The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-08-27

Washington, August 24.-Acting Sec
retary of the Navy Hackett, today re-
ceiVed the reply of Admiral Schley to
the letter recently submitted to him by
the department declining to question
Rear Admiral Howison as to the au-
thenticity of tie alleged interview with
him rejecting upon Admiral Schley. The
reply was sent to Captain Lemly, judge
advocate of the court of inquiry. This
means that so far as the department
is concerned further action on the How
ison incident VIII not be taken, that be-
ing left to the court. The correspond
ence is as follows:
washington, DC, August q.
Sir
Il. have to acknowledge the receipt
of the departments letter of this date
in reply to my communication of the
18th instant.
20 While it is true that one Of my
counsel, Captain Parker, in reply to an
inquiry made to him, did give his per-
sonal opinion Of the several rear ad-
mirals on the active and retired lists
amongst whom was Rear Admiral How
heves that the secretary misunderstood
him that any one of the officers named
would be perfectly satisfactory to me.
Captain Parker's conversation was had
at a time when nothing was known of
the alleged interview as published in
The Record.
''3. In my letter of the 10Th instant
expressly stated my opinion of the high
personal character of Rear Admiral
Howison, and I avoided any expression
of opinion as TO the truth of the state
ment made III the newspaper clipping
which 1 enclosed.
Il. 1t was with the desire to avoid
the necessity OF making a formal chal-
lenge that I requested the department
to lay before Admiral Howison the
statements that he is alleged to have
made and thus give him the opportun-
ity to take such action as his sense Of
the propriety of the occasion might
suggest
%. 1, therefore, respectfully state
that the department has not placed the
proper construction upon my letter
when it treated it in the nature of a
preliminary challenge for cause. I
could not challenge for cause until
discovered there was a cause, and the
object of my communication as is evil
dent upon Its face, was to ascertain If
Rear Admiral 1Iowison had made this
statement. You will observe in this
connection in his original statement he
says: I have made no public utter
ance concerning this subject 1 sub
NIT that his private utterances would
affect his qualifications as much as his
public utterances, and my request was
only to have this alleged interview
submitted for his consideration.
Very respectfully,
wv. S. Schley,
Rear Admiral, U. S. n.
'sTo the secretary of the navy"
Navy Department, Washington. D.
c., August "a
''Sir:-The receipt of your letter of the
oath instant explanatory Of what was
designed by your former letter Of the
18th upon the subject Of the compe-
tency of ReaI, Admiral Howison to sit
as a member Of the court Of inquiry
convened at your instance, is acknowl-
edged.
Very respectfully,
Fl. w. HA CKETT,
Acting Secretary.
ITO Rear Admiral Winfield s. Schley
q. S. Navy
Under the direction of Judge Advo-
cate Lemly the list of witnesses to be
summoned before the Schley court OF
inquiry is being prepared. An incom-
plete list will be sent to Admiral Schley
not later than next "Wednesday. 1t is
probable that other witnesses will be
added to the list before the court con.
venes.