The Portland daily press., 1899-06-20
Feared to Get Too Near
to Spaniards.
Statement by 1t. Commander
Hodgson.

"dshington, June ~. -In0 occurrences
on the bridge of the Brooklyn during the
battle Of July 3, having been the subjaot
ofsa controversy in the newspapers. the
navy department. recently undertook an
investigation Of the various allegations.
Lieut. Commander Hodgson and Lieut..
Commander Heilrer, who have figured in
the controversy, were both called on for
explanations of the utterances attributed
to them and the former was directed to
report for examination on this point to
Capt Chadwick at Boston. The depart
ment has now given out for publication
Capt Chadwiok's report ON tho matter.
1t is not yet determined whether or not
the answer of Lieut.. Commander HeiIner
will be male public at this time. Capt.
Chadwick's report is as follows:
U. S. S. New York,
Boston, Mass, June IA, 1899.
Slr--In obedience to your order OF the
18th inst, have TO report the following
as the statement by Lieut.. Commander
Hodgson OF the conversation between
Rear Admiral Schley and himself during
the action OF July 8. 1888. He states as
follows:
As we were approaching the Spani sh
ships heard Admiral Sohiey say "port;'
or 'starboard'' several times to Cant.
Cook in the coming tower. had been
on the bridge above .and was Just com
ing down to report the positions of the
ships when / heard the Admi raj say :
Hard a port" 1.-The Maria Teresa was
then hauling abaft our port beam. The
Brooklyn was heading about northeast
| told the Admiral, or at least suggested
to him that the Texas was very close on
our starboard hand and that turning to
starboard would bring us too close to her.
don't know that / used the word
collision" l did not say "you mean
starboard. ~ l intended him to under
stand there was hanger of running into
the Texas. He said, 'All right" or
verbatim. When l knew he was going
to turn TO starboard ] suggested backing
the starboard engine In order to make a
| smaller circle and give the Texas a wider
berth, but he decided against that as
decreasing the speed of the turn. He did
not say. that know of 1--WE ara near
enough to them (the Spaniards) already. -
The only thing l gathered from what he
said was that II we turned to porJ we
should get SO close that We should expose
ourselves to torpedo attack. / suppose he
meant torpedo boats, and replied to him
that had not seen them"
Lieut.. Commander Hodgson states that
he did not intend to convey In his note
Of denial. sent at the request of Admiral
Sohley and published in the Washington
Post. the idea that no such colloquoy took
place.
He states regarding this, as follows:
admiral Schley wrote ME enclosing
an editorial from New York paper of
June 10, asking me to write denial OF
what he phrRsed 'an oft repea ted
oalumn.' He said he had no recollection
of any such conversation. wrote a
lsngthy letter of explanation. giving my
recollection of the conversation as early
as possible. Admiral Schley wrote me,
saying; There Is much in your letter
which I should not like to use, as il
would provoke assault upon you which
/ would not like to happen. What |
want TO show is that the dialogue did not
OCCUR
II then wrote denial of the colloquy
certainly not intending to say that no
not occur as printed. /, at the same
time, sent with this q secoud explanatory
letter, explaining to Admiral Schley that
the letter of denial was a denial of The
dialogue as 1t appeared in print and that
had told the correspondent of the paper
that the substance of the conversation
was correct Iu writing the letter !
wished to refute the fact Of any con-
troversy existing at a critical stage of the
battle. 1t 1.-THE letter. was q denial of
the words as they stood in the published
article; a denial OF their literal correct
ness and not denial of the substantial
correctness of the statement
A copy of the letter has not been re-
tanned by him; he had q rough draft
whicn has been niislaid.
Lieut.. Commander Hodgson appends
his signature as voucher for the accura-
cy with which the foregoing is given.
Very respectfully,
+. e. Chadwick, Captain, U. S. N.
A. G. Hodgon, Lieut.. Commander, T..
s. N.
TO the Secretary of the Navy.