The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-28
VIOLATED NAVAL REGULATION
COMMANDER JOHN T.. ROLLER
ORDERED HOME.
He Persisted. Despite warnings by Rear
Admiral Evans. In Allowing Ills wife 10
lteside Aboard Ills ship. the CunbOat
M0nOcacy, While In Chinese Waters.

OVsptC Vetutu8s ny heVef
Admiral Evans. In Allowing Ills wife 70
lleside Aboard Ills ship. the CunbOat
MOn0cacy. White In Chinese Waters.
WASHINGTON. Dec. 27-Commander John
Z. Roller, L. s. n. has become involved in
trouble with the naval aut horities OH account
OF persistent violation Of regulation which
forbids women TO reside on war vessels
In the case of Commander Roller his wife
was concerned in the infraction Of naval
law. II il alleged that while in command
Of the gunboat Monocacy, in Chinese waters,
his attention was called several times to
reports that Mrs. Roller was residing on
board the ship, but that admoni,ions from
Rear Admiral Evans. commanding the
Asiatic fleet. had no effect.
Admiral Evans finally heard that, despite
the warnings. Mrs. Roller had afterward
remained aboard the Monocacy for several
weeks Thereupon the Admiral detached
Commander Roller from the ship and Or
dercd him TO return to the United States.
He has reached this country and has been
placed on waiting orders pending decision
by the Navy Deparm IA to its course of
action. 1t is regarded as unlikely. how
ever, that the d partment will inflict other
| on tIe oluCtI tIdIl 10 http MIN
for protracted period on waiting orders.
This Is the first case Of which the Navy
Department has had knowledge Of the vio-
lation OF the regulation against the resi-
dcncc Of women on vessels Of the navy. In
the old days of the service the practice
was not forbidden, and it was customary
for an Admiral or the commanding officer
of Vessel on foreign service To have his
wife and frequently other members of his
family with him during the entire cruise
Many officers complained that the system
was bad. as il intcfered materially with
discipline on shpboard to have women
as passengers.
In 1915 regulation restricting the prac-
tice was issued. and in 1881 William H. Hunt.
then Secretary of the Navy, extended the
prohibition in the following rule:
Women shah not be allowed to res ide on
board OF vessels of the United States navy In
commission for sea service; nor shall they
he taken p.sscngers IN such vessels under
any circumstances.
William X. Chandler who succeeded Mr..
Hunt as the head of the Navy Depart
ment. was a bitter enemy of the practice
and did everything he could TO enforce
his predecessors regulation Mr. Chandler
even objected to the wives and families
of officers taking up residence at ports on
foreign stations while the vessels on which
their husbands or other relatives were
serving were attached to those stations.
He attempted TO carry out this idea, but
was unsuccessful. He gained his oint
in some measure, however. by the follow
ing order, issued in 1883:
Naval officers attached to cruising war
vessels, especially commanding officers, are
expected to lcav" their families Mt their usual
or iiNcd placss Of abode and not TO attempt
to transfer them to more convenient visiting
points Officers disrerardins This injunction
will be liabl" to be relieved from duty
Some officers refused to abide by this
order, and for the rest Of his term Of Office
Mr. Chandler was rated severely in naval
circles, and particularly by the women
in the famile, of naval officers. for what
was held To be an Interference with the
rights OF individuals When he surren-
dered the naval portfolio in March. 1885.
a persistent EFFORT was made by naval Off
GERS Ia have the oroer revoked This effort
was successful. On June 80, 1885, Score
tary William C. Whitney revoked IL. The
order forbidding women from taking up
residence on board sh p Of war rem .ins in
force, however. and it was this when Com
mander Roller was accused of violating
Naval officers mere can recall only one
csse, other than that Of Commander Roller,
where Secretary Hunts regulation pro-
hibiting women from taking up residence
on -lllIbeldfu NdS not Ob-tTNtNl, anu tnt'Tt
il question whether it was actually yio-
lated in this instance. In This case the
offender wGs tie wife OF naval officer.
how Captain In command Of one of the Zig
slips attached to Admiral Dewey's fleet in
the West Indies. She was an exceedingly
clever and attractive woman, and the man
ner in which she violated the regulation,
and a, the same time outwitte I'd her husband
forms story which wal officers tell vii h
Grca, deal OF enjoyment.
AT the time Of this ifraction Of the rule,
the officer in questio ion had command Of a
gunboat which was lying of n port Of the
Argentine Republic, where political dis-
turhances were expected, and his wife was
living ashore with her mother AT a place
hear the town. The officer had warned his
wife that political disturbances were likely
to occur AT any moment and he directed
her not to go to the town until the dams ger
had passed One day the reyolu,ionists
started in. and there was much firing and
moro excitement In the town. II about
dusk Of that eN eIing the commander of the
American vessel was notified that his wife
was or the beach signalling to the ship.
Very much provoked ard somewhat alarmed
the commander called for the cutter
and, taking the tier, directed the crew to
row with all speed. As the boat touched
the beach and the commander Jumped
ashore, with wrath depicted on his face
his wife held up her Land warningly. and
addressing him In tones that could be heard
by the boats cr,w;
Now, don't say a word she said. Il
am not here a. your wife, but a. an Ameri-
can citizen claiming the protection Of her
Government. and | demand sir. that you
give me asylum on board your vessel.
The officer expostulated, maintaining
that he might he court -martalled II he per-
United a member Of his family to remain
on board his ship, but the lady was obura,e.
and when she threatened to report him
to the Navy Department II he did not COM
ply with her request. the husband gave in
The next morning, a. the lady was leaving
that old regulation" and" she added.
Il have done it, too"
The Navy Department did not take any
action on this incident. II was regarded a
a clear case Of the officers wife being within
her rights as IN American citizen