Evening star., 1901-09-13

i Admiral Howison's remarks while cross
| ing the Atlantic on N Minneapolis. Mr..
| Rayner asked the x1aess II he had any
| recollection OF saying anything on that
voyage on the subject Of the Sampson
| Schley controversy.
Rear Admiral Howpo4T'T do not remem-
Der what I said. I 4y have said some
| thing on hat voyage;'f do answer any
ones questions, II they are asked politely,
where it does not make any difference"
Mr.. Rayner-"You do not recoilect saying
ON that voyage to any one that II Schley
had done certain things he ought to have
been court-martialed!
Rear Admiral Howison-''No: do not re-
member making any such remark. But II
some one, for instance, should come to me
and say that q certain officer had done a
certain thing might SAY that under the
court martial or discipline Of ssome sort II
he had done certain thing. would not
hesitate to say that to you at any time or
to anybody else.
Taking up the testimony Of Mr.. Nichols,
Mr.. Rayner called Admiral Howison's at
| tention to the fact that in his formal reply
| he had not denied the statements of that
witness.
Contradicts Nichols.
The admiral replied he had never said to
| Mr.. Nichols that Schley had no business In
the navy, or that man could not remain
| in the English navy under such circum-
stances. "I never made any such a re-
mark as that in regard to Admiral Schley."
he said. IF anything Of the kind occurred
there It was just as stated in my answer
to you before; II he Clichols) had stated
| to me that Admiral Schley had positively
disobeyed orders or done something that
he ought not to have done that was liable
to discipline I would have said he should
be brought before a court-martial. That Is
| simply one of the regulations OF the serv-
Ice. Ii people come to You and tell you
that officers are guilty Of such and such
things it is natural for you, who know the
regulations and laws Of the service perfect
ly. to say: If he is guilty Of those things
he should be court-martialed for it, And I
still say so, as to anybody"
Mr.. Rayner-"He says, I expressed sur
prise that he should feel this way toward
Schley: and he said. You would not IL
you were in touch with the sentiments
among naval officers"
Rear Admiral Howison: WELL how In the
world could stranger to me. coming to
my house on his own business, get me to
speak In such way as that, unless 1t was
In answer to some questions, or unless he
msinterpreted my answers to him? l have
not the slightest desire to force myself on
this court. l do not want to sit on it. It
Is not agreeable duty for me. / have no
desire whatever to do It; and 1 am not
making any excuses for myself or for any
OF my private discussions with any one
outside. think that is my own affair
and nobody else is asked about these pri-
vate discussions 1t Is only this one OBJ
jectionable man. / am perfectly willing
to get out. as l say in my letter.
Mr.. Rayner: But are you willing to ask
the court to relieve your
Could Not Ask to BE Excused.
Rear Admiral Howison: Il cannot ask
the court to relieve me, because they have
got to do that upon the merits of the case
Mr.. Rayner: Now. you say just now
that you have in conversation substantially
admitted that the credit Of the battle of
Santiago was due to the commander-in-
chief, and II Sampson was the comman-
der-in-chlef-if that comes under any of the
specifications Of the precept-if that uues-
tfon is incidentally primarily or collat-
orally involved, have not you made up your
| mind on very important question that is
| to come before you now?"
Rear Admiral HoWison: mo- sir
Mr.. Rayner: If you have come to the
conclusion that Sampson was the comman-
der-1n-chtef, and that the credit of that
battle was due to Sampson, have you not
made up your mind on a question that is
bound to come before you now as Judge
of this tribunal?"
Rear Admiral Howison: mo SIR"
Mr.. Rayner: Then. why not?"
Believed He Could Judge Honestly.
Rear Admiral Howison: because 1 do
not care what naval officer has been talk
ing in private. where 1t Is meaningless in
more senses than one. Naval officers are
taught from youth up that their oath OF Of
flee Is something different from most peo-
pies oaths; and an officer can clear up
his mind. l honestly believe. and Judge
from the testimony that is given before
him. without regard to what he may have
taken from newspaper reports, or from
other reports that have gone before That
Is what / believe, and that Is what 1 say
in my personal letter."
Mr.. Rayner-"Would we not have to pro-
duce sufdctent evidence to satisfy you that
you were wrong In the opinions that you
formed?"
Rear Admiral Howison-"Why. think
that where man is known to be the COM
mander-fn-chief, If he is known to be the
commander-in-chief Of the squadron, there
must be something brought forward to
show that he Is not"
Mr.. Rayner-"Then we would have to
bring forward proof which would satisfy
you tnat ne was not the commander-in-
Rear Admiral Howison-I am not trying
| to prove who was and who was not the
chief"
I'm Command at Santiago.
In further discussion between the judge
advocate and Mr.. Rayner the latter said
he intended to prove that Commodore
Sampson was not at the battle Of San
tiago at all. and II Admiral Sampson was
not there then Admiral Schley was COM
mander-in-chief. Mr. Rayner then asked
Admiral Howison If he had, In conversation
with anybody said that Admiral Sampson
| was In command at Santiago and deserved
| the credit for that victory
| Rear Admiral Howison-"Well, that Is the
general official understanding-that he was
| the commander-in-chie and the COM
mander-in- chief is ordered by the President
| of the United States; and it is generally
| understood that he was. And II he was
| there, and did his duty, then he would be
| the commander-in-chief and should have
| the credit"
Mr. Rayner-"Your view, then. is that he
| was officially the commander-in-chief?"
Rear Admiral Howison-"Of the North
Atlantic squadron"
Mr.. Rayner-"Of the North Atlantic
squadron, and being officially the COM
mander-in-chief, he deserved the credit of
that victory?
Rear Admiral Howison-"It depends upon
what he did and what he did not do
whether the credit part Of 1t comes i'm
Howis0n Excused.
After some further questions the court
returned and Admiral Dewey made the an
nouncement Of the courts decision, sus-
4 s~-A-.