The age-herald., 1898-08-28

bunkers full of coal, their magazines load ed to their utmost In March he ordered the Baltimore to reinforce Dewey ana started the Oregon toward the south.
 The bureau of navigation as early as September, 1897, issued a completely re- vised order for target practice, requiring more than twice the practice that had been held before. In October, it established the Amphitrite as a school for the training of gun captains. This school turned out for the beginning of the war forty-five men who were distributed among the fleets and whose marksmenship had much to do with the uniform report of the superiority of the American marksmanship
 He ordered the enlistment of more men than he was allowed to do by law, but he took every chance to have the navy in complete order when the flag should drop
 To some people Captain Crownenshieid appears severe. He is severe if he Is busy. A correspondent might as well ask ques- tions of the Washington monument as to ply Crowninshield with queries about his office. It was his policy of silence which kept the movements of the ships secret and made the work of the navy as effica- cious as 1t was. Like many men who att tend strictly to their work, and never go beyond the domains of their own depart ments, he is seldom criticised. He would not know how to make a recommendation for political purposes. He seems utterly devoid of the political instinct.
 In appearance Captain Crownensh1eld IS a dark, sombre looking man. Not especial ly handsome face, but powerful one. He stoops somewhat for the reason, pos siply, that he is always thinking and gives one the idea that he is thinking hard He passes through the corridors with head bent seeming to be oblivious at times just where he is going.
 Men who don't like Captain Crownen- shield admire him. Those who know him h Ja6 CrnwnanShipl6 been or had the department not requested him to remain in the bureau, 1t is more than likely that he would have come out of the war an admiral. Officers are unanimous in the opinion that he would have been given the command of a squadron and made commodore from the start.
 Secretary Long has written letter thanking him for his valuable services In this letter he addresses Captain CroWn- enshield as commodore. The head or the bureau might in sarcasm ask Secretary Long as Macbeth did the witches when they called him king, "Why address me in borrowed robes?' For this title of com modore is merely a popular fiction in the department, when applied to the head or the bureau of navigation. It Is an empty title, and never lasts beyond the door of the chiefs office. It is given to captain by courtesy, as it is presumed that any man occupying the post of navigation chief must rank at least as commodore This title and Longs letter of thanks is all the recognition Captain Crownenshield has re- ceived up to the present Any other recog- milton must come through congress-
 The above is plain statement Of facts about the man. I have never met him, but his record is an open book to those Wno desire to see justice done Some member of congress may offer a resolution or thanks to him. When his record is known as the resolutions of thanks to Dewey
 
 surprising to find similar sense of appre- citation there for Crownensh1eld. congress may authorize the president to promote him, according to his deserts. At any rate, it is hardly possible that he will be per mitted to retire from the navy without hoisting his flag of commodore for the reason that he lost points by sticking to his desk and bureau, while sending his juniors to more conspicuous places Tn the front. The president can do nothing. It remains for congress to be magnanimous as well as just.
 President Mckinley is busy man these days, settling the war of the nation and trying to patch up the petty wars which have broken out in the army. First, there was the Alger-Roosevelt controversy, and then followed the discussion of Shafter and some of the old army regime in Wash ington.
 It is rather a strange coincident that the three men who have played the most con spicuous roles in this war, were appoint ed from civil life.
 General Miles is not West Pointer, neither is Adjutant General Corbin. Gen eral Shafter was appointed from civil life also. Yet the old army men have begun to rally to Miles with a loyalty that is remarkable, when 1t is remembered how only a few months ago they could see nothing good in him beyond the fact that he was looked upon as a good fighter.
 ha ic the most popular. His ability is recog nized now as it has never been before. He has gained the confidence of the old army crowd by the way he has formed and organized the volunteer forces and in the way he has handled the regulars.
 There will be little no opposition to his promotion when he comes before con- gress to ask for promotion to a major generalship. There is no desire on the part of the army to defeat this recognition of his services, and he has strengthened himself with the public men with whom he has come in contact. Great surprise is expressed in official circles here over the charges which General Miles has directed toward General Corbn. General Corbin re- fuses to believe that General Miles used the language attributed to him, and Gen. eral Miles most intimate friends say that it will be denied when the commander of the Porto Rican forces comes back to America.
 The president will patch up any quarrel which may be on the point of breaking out here, even if the two men have any cause of trouble. If General Miles feels that he has been misused he will find that his ill-treatment comes from some other quarter than from the office of the adju- tant general. There was effort made to make this war grand, sweet song for Michigan when it was inaugurated, and doubtless the secretary of war did all in his power to push forward his friends If peacemakers really do see the righteous kingdom as is promised to them President Mckinley will occupy a prominent box. He has the facility of keeping up harmony among his friends and favorites to a mar vicious extent. His methods are very sim pie. He sends for the two parties to the controversy and with hand on the shoul- der of each makes each state his case and proceeds to act as judge and allround peacemaker. He has healed more than one breach in his cabinet. No two men could have been more at logger heads than Secretary Gage and Secretary Alger How he mixed this oil and water portion is still a mystery, but he did, 1t so effectuaIly that the two men are at least outward friends