Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1901-08-31
NAVY Department
STANDS BY HOWIsoN
Secretary Long Refuses to Grant
Request Of Rear Admiral
Schley.
LEFT TO The COURT ITSELF
Department Deciines to Lay the matter
Before Admiral Howison, But WIZ
Let Inquiry Court Decide
the Matter of Prejudice.

washington, d. c., Aug. 23.-The
navy department this afternoon gave
out the reply to Admiral Schley's re-
quest that the attention of Admiral
Howison be called to an alleged inter-
view in which Admiral Howison was
quoted as saying that the credit for
the Santiago victory belonged to Ad-
miral Sampson. The reply, which was
made by Acting Secretary Hackett, fol-
lows:
I'm reply to your letter OF the 18TH
instant, enclosing a newspaper clp-
ping and requesting the department 10
send ii to Rear Admiral Howison, to-
Eether with a copy OF your letter you
are Informed that the appointment OF
Rear Admiral Howison as a third mem
Der of the court Of inquiry was accom-
plished only after taking great pains
to insure absolute importantly III INC
officers selected.
ITO a question unofticially put as TO
his ability in case the department
should require his services, Rear Ad-
miral Howison replied:
81 know OF no reason n l shouiu
not be available for such duty should
the department so decide. l have
maze no pubic ullcldhNC
| the subject and l have seen none or the
official reports and papers bearing
upon the question 10 be decided by the
| court.
Your counsel, Captain Parker, be-
fore the appointment board was an
nounced mentioned to the acting sec
rotary the names of certain rear ad-
miraIs any one of whom, he said,
would be perfectly satisfactory to Rear
Admiral Schley. One of the names so
mentioned was that OF Rear Admiral
Howison, 1t may be added that OF
four officers consulted by the depart
ment the names of three were upon
the list thus mentioned by your coun-
sci.
This much has been detailed in or
der TO remind you OF the fact that a
fair minded officer OF excellent reputa-
ton and Of unblemished character a
been found in the person of Rear Adj
miral Howison, who, at the date or his
appointment, appears TO have enjoyed
the confidence Of both the department
and yourself.
Your request Is based upon a news
paper clipping that %purports TO con-
tain statements in regard to the ruth
OF which you do not yourself express
You ask the department to lay be-
fore Rear Admiral Howison a state
ment, wholly unSubStantlateu, tnat APP
pears to have been made by some per-
son unknown, at a tim and place like
wise unknown.
1.-THE department Is unable to view
vour request in any other light than
that OF a preliminary challenge OF the
ntness OF Rear Admira Howison 10
serve as a member of the court. 1t VIII
be treated as Is usual In cases OF
inquiry.
THE established practice in the mil
itary. as we'll as in the naval service,
has fixed the method In which the
right of challenge before courtmartla
and courts OF inquiry shall be exercised
THE department having constituted
the court, should not at this stage OF
the proceedings undertake to hear ant
determine questions that may arise re-
specting the competency of Its mem
bers. Such a proceeding woui be II
regular, all questions OF this nature
being left to the determination OF tn
court itself.
"This correspondence will be trans
mitted to the president of the court 10
its information"