The Portland daily press., 1899-04-27
DEWEY BACK OF CoGHLAN.
Every Onicer I'm the Navy said to want
the People TO Know the Truth About
German Insults,

German Insults,
| philadelphia, April 25.-The Times
| publis hes the following significant dis
patch from Washington, from Its special
correspondent, who Is an unusually we'll
| in formed man;
"Tbe administration Is likely to IND
| Cant. Coghlan tough proposition to
handle" said navy paymaster yester-
day evening, ct the Army and Navy club.
Gan of the officers Of the navy know
that Coghlan has simply told the truth,
and, moreover, some Of us know that
Admiral Dewey wants the truth known.
This statement was questioned by
club visitor and guest, and the psymaster
said:
"That is the truth, and the admins
tration omit find 1t out too soon. 1t
will be no good to jump on Capt. Cogh-
Ian, because he has Dewey back of him.
The admiral does not like the orders
which he received from Washington when
theGerman admiral was nagging him. kHe
obeyed the orders an d avoided friction, to
the best OF his ability, but he did not like
the orders. He was on the spot and un-
derstood the animus of the German naval
commander, and he wanted to resent the
palpable insults.
Under stringent orders from Washing
ton, lie submitted as long as self-respect
permitted him to do so. Then he did Just
as Capt Coghlan has said that ne did.
| He sent word to Admiral Won Diederichs
| that he could have war IL he wanted IL,
ana he could have 1t damn quick.
Concerning the statement that Dewey
wants the truth known. lieutenant In
| the navy said:
81 have had two letters, and l have
seen about dozen letters 10 other officers,
| which show conclusiyely that Admiral
| Dewey wants the Ieople of this country
| to know exactly the facts which Capt
| Coghla is telling them.
admiral Dewey has felt that the peo.
| pie here might suppose that he was airalu
to tackle the German navy. On the con-
| trary he was anxious to give them the
whipping their conduct deserved.
"He could see no reason why he should
be subjected TO humility at the instance
| of the German admiral. He knew that
| Spain was helpless and that her navy was
| wiped out. He knew that he could com
pete with nything that Germany might
| float after he had the monitors sent TO
him He knew that Germany could not
| fight the United States on land or on sea.
''Therefore, he could see no reason for
permitting the long-oontinued insults OF
Won Diederichs. Nevertheless, he per-
mitted the German admiral To run his
course and finally called halt upon
him. After SO doing, he cabled the Navy
department. and the department never
permitted our people to know that
Dewey had done the proper and patriotic
thing. Consequently we all Know that
Admiral Dewey wants Coghlan to let our
people know all about it "
In response to an inquiry concerning
the allegation that the American and
German naval officers are on fraternal
terms, the returned paymaster said:
THAT Is u lie, out of the whole cloth.
Not only Dewey's men, but the officers OF
the entire American navy, merely meet
the German naval officers on footings OF
formality. The American navy is a unit
No political lying will alter tue fact
that the German naval representatives in
Manila bay went too far In their mani
festations of contempt ard insolence.
Every officer in our navy knows of 1t.
IF the administration wants an apollo
gy for the utterances which have attract
ed so much attention, that apology might
better be asked OF Dewey, Tor ne is pack
of 1t all.
"Coghlan had an understanding with
Dewey before he started home with the
Ralsigh. We think Coghlan has not been
as diplomatic as he might have been, but
we know that he has done the right
thing. He will not apologize, and Adj
miral Dewey Will not want him to make
any apology"
Capt Coghlan is one Of those men so
full of human impulse as to be very diff
cult to portray on paper. he Is native
of Kentucky, but at al early age his
family moved to Illinois, and it was from
that state that he received his appoint
10 tha aruHamy l.a
recognized as one of the lest men In his
class. One of his classmates and best
friends is Capt. Wildes, who commanded
the Boston at the Menila tight.
Coghlan left the naval academy in 1868.
In May of that year he was made an en-.
| sign and attached to the steam loop Sac
ramento. Two years later he was elevat-
ed to the rank of master. now unused,
and assigned to the old Brooklyn, the
| flag ship OF the South Atlantic squadron
| on November, 1866, he was commissioned
| lieutenant; in March, 1868, lieutenant
commander, and became a full comman-
der in February, 1882 Going back, he
was executive officer of the Pawnee, in
| 1867, and of the steam frigate Guerrero
| in 1868 In the year following he went TO
| the sailing sloop Portsmouth, from
which he was later transferred to the
Richmond ON the European station.
| He commanded the Saugus for one year
|
two years he was in command of the
Monongahela on the Asiatic station.
When he was made u full commander he
was first assigned to the Adams, on
which he remained from 1888 TO 1856. The
next two years found him in command
of the Pacific navy yard at Mare island,
California. Then, after two years on the
Mohican, he was made inspector OF ord
nance at League island, Philadelphia
In 1896 he was made "a captain and placed
| in command of the Raleigh.
Capt. Coghlan was tried by u court
mar tial in 1880 at Mare island for having
criticised the conduct of the Navy depart.
ment IN letter to 1.-The VALLEJO y Cal
| Chronicle. lie pleadsd mot guilty" and
was acquitted. lie was recommended Ior
promotion of six points in the hst OF
captains for his gallant work under
| Dewey at Manila.
| That is his record in the navy, told IN
the ravaI register-brlef and statistical,
1t gives .lttle idea of the mans real
characteristics In stature he Is quite
short. hardly over live feet five. His hair
and rather heavy mustache. are white.
His eyes, quick and sparkling, are COY
| :" II. Ilx.t k.,rNd la