The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-06-16
Let Us Have the Whole Truth.

Let Us Have the Whole Truth.
Some time ago we reprinted from the
New York Sun a dialogue which that
paper said took place on board tho
cruiser Brooklyn during the naval
battle at Santiago. The dialogue pur-
ported to be between Admiral Chen
Commodore) Schley and the navigator
of the Brooklyn, Lieutenant Com
mander Hodgson. The Sun said it had
Lieutenant Hodgson's direct authority
for the version given by it, which was
as follows:
"Schley-Hard aport!
"Hodgson-You mean starboard.
"Schley-No, l don't. We are near
enough to them Ohe Spaniards) already.
"Hodgson-But we will cut down the
Texas.
"schley-Damn the Texas! Let her look
out for herself"
The Washington Post on Tuesday
gave editorial prominence to the fol-
lowing communication, which speaks
for itself:
"U. S. S. Brooklyn.
"Navy Yard, n. Y, June II, 1880.
Dear Admiral Schley:
1.-THE colloquy published in the New
York Sun and alleged to have taken place
between you and me on the day of the
battle off Santiago, July 3, 1898, never
occurred. Very respectfully,
"a. c. Hodgson,
Lieutenant Commander L. S. N"
The New York Sun of yesterday fol-
lowed with the appended epistle:
Navy Yard, New York, June II, 1899.
Paul Dana, Esq, Office of The Sun, New
York, n. y.
Dear sir: l have read the dispatch in
the New York papers of this morning,
giving a letter printed in the Washing
ton Post, purpOrting to be from Lieu.el-
ant Commander Hodgson to Rear Ad-
miral Schley, denying the truth Of the
interview said by the Sun to have c.
CURED between Schley and Hodgson re-
lating to the Brooklyn's loop at Santi-
ago. 1 believe that the letter as printed
cannot have been written by Lieuten-
ant Commander Hodgson inasmuch as
he reported to me the conversation al
luded to in substance in connection with
the investigation Of the Wainwright
board of navigators, using it to confirm
the position claimed by him for the
| Brooklyn.
The letter attributed to him must have
been garbled. Yours truly,
L. c. Heilner,
Lieutenant Commander, u. S. N.
Lieutenant Commander Heilne- was
the navigating officer of the Texas, the
ship which the Brooklyns manoeuvre
| caused to reverse her engines in the
midst of the pursuit of the Spanish
! fleet.
The Sun itself says in comment:
The Sun printed the conversation re-
ferred to as true only after it's repre-
sentative had received from Lieutenant
Hodgson himself his confirmation. The
Sun refuses now to believe that Hodgson
has been guilty Of the denial which the
Posts letter would convict him Of. There
must be some Quibble or trick in the case
as it has reached the Post and has been
presented by It, ' To the Suns
knowledge, so far as men of the high
est reputation are worthy of considera-
/ tion, Lieutenant Hodgson has repeated
| the Schley-HodgsOn conversation on sew
eral occasions. This is beyond the de-
NAL which the Washington Post has beer
prevailed upon to spread abroad. II
Hodgson actually means now to deny
the Suns original statement without
qualification, then we must advise him
that he has come to the parting in the
ways of life where a gentleman wearing
the uniform of the United States had bet,
ter think deeply before making an IRE
| Vocable choice.
This controversy is becoming inter.
esting Let us have the whole truth.
The state department at Washington
has received a queer report combin
ing international politics with busi
ness, United States Consul Heenan a
Odessa, Russia, says that the Frencl
government, through its ambassador a
st. Petersburg, recently asked to haV
a contract for the supply of a larg
quantity of iron water pipe taken from
an American firm and given to
French firm, using as an excuse tina
the close relationship existing between
Russia and France entitled Frenchmel
to favors of this nature. The Russian
foreign office took the matter up, an,
the governor of Odessa was directe
TO see what could be done. His answer
after he had made an Investigation
was Just as would naturally be ex
pected. He refused to change the ar
rangements, because he was satisfie
with the American contract, and con
sidered American water-pipe superio
and cheaper than any other. 1t wa
also shown that the specifications calle
; for pipe of a certain quality and shap
which the French could not make. The
the French ambassador requested tina
the specifications be altered to suit tn