The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1901-08-29
NAVY DEPARTMENT
STANDS BY HOW|SON
Secretary Long Refuses to Grant
Request Of Rear Admiral
SchIey.
LEFT TO The COURT ITSELF
Department Declines co Lay the Matter
Before Admiral Howison, But Will
Let inquiry Court Decide
tho Matter of Prejudice.

Washington. D. c., Aug. 2S.--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 10Th
ping and requesting the department to
send it to Rear Admiral Howison, to-
gether with copy Of your letter. you
are Informed that the appointment of
Rear Admiral Howison as third MEM
Der of the court Of inquiry was accom-
plished only after taking great pains
to insure absolute impartiality in the
officers selected.
ITO a question unofticiallyH put as to
his ability in case the department
should require his services Rear Adj
miral Howison replied:
Il know of no reason why I should
not be available for such duty should
the department SO decide. l have
made no pablo utterance relating to
the subject and have seen none of the
official reports and papers bearing
upon the question to 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-
mirals 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 had
been found in the person of Rear Adj
miral HoWison, who, at the date Of his
appointment, appears to have enjoyed
the confidence of both the department
and yourself.
Your request is based upon news
paper clipping that purports to con
tain statements in regard to the truth
of which you do not yourself express
an opinion.
you 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 unable to view
your request in any other light than
that of preliminary challenge of the
fitness of Rear Admiral Howison to
serve as a member of the court 1t will
be treated as is usual in cases OF
inquiry.
THE established practice in the mil
ltary, as well as in the naval service,
has fixed the method in which the
right Of challenge before courtmartial
and courts of inquiry shall be exercised.
THE department having constituted
the court, should not at this stage OF
the proceedings undertake to hear and
determine questions that may arise re-
speeding the competency of its men,
bers. Such a proceeding would be ir-
regular, all questions Of this nature
being left to the determination of the
court itself.
This correspondence will be trans.
mitted to the president Of the court fol
it's information"