The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-05-03

Capt. i. z. Chadwick has been repri.
manded by the Secretary Of the Navy fo
his criticism Of Rear Admiral Sehley
Captain ChadwicR's explanation Of his re-
marks and Secretary Longs reprimant
were made public yesterday The secre-
tary had a conference at noon with III,
President during which the case was
thoroughly gone over and a decision Il
administer a rebuke to Captain Chadwick
was reached.
Accompanying Secretary Longs 1epri-
mand is a statement Of Captain Chad
wick's side OF the case as presented by
him in a letter to the Secretary. The cor
respondence follows:
New York, April q. 1900
Sir: ] have the honor to acknowledge
the reception Of the Departments letter Of
The 25th instant, enclosing a clipping from
the New York SUM- and desiring a state
ment from me in regard to its contents
2. l have in no way been privy 10 the
publication of said article The circum-
stances on which it is based are as fol-
lows:
"On the 10th or 18th OF this month. in
passing down Fourteenth Street. in Wash
ington, ! was saluted by Mr.. Atkins, cor
respondent OF the Brooklyn Eagle
gentleman whom | have known in Wash
ington a number OF years. and always
favoraby Mr.. Atkins had called my at
tention. January last. to an editorial
in the 'BrcoSlyn Eagle Of. I think. De-
cember 81. 1893, expressing an extreme de-
sire for me TO read it. and asking if he
could see me. l declined to see him as
i knew that be probably wished TO dis
cUss a confidential subject I later OBJ
tanned copy OF the paper referred to and
read the editorial mentioned. II was a
discussion of the controversy regarding
Fear Admiral Schley. and proposed a
remedy. viz. the promotion of both Rear
Admiral Schley and Rear Admiral Samp-
Bon to vice admiral.
3. At the casual meeting mentioned
on the 10th or 18th inst. I entered into
Conversation with Mr.. Atkins regarding the
editorial. l asked il he had received a
note which / had sent him on reading it.
in which ] said the writer was evidently
not aware of the facts in the case and
that he entirely mistook the principle in
volved. This was the extent of the note
so far as l remember. Mr. Atkins said
yes, he had received the note and had not
used it in any way. ] replied, OF course. |
not; that it was entirely private. I re- |
peated what | had said in the note and |
said the question upon which the Navy 4
stood was not the advancement Of any par /
ucuiar man. but one OF honor. | added 4
that the whole difficulty in the matter was
with the press in general, which had failed
10 put before the country the facts. based
upon Rear Admiral Schley's own signals
and dispatches stated in the letter of
the Secretary Of the Navy to the Senate Of
the 9th OF February, 1899; that the people
In general were thus ignorant Of the true
status Of the case; that the Secretary s
letter. which. Of course. was virtually the
Presidents statement OF the matter. was
as severe an arraignment as it
was possible to make regarding an
officer, and accused him OF con- |
duct such that no officer should |
'emain silent under the accusations That |
very sentiment Of military honor demand
ID that Admiral Schley should ask for a
curt 70 clear himself Of such charges. and
hat l believed every officer Of the Navy
would be most pleased to see him cleared
or the honor Of the service, and that /
ould certainly say so FOR myself That
% long as he remained silent under these i
would not take his hand or meet him So /,
tally. That is was impossible to advance !
ADMIRAL Schley las the editorial proposedD | ,
o long as be rested under these charges !
Without destroying the whole standard Of 8
lonor and duty in the Navy. That the
whole Navy, so far as ] knew it, was OF !
his opinion, and that its attitude was a
natter of self-preservation. .
q. The foregoing gives my remarks in
ubstance and purport as far as my recol-
ection serves me; the conversation was
ntirely private. so regarded by me, and '
lso. l supposed. by Mr.. Atkins, as evil 1
eEee Of which latter is the fact that he t
new that my note which consisted Of, as {
ar as I remember but this one short
ihraee mentioned was private; and also {
hat nearly or quite week passed before I
e mentioned any conversation publicly z
t was in no sense and in no part intended
or publication, nor considered an inter
lew. Very respectfully.
r. E. CHADWICK.
Captain, L. s y. !
To the Secretary Of the Navy" =
Navy Department. '
Washington, May ?, 1900. il
sir: The Department is in receipt OF d
our letter Of the 9th ultimo in reply 10 q
be Departments letter Of the 25th, cn- c.
losing a clipping from the New York r.
sun. and desiring a statement from you in q
egard 10 its contents. The Department ! q
egrets that it has occasion TO feprimand E
q officer OF your rank and experience for ~
indiscretion and offence against ID
be Navy regulations.
1t appears from your letter that IN your
lteryiew with Mr.. Atkins, whom you 10
new 10 be a newspaper correspondent, II
on spoke Of fellow officer, your senior P'
rank, In way calculated to bring him ar
ito contempt. You knew this to be a vio- 10
ition OF the naval regulations which tor q
ID the communication by interviews Of IN
lch comment and criticism You knew il
} be against the good order and discipline te
he service, because it is the example ";
one officer in high rank rejecting upon Dc
he honor and character Of another-an ia
Cample which, unrebuked and followed We
.nds TO bring the whole service into con- 20
milton snd scandal. You knew thar the co.
Professional business Of your interviewer VT
TO collect material for publication i'd
lille he may not have had justification in
what you understood and re
irded as understood by him 10 be private
,nversation. you knew the risk you ran as
ID within a year had been reprimanded an
T similar misconduct IN putting yourself =
ID the welfare OF the service to the same =,
SIX with the same result. You have thus -
'ain and further impaired the confidence -
the Department in your discretion. =
1t is true that your case differs from -
me recent cases OF offence on the part Of ~
her officers, in that Objectionable re- "
arks made by them we're made on 0cca- m
ons and under circumstances which thew ,
lew assured their publicity In your us
Sc the Department unreservedly accepts | lcr
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