Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-03
Admiral Crowninshield Dis
satisfied With Flagship.
SUCCESSOR SELECTED
ADMIRAL COTTON WILL COM
MAND EUROPEAN STATION.
Considerable Commotion Excited in
Naval Circles-Protest Against
Detaching the Illinois.

Two Interesting and significant communf-
cations were received at the Navy Depart
ment today from the European station.
One was from Rear Admiral Aren't Schuyler
Crowninshield. commanding the European
squadron, asking to be placed on the re-
tired list of the navy under the provisions
of the personnel law. The other communi-
cation was from Lieut.. Henry II. Ward,
naval secretary to Admiral Crowninshield,
resigning his commission in the navy. No
little commoton was excited in naval cir
cles by these communications and they ere
ated considerable gossip.
Prompt action was taken by the Secre-
tary of the Navy in regard to the case of
Rear Admiral Crowninshield. His applica-
ton will undoubtedly be granted. AS pre-
liminary, however, to such action 1T was de-
cided to relieve Admiral Crowninshie,d from
active duty at once in order that he might
come home visit European capitals,
whichever should be his desire
Admiral Cotton His Successor.
Rear Admiral Charles s. Cotton, COM
mandant of the navy yard at Norfolk, Va,
was assigned to the command of the Euro
pean squadron and will reinquish his pres
ent duty at once and start for Europe as
soon as he can arrange his official and pri-
vate affairs. The European squadron is
composed of the cruiser Chicago diagship),
the protected cruisers Albany and Cincn-
natl, the gunboat Machias and the cruiser
Raleigh. The last named vessel is at New
York fitting out for service on the foreign
station. The other four vessels are in the
Mediterranean. The flagship Chicago and
the cruiser Albany and the gunboat Ma
chias are at Messina, Sicily.
Admiral Crowninshield Dissatisfied.
The Navy Department contented itself
with the brief statement of the admirals
application for retirement without explana-
tion Of the reason therefor 1t Is known
that the officer was dissatisfied with the re-
arrangement of the armored squadrons by
the Navy Department following the Carib-
bean maneuvers last winter, which deprived
him Of the use of the battle ship Illinois as
his fia gship. That vessel had been prom
ised him by President Mckinley as his flag
ship as soon as his bureau duty should ter
inmate, and the promise was carried out by
the department, and he hoisted his flag on
the ship April 30. 1902, and sailed from New
York to re-establish the long abandoned
European station.
Now, the circumstances under which Ad
miral Crowninshield came to be deprived
of the Illinois, one of the latest and most
formidable in this or any other navy, were
entirely impersonal. The general board, of
which Admiral Dewey is head, had de-
cided upon the creation of magnificent
squadron of ironclads of the first type TO
constitute the 'home squadron" guarding
the Atlantic and gulf coasts, the famous
British channel squadron forms a first
wall of defense in that country.
The Illinois Detached.
It was necessary, in the judgment of the
board, in order to make that fleet of the
necessary strength to serve the purpose in
view to include the Illinois and the Iowa,
the last named of the South Atlantic
squadron. Moreover, such battle ships
are neither effective nor economical as
cruisers. and the Illinois and Iowa were
doing that sort of duty in Europe and
South America.
So, carrying out it's general policy and
without regard to personal feelings, the
Navy Department assigned Admiral Crown
inshield TO command the Chicago and Ad-
miral Sumner to command the Newark,
and kept the Illinois and Iowa on the
North Atlantic station Now, the Chicago,
while very serviceable cruiser and a fine
vessel Of ten years ago, is nothing like so
imposing from a naval point of view as the
splendid battle ship Illinois, and Admiral
Crowninshield did not like to go back to the
Mediterranean and to the ports of northern
Europe where his flag had hoated over the
big battle ship. in an inferior craft. so he
protested against the change. That pro-
test was made during the maneuvers, and
1t was given due consideration but the
original plan held Admiral CrowninshieId
wanted TO retire then, but was persuaded
against that course.
Admiral Crowninshield retires under that
section of the personnel act which au-
thorizes him to do so at an advanced grade
in consideration of service during the civil
war. He is now number twenty on the list
OF rear admirals. and thus in the Junior
grade with the relative rank OF brigadier
general. so that his retirement will place
him in the first grade with the relative
rank of major general His retired pay
will be $685. per annum, or $500 more
than he would receive were he retired in
his present grade.