Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-08-30
.R0N|S0N NOT I0aRV[
Believed He Will Not Be Mem.
Der Of Schley Court Of
Inquiry.
----------
He Is Being Subject to Fierce
Criticism OF Many Naval
Officers.
May Be Challenged and His
Eligibility Questioned at
First Hearing.

First Hearing.
Washington, Aug. 3o.-Admiral Howl
son will not serve as a member of the
schley court of inquiry, as he Will be
forced to retire or incur the risk of
seriously impairing. the usefulness of
the court by destroying public conf
dence in that tribunal, as there is no
longer any Goubt that he is prejudiced
against Admiral Schley Admiral How
ison yesterday acknowledged the receipt
of the departments letter notifying him
of the change in the place of holding the
court, but he faileds according to Act
ing Secretary Hackett, to embrace the
opportunity of asking to be relieved.
The failure of Admiral Howison to
make known his intention with respect
to serving in the face of well-authenti-
Gated charges that he publicly expressed
himself as being unfavorable to Schley
has caused considerable surprise here,
except in certain circles in the navy
department.
L
miral Howison can be relieved of the
duty assigned him by the government.
The first is to ask to be relieved, the
second is to wait for the court to deter
mine whether or not he isseligible for
service. and the third is to be challeng-
ed by the attorneys representing Adj
miral Schley.
AS the department seems disposed to
insist upon Admiral Howison remaining
upon the court he has shown no DISPOSE
ton to retire, and for this action he is
being severely criticised, his critics as
sorting that good taste demands that he
ask to be relieved, as he himself well
knows that he has publicly denounced
Admiral Schley and upon two other &C.
casions he has spoken in a vein thor
oughly hostile TO the hero of Santiago.
1t will be incumbent upon the court to
determine the eligibility of Admiral
! Howison. The court has the power t.,
decide its own membership, and will do
so in the case of Admiral Howison by
acting upon the question. There are
only three members of the court, and of
course Admiral Howison would not
vote upon the question of his own eligi-
bility. and thus there will be only two
votes cast. If both votes are cast
against him serving, of course that will
end the matter, and Admiral Howison
will be forced to retire in favor of some
one else, who will be selected by the de-
| partment.
| If, on the other hand, the court
l:should be divided, one vote being cast
I for Admiral Howison and the other
against him, the man about whose SER
vice there is some question would re-
main upon the court In this event
the attorneys of Admiral Schley will
undoubtedly challenge Admiral Howl
| SON When the challenge is made the
court will vote upon this question in
| exactly the same manner as will be
done on the question of Howison's
\ eligibility, which has ben brought be-
fore the court by the Schley CORE
! spondence.
| That body will then have another OPP
| portunity to determine the question,
| and if it fails to decide against Admiral
| Howison the court will have taken ac-
| ton which will undoubtedly prejudice
\ the public against it, inasmuch as 1t
4 would have decided to let member of
| the court serve when it was known be-
| You'd question that he had repeatedly
expressed himself as being unfavor-
| able to the accused whose case was be-
| fore the court.
Acting Secretary Hackett and other
| officials of the navy department know
beyond question, that Admiral Howison
/ is responsible for the interview publish
| ed in Boston, in which Admiral Schley
| was criticised. A most thoro investi-
1 cation was made by a reliable person
land it was found that Admiral Howisor
| has been interviewed on the Schley-
Sampson controversy, and that he was
guilty of criticising Admiral Schley's
conduct at Santiago. This fact was
laid before the officials of the navy
| department., but they refused to take
any action.
An opportunity was thus given the
| department to relieve Admiral Howisor
without in any manner rejecting upon
that officer, and Admiral Howison him
self was given an opportunity to ask tc
be relieved. The latter could have adj
vanced any reason he saw fit for his
desire to escape the duty to which he
had been assigned, and only himself an6
| the officials of the department would
have known the true reason. Adj
vantage was not taken of this OPP
portunity, and when it was seen that
the department was determined thai
Admiral Howison should be a member
of the court, Admiral Schley was
forced to write the department and ask
that the facts in regard to the inter.
i view be presented to Admiral Howison
4 The letter of Admiral Schley in nc
way challenged Admiral Howison, buI
was a simple request that the latter'i
attention be called to the interview.
Acting Secretary Hackett declined tt
submit Admiral Schley's letter to AID.
miral Howison, and treated Schley'l
letter as a challenge to Howison. Their
Admiral Schley wrote the department q
second Letter, in which he denied that h,
had challenged Admiral Howison
There the matter rests. II Admira
Howison does not Sc fit to retire volun.
tarily there is the best authority To-
the statement that he will be challenged
and forced to retire. or be held up t,
the public gaze as one who was willing
to sit in judgment on person, SO IA
as relates to the finding Of facts Ii