The evening times., 1898-06-11
OFFENDED A CONGRESSMAN.
Mr.. Hilborn Not Pleased With the
Treatnlen mt He Received.

Mr. HIDOrn NOT Pie0Seu WIN the
Trentnie mt He Received.
Members of the board of visitors to the
! Naval Academy who are said to have
been displeased with the alleged rude
| treatment accorded them by the superin-
tendent and other officials during their
recent official visit to the institution do
not seem willing to discuss the matter.
Representative Hilborn. who acted as the
president of the board and is one of the
| leading members of the House Committee
on Naval Affairs. hints that members Of
| the board were not pleased with their
| reception or treatment by Capt. Cooper
He said. however. that as there will
! probably be an official investigation of the
matter. he did not think 1t would be prop
er for him TO discuss now the particular
| manner In which the Naval Academy Of
/ ficials offended the visiting board.
Representative Hilborn stated that he
had seen in the newspapers that there
| is to be an investigation, but it Is re-
ported that he himself called the atten-
ton of the Navy Department TO the al
legged offenses of Supt. Cooper. and that
if an investigation is made it will be at
his Instance There are some members
of the board who do not charge that there
was any discourtesy in their treatment
by Supt Cooper. Representative Wagner
of PENNSYLVANIA is one OF them. He says
that he knew nothing of the alleged dis
courtesy to the board by the officials
| of the academy, and that no reference
to discourteous treatment would be made
in any report which ne may, as meHlper
| of the board, prepare.
A special from Annapolis states that
| Capt. Philip II. Cooper. superintendent
| of the Naval Academy, apparently is not
| disturbed over charges made,to the Navy
| Department by Mr.. Htlborn.
| Capt. Cooper heard of the congressman s
| complaint. through official sources, and,
of course. declined to discuss them. He
admits. however. that such charges have
been made. and that the president of the
board of visitors went so far as TO pro-
test against his assignment to the Chica-
go. for which he is booked.
Lack Of courtesy and want of discipline
seem to be the basis of the representa-
tive's complaint to the Secretary of the
Navy against the superintendent. Capt.
Cooper promptly explained his conduct"
in a letter now in the hands of the Sec
retary of the Navy.
The cause of Mr. Hilborns action the
superintendent said. probably resulted
from a meeting of the board of visitors
at which he and other officers were pres
ent.
fntendent said. wanted to interfere with
the discipline of the academy in a ques-
ton about dement's. Capt. Cooper
promptly objected. and said It was not
in the jurisdiction of the visitors to
change the discipline now in vogue at
the academy. and he would not permit it
to be done.
1t is stated that the president of the
board later proposed TO ceusure the su-
perintendent and protest to the Secretary
of the Navy against his assignment to
the Chicago. for which he was known to
be an applicant. The board of visitors
refused to acquiesce, and Congressman
Hilborn then wrote an individual letter
to the Secretary of the Navy. making
charges.
1t Is said the Congressman and the su-
perintendent are not on the most friendly
terms. and that the Congressman, who is
a member of the Naval Committee. has
opposed several appropriations in which
Capt. Cooper, as superintendent of the
academy. was interested. One of these
was for rebuilding the academy.