Evening star., 1902-09-01
CAPTAINS PROTESTED
RECEPTION TO DUCHESS OF
MARLBOROUGH OPPOSED.
Although Invited Not One Appeared
on the Flagship-Guest Of Ad-
miral Higginson.


Marlborough on the flagship Kearsarge
during the midst Of preparations for mimic
war is the subject of considerable gossip
in army and naval circles in this city. The
incident is described in the following spe-
cial dispatch from Woods Hole to the Bal
timore Sun:
There is war in the feet of Admiral Fran
els ]. Higginson-war more real than the
make-believe one with the army. And wo-
man, lovely woman, is the cause of it all.
To begin at the beginning. Capt. French
E. Chadwick, president of the Naval War
College, was visitor to Admiral Higgin-
sons flagship kearsarge Saturday after
noon. Shortly after his appearance on
board a general signal was made: Com
manding officers to report on board flag
Ship
There was an immediate clearing away of
steam cutters. and one after another the
captains of the warships went trooping up
the gangway of the flagship and into the
cabin Of the admiral, all in full uniform and
swords. wondering what new and important
plan of strategy the admiral had in mind.
Ihat he meditated some decisive move no
one in the group of commanders for q mo-
ment doubted. The period had arrived when
the navy was free to move against it's enc
mics. and all believed that when the con-
ference was ended there would be tripping
of anchors and immediate advance en-
masse or in divisions against the forts.
When all the captains were assembled in
his quarters the admiral and an
nounced that the fleet would remain mac
tive, arrangements having been made to re-
ceive the Duchess of Marlborough. To this
reception, the admiral added. all of the
commanding officers of the fleet were cor
daily invited.
Protest Of the Captains
After moment of embarrassing silence
straightforward speech made vehement and
open protest. There was, he explained, no
objection to a reception to the duchess
there could be none-but the time, he urg-
ed, was inopportune. Here was the fleet
ready to move at an instant's notice-it had
been kept in constant, wearing readiness
for this particular time-and just at the
moment when it should strike everything
must give way to social event which
could take place at any time.
All OF the other captains took the same
VleW-all believed and all said that this was
no time for social affairs; that If the navy
was going to play at war let it play at it
seriously, and have no nonsense about it.
Their view was that the maneuvers, re-
garded by them as of incalculable value
when earnestly worked out by both sides,
would be of no Importance if played out as
summer diversion for society folk-that
1t would make a farce of the whole pro-
ceeding and benefit neither service.
ihc ddiiiIl di gave ulFSCtlOHS 10
adhere to his plan of entertainment, and
the council was soon dissolved-the cap
ta1ns returning to their ships and giving
ders looking to the relief of the strain on
the engineer forces, which had been keep
ing the vessels under fires so heavily bank
ed that the work was equivalent to that
performed when actually steaming under
service conditions.
Visit of the Duchess.
Sunday came and with it the duchess
and her party, arriving shortly after noon
on the Astor yacht Nourmahal, which was
| in turn escorted by the torpedo boat Nor
ris. The yacht came to anchor near the
flagship and the flag lieutenant went in a
steam cutter to bear the greetings of well
come. Luncheon was served on the Nour-
mahal. About o'clock the Marlborough
party boarded the waiting launches and set
out for the flagship. The party included
the duchess, Mr.. and Mrs. Cornelius Van
derbilt Mr.. and Mrs. John Jacob Astor,
Miss Alice Blight, Assistant Secretary of
war Henry Cary Sanger and Mr. Harry
Lehr.
the yacht came in flying the flag Of the
assistant secretary, pennant which is so
rarely seen afloat that there was much
wonder among the naval officers as to Wha [.
1t was. Nor was it known what the banner
with the strange device Signified until one
of the curious wearers of navy blue made a
private wigwag inquiry to a former An
napois classmate whom he had recognized
oIl lle 4>O
Received by the Admiral
The visiting cortege drew alongside the
battleship. The band had been assembled
on the quarterback and struck up a tune
as the party came on board, the admiral
and his staff receiving the visitors at the
gangway.
A few minutes later the band started on
a tWostep and the big Superimposed turrets
v intr irCtf
then to the other, all for the edfication of
the guests.
Meanwhile the officers of the flagship
were on eager outlook for other visitors
the commanding officers who had been in
Vited. But not one of them appeared.
After two hours stay on board the
party came trooping down the gangplank
again, and as the boats showed off there
rang out on the Sunday air salute of fif-
teen guns for a departing assistant secre-
tary of war, an explosive farewell which
for more than a quarter of century has
been discountenanced on Sundays by navy
regulations.