The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1898-09-14
Washington Letter.
(From our regular Correspondent

Washington, u. o., Sept. 5.-H heA
the war came on, most of the retired
officers of the Navy who were availa-
bic for duty of special character were
called back into the service and as
signed to positions-notably Admir-
ais Miller and Norton. Now that the
war is over and many of the officers
thus recalled and reassigned to duty
may not wish to be placed upon the
retired list again, an interesting and
perhaps perplexing question to the
Navy Department threatens to arise
what is to be done with these retired
officers and who will succeed to the
places of those OF OF them who may
consent to go back upon the retired
list?
These men were virtually re-enlist-
ed in the service, and they cannot
legally be forced out OF it against
their will and preferencesin in the prem
ises; so that it becomes an interesting
question to the Secretary OF the Navy
and very ominous one to the junior
officers of the Navy who may be barr
ed from promotion for sometime in
consequence thereof. Many Of the
positions to which these Offices We're
assigned pay very lucrative salaries;
and, since it is automatic that q COM
mission in the army or navy inspires
the humblest possessor thereof, as
well as the high admiral who COM
mands the seas, with desire to re-
main therein, it is a serious question
what can be done to get rid Of those
retired officers who have re-eniisted
and desire to remain in the service.
It is by no means clear that they can
be forced out Of the service, for they
were re-enlisted by the government
when it was in full possession Of all
retiring-causes. And, on the other
hand, their retention in the service
may leave some OF the younger Off
GERS who won spurs of distinction IN
the recent brilliant work of Uncle
Sans men vainly knocking at the
door of promotion, in recognition Of
their meritorious records.
The President is very anxious to
have an army of occupation placed in
Havana as soon as possible, in view
of the trouble being given US by
captain-general Blanco in his opposi'
ton to our landing and distributing
supplies for the starving Cubans:
hence, the first question to which the
military commission to Havana will
address itself will be that OF an early
occupation OF Havana by General
Fitzhugh Lee and his army OF occu'
patton. The facility With which this
humane work is being o,ne in and
around The province OF Santiago de
Cuba, now under our military control.
illustrates the immense advantages to
gain in furtherance of the relief work
By our maintenance of military rule
over Havana.
The question of mismanagement II
the conduct of the war can be said
to be fairly beyond the "yellow-jour-
nal' stage when such peerless Repub'
lican Journals as ''The Providence (R.
IL) journal demands that the appal-
ling blunders aod shocking crimes IN
cident to that management shall be
made the burning political questions
of the hour; and that is just what the
"Journal" has done. This does not
square, however, with the propaganda
of Mars Hanna-"It is all buncombe
and rot-trumped-up for political ef-
feet. Those who think so may possess
their poor deluded souls in peace IN
tilsuch time as our returning suffer
ers may be mustered out OF the ser
vice and return to their respective
homes; but it will require neither a
prophet nor the son ola prophet then
to see that the people take more than
passing interest in this s'buncombe~
and that Lincoln was right when he