Waterbury Democrat., 1901-08-22
SCHLEY TURNED DOWN.
Acting Secretary Gives Him No satis-
 faction in Regard to Howison.

Acting Secretary Gives Him No satis-
 faction in Regard to Howison.
 Washington, Aug 22.-The navy de- partment yesterday gave out the cor respOndence with Admiral Schley rela- tive to opinions said to have been cx- pressed by Admiral Howison, a mem Der of the court of inquiry. The clos ing letter of the acting secretary of the navy states that 1t would be irreg- ular for the navy department to near and determine questions affecting the competency of members of the court, and advises Admiral Schley that the question of Admiral Howison's com potency be left to the court of inquiry itself
 The following is q copy of Acting Secretary Hackett's last letter to Ad- miral Schley:
 Navy Department,
 Washington, Aug 21.
 Sir: In reply to your letter of 18th inst, enclosing newspaper clipping and requesting the department to send it to Rear Admiral Howison together with a copy of your letter, you are in- formed that the appointment of Rear Admiral Howison as a third member of the court of inquiry was accom- plished only after taking great pains to insure absolute impartiality in the officer selected. To a question unofi- cially put as to his availability in case the department should require his ser vices, Rear Admiral Howison replied: T know of no reason why I should not be available for such duty should the department so decide. I have made no public utterance relating to the sub- ject and have seen none of the off cial reports and papers bearing upon the questions to be decided by .he court''
 Your counsel, Captain Parker, before the appointment had been announced, mentioned to the acting secretary the names of certain rear admiralS, any one of whom, he said, would be per fectly satisfactory to Rear Admiral Schley. One of the names so men, toned was that of Rear Admiral How ison. It may be added that of four officers consulted by the department the names of three were upon the list thus mentioned by your counsel.
 This much has been detailed in or der to remind you of the fact that a fair-minded officer of excellent repu- tation and of unblemished character had been found in the person of Rear Admiral Howison, who at the date Of his appointment appears to have en- joyed the confidence of both the de partment and yourself. Your request Is based upon newspaper clipping that purports to contain statements in regard to the truth of which you do not yourself express an opinion. You ask the department to lay before Rear Admiral Howison a statement wholly unsubstantiated, that appears to have been made by some person unknown, at a time and place likewise unknown.
 The department is unable to view your request in any other light than that of a preliminary challenge of the fitness of Rear Admiral Howison to serve as a member of the court It will be treated as is usual in cases of courts of inquiry. The established practice in the military, as we'll as the naval service. has fixed the method in which the right of challenge before courts martial and courts of inquiry shall be exercised.
 The department, having constituted the court, should not at this stage e. the proceedings undertake to hear and determine questions that may arise re- specting the competency of it's mem bers. Such a proceeding would be ir. regular. all questions of this nature be- ing left to the determination of the court itself. This correspondence will be transmitted to the court for its con- firmation. Respectfully,
 F. w. HACKETT, Acting Secretary. Rear Admiral ". s. Schley, City.
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