Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1901-08-29
Res CGtfuIly.

Acting Sec etaTy.
The Arlington,
Washington, D. c., Aug. 20, 1901.
Sjr:-In reply to the Departments S
letter Of this date referring to clip
ping containing alleged statement Ct
Roar Admiral Henry L. Howison. |
would say that believe that the action
requested should not be withheld, as
its purpose was to avoid any delay in
the court after it's session had begun.
.. beg, therefore, that the raQuC s.
Of my letter of yesterday may be com
municltCd to Admiral HOwisCn.
Very respectfully,
w. S. SCHLEY,
Rear Admiral U. S. N
To the Secretary Of the Navy, Wash
inStOn, D. C.
Sir:-In reply to your letter of 19;h
inst. incIOsed a newspaper clipping
and requesting the Department t. send
it to Rear Admiral H0w;s IN, together
with a copy Of your letter, you are in
formed that the appointment of Rear
Admiral HOwisCn as a member of the
court OF inquiry was acc0mpl' shed o I y
after taking great pains to insure alb
solute inpartialtty in the officer Sc
Iected. To a question Un1fftci2ly Y put as
to his availability in case the Depart
ment should require his service, Re1r
Admiral HOW.son replied: | know of
no reason why | should not be avail
able for such duty should the Depart
mont so decide | have made no publ C
rtoranoe relating to the subfec. and
have seen none of the Official reports
and no. hoe %ho
to be decided by the court
GOur counsel Capt Parker, before
the appointment had h q announced
mentioned to the Acting Secretary the
names of certain rear admira' S, any
one Of whom. he said, would be per-
foctly satisfactory to Rear Admiral
srhlev. One of the names s. mentioned
was that OF Rear Admiral Howison. 1t
may be added that of four officers con-
suited by the Department, the names
Of three were upon the list thus men
toned by your counsel. This much has
Ippn detailed in order to remind you
OF the fact that a fair-minded officer
=, OF excellent reputation and of unblem-
}{Shed character had been fonn1 in the
nersOn of Rear Admiral How son who
at the date of his apo 'ntment anp2ars
TO have enjoyed the confiden"e of b0th
the Department and yourself. Your re
quest IS based upon a newspaper cliC-
ping that purp0rts to contain state
mentS in regard to the truth of Which
yoii DO not yourself express an op n on
1ou ask the Department to lay BE-
fore Rear Admiral Howison a state
ment, wholly unsubstantiated, that ap
pears to have been made by some per-
son unknown at a time and place like
wise unknown. The Department is tn
able to view your request in any other
light than that of a preliminary chal-
!enge OF the fitness of Rear Admiral
HoWlSOn to serve as a member of the
court 1t will be treated as is usual in
cases Of courts of inquiry. The estab-
liShed practice in the military as well
as il the naval service has fixed the
methods in which the right of chal-
lenge before court-martial and courts
OF inquiry shall be exercised
The Department, having constituted
the court, should not at this sage o.
me proceedings undertake to haor AMI
netermine questions that may arise re-
ssHecting the competency of it's mem
'eIS. Such a proceeding would be ir-
regular, a.! questions of this nature be-
ing left 10 the determination of the
court itself This correspondence will
oe taken to the president OF the court
'oF Information.
Respectfully,
F. w. HACKETT,
Acting Secretary.
- Rear Admiral Schley, y, S, n.