The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-08-25
NO HEED PAID To
SGHLEY'S PROTEST
Navy Department Passes it Up
TO Inquiry Court.
CONTENTS OF LETTER
WANTED EXPLANATION FROM
ADMIRAL HoWIsoN.

Washington. Aug 24.-Acting Score
tary of the Navy Hackett today re-
ccived the reply Of Admiral Schley TO
the letter recently submitted to him by
the department declining to question
Rear Admiral Ho1yisOn as to the au-
thenticity OF the alleged interview with
him rehecting upon Admiral Schley.
The reply was sent to Captain Lemly
judge adVOcate of the court of inquiry.
This means that so far as the depart
ment is concerned further action on the
HOwisOn incident viii not be taken,
that being left TO the court. The cor
Tespondence is as follows:
Washington. ID. c., Aug. q, 1891.
IL have to acknowledge the receipt
o. the departments letter Of this date
in reply to my communication of the
18th inst
while it is true that one of my
counsel Captain Parker, in reply To an
inquiry m de 10 him. did give his per-
soual opinion OF the several rear ID
Wirais on the active and retired lists,
among whom was Rear Admiral Howl
son. Z am assured by him that he
believes the secretary misunderstood
Lim that any of the officers named
would be perfectly satisfactory to me.
Captain Parker's cOnservat ton was had
al a time when nothing was known of
the alleged interview as published IL
the record.
SIN my letter of the 18th inst, I
expressly stated my opinion Of the high
personal character of Rear Admiral
H0WisOn and I avoided any expression
Of opinion as to the truth of -he state
lusuUs made in the newspaper clipping
which 4 enclosed.
Aft was with the desire TO avoid
the necessity of making a formal chal-
q -rsHr
10 lay before Admiral HOwisOn the
statements that ne is alleged to nave
made. and thus give him the Oppor-
tunity 90 take such action as his sense
OF the prOpriety of the occasion might
suggest.
Not Proper Construction.
81 therefore respectfully state that
the department has not placed the pro-
per construction upon my letter when
il treated il IN the nature of a prelimi-
nary challenge for cause. / could not
challenge for cause until / discovered
there was d cause, and the object Of
my communication. as it is evident
upon is face. was to ascertain if Rear
Admiral HoWisOn had made this state
TenJ You viii observe in this COnneC-
ton that in his original statement he
says, i have made no public utter
ance relating to this subject. 1 submit
lndl MS private utterauces WOulQ ar
feet his qualification as much as his
public utterances and my request was
only 10 have his alleged interview sub
nitted for his consideration.
Very respectfully,
(Sigued.) w. :. SCHLEY,
Rear Admiral, L. 5. N
-"The Secretary Of the Navy, Navy De-
partment, Washington. d. c."
Navy Department.
Washington. Aug. a. 1901.
"Sir-The receipt of your letter of
the 21st inst, exl IanatOry of what was
designed by your former letter of the
18th, upon the subject OF the cOmpe-
tency of Rear Admiral Howison TO sit
as a member of the court of inquiry
convened at your instance, is acknowl-
edged. Very respectfully.
Fl. w. .HACKETT,
Acting Secretary.
Rear Admiral w. s. SchIey, L. S. n,
Washington. D. c.