ohio would probably be one
of the chief points, il not indeed the
chief point, of attack. Another consid.
Grafton which has, perhaps. operated
to exclude Ohio from prominence in
the naval affairs of the country is this:
The Naval academy has long been es
tablished at Annapolis Nd, as the Mill
tary academy has been at West Point
n. Y. The proximity of Annapolis tt
the states of the Atlantic seaboard has
made Washington, though not harbor
the headquarters of those identified OF
desiring to be identified with the Amer
lean navy. and Ohio men have mo-
sought undue distinction either at tn,
academy or at sea. 1t is worthy of not,
that this exception is. in fact, the onl,
conspicuous one of the diffidence o
Ohio men when it com<s to office-hold
ing in the United States. There hal
been no lack of Ohio men in military at
fairs or in the war department.-N. Y
Sun.