The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-06-21
CREAM of the SPECIALS
NAVY SURGEONS
 WATCH ROBSON.
Aim is to See That Lectures for
 Money Do Not Iniure His Eyes.

From washintgon to Chicago Tribune. ;.
 Capt. Richmond P. Hobson: the hero oi the Merrimac, has placed himseH m an awkward position at the Navy Depart ment, and he is now practically under surveillance by the office of the surgeon general. Captain Hobson applied TOT a leave of absence for an indennlte lehssn of time. This was refused because the Naval Construction Bureau is run on short allowance of officers and the 6uia- ing of the new navy has requireo 'ne services of every available man;
 Since the war with Spain the recoru appears tor show that Mir. Hobson mas had more and longer leaves or aosence than any cheer in the construction corps and for the last eighteen months, ex cept for a brief tour of luty at Eiizapetn' N. J., his work has been confined to serV- ing as one of the representatives or ehe Navy Department at the expositions q. Buffalo and Charleston. Hls ouues .a both places were almost wholly nominai, and he had frequent opportunities. whlcn he always availed himself Of. to deAVer public lectures for a compensation.
 Captain Hobson applied for retremein' i on the ground that he was physically ln- capacitated for work. A board of omcers declined to retire him. and it was hinted at the time that he expected 10 Tsceiss his three-quarters pay for Ill heaitn ana then go about the country on iectsI' 'ns is tour Later an application was maoe ID Congress for the passage of piii reuI- ing Captain Hobson in spite or the au- verse action of the naval board. rms was finally turned down by the Naval com mittee. and thereupon Captaln Hopsoi made application for long leave or ap- sence He alleged that his eyes had siV- en out. .,,,
 The application immediately followed his assignment to duty st Elizabethport; and it was disapproved by Rear Admlrai Bowles, chief constructor Of the navy. Secretary Moody, however, hassdecldeu 10 give Captain Hobson the beneht or the doubt so far as the leave Of absence IS concerned. This approval of Captin Hoo- sons application for leave IS, however, coupled with a singular condition IL IS a matter of notoriety in the department that the hero of the Merrimac ana ot the kissing episodes has engagements 10 lecture for the next three months, which. of course. he could not fill II he were assigned to duty at Elizabethport .h granting the leave of absence the Sec.e- tary of the Navy has ordered the eSl general to make an examination TOT tne purpose of finding out whether Captain Hobsohs eyes, which are too weak 10 oo service in the navy, will not De ihJureu by the glare of the lights and other work in connection with the preparation anu delivery of lectures.
 As matter of fact, Captaln hoosrn has been under surveillance by the me1l- cal officers of the navy, with the under standing that if they find featuring is as bad for the eyes as ronstructlng shipS III the navy yard his leave is to be ked at once. The whole transaction has cre- ated q vast amount Of talk in the dept ment. as it is not considered good form for officers of the navy to shirk routlne work for the purpose of attend1hs lo pri- yate business.