The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1898-12-16
ON PRIZE MONEY
Marine Review Says It's a
Relic Of Barbarism.
SIRENS Language D. the Navy
Auditor Secretary Long In.
equality OF Distribution

IN. Marine Review OF November 80
publishes an interesting interview with
Mr.. Frank Morris, navy auditor of the
United States Treasury Department. on
the subject of prize money and boun-
ties which the statutes give to the OIL
GERS and men II the navy In time ~
war.
The whole system Of prize money Is
a relic OF barbarlc warfare, and. as Mr.
Morris says under present conditions
u Is nothing more nor less than plr-
acy." 1t II a wcll-known fact he
adds. that the line officers Of the
United States navy were, to say the
east, eager for the late war, simply be
cause OF its possibilities for pecuniary
compensation.
Mr. Morris also says that he thinks
1t is the opinion OF Secretary Long
and others familiar with the subject
that after the present settlement OF the
law relating to prize money and Doun-
ties had best be taken of the statute
books"
He shows, too, the inequality of the
system, and that Sampson will have
far more prize money than Dewey, and
Captain Evans. of the Iowa will re-
Ceiye no more than the captain OF a
vessel which was simply within signal
distance, but took no part In the fight
of Santiago.
Mr.. Morris further says:
To show you how in this matter the
fruits Of victory fail to reach their
Tightful destination, may say that in
the last few months ! have gone care
fully over this entire question Of prize
money and bountieS form the time Of
the War OF 1912, and / found that in
the case OF the prize money accruing
from the capture of vessels during the
Civil war, while all but six per cent. OF
the aggregate sum has been drawn
from the Treasury Department. TWEEN
ty-two OF the claimants have not re-
ceived the amounts 10 their credit
had the larger amount could and did
collect the sums due them. while a por
ton OF the seamen and marines felt
unable or unjustified in the slight eX-
penditure necessary TO secure the little
sums due them. II is well-known in
service circles al Washington that this
question OF prize money Is al the bot
tom OF all this jealousy between Samp-
son and Schley. True enough, the law
states specifically that one-twentieth Of
all prize moneys shall go TO the officer
the vessel making the prize belongs,
whether he is within signal distance at
the time of the capture or not; but 1t
must he remembered that ii was for
some time an open question whether
Schley and the vessels of the former
white squadron" We're technically a
portion of the fcel commanded by Ad-
miral sampson. no declaration on the
subject having been made either by the
President or Secretary Long. Deter
mination of this point was the real OBJ
ject OF the appointment OF the nava!
board the value OF who's. findings re-
garding the Santiago fight was so little
appreciated by the general public, Had
Schiey's friends been able 10 carry
their point with reference to the au-
thority vested in the respective com
manders, as well rs the contention that
the New York with Admiral Sampson
on board was not within signal dis
lance at the opening of the fight,
Schley's prize money would have been
heavily increased, and Sampson s
would have been correspondingly de-
creased However, they failed, and
Sampson will receive a share Of ali
moneys.
Il Is a subject hat demands the ca'c
full and earnest con sheraton Of Con
gress at an early day, This should b'
the last American war in which this
relic OF buccaneering is made LAWFUL.