The Minneapolis journal., 1903-01-10
OLD SEA DOGS FALL OUT
Fighting Bob Evans and Paymaster
T. General Kenney Are at
Loggerheads. !:
New York Sun Special Service.

New York Sun Special Service =, Z.
Washington, Jan. 1O.-1t is not often
that rear admirals O." 1.-The navy get into a
serious row, but charges and counter
charges have recently been filed at the de-
partment involving Fighting Bob Evans,
in command of the Asiatic fleet, and Rear
Admiral Kenney, the paymaster general
Of the navy. Fighting Bob provoked
the difficulty and filed the first charges.
1t is a curious fact; too that since he has
been on the Asiatice station, he has been
liberal in the matter of court martials and
attacks on his brother officers: - 80. -
The spresent difficulty between these two
distinguished sea dogs arises out of a most
/ trivial incident but the matter has, none
the less become *official and now that
lit Isl about to be made public, there is g
| possibility that it may not be settled with
! out a court martial, although, the presl-
| dent and the secretary hope that it can
be adjustsd WITHOUT snrksAer off official pre-
so1ne time easo ago aaR4oothdsr was issued; mak4
ing numerous ,eAapges Ein sthea uniform OF
the service, land thereupen Rear Admiral
| tity Of new material. This request went
in the usual way TO the paymaster gen
! eral. and was disallowed by him, an ex-
PLANTATION being made that a large amount
.of the old material was on hand. and must
! be consumed in the interest Of economy
'Fighting Bob was deeply injured by
this action, and he at once filed charSes
fagainst Paynaster4 General Kenney on the
t ground that his brother admiral had beer
guilty of disrespect to an officer. and also
had been, in effect, disrespectful to the
secretary of the navy by questioning the
I wisdom of a general order issued by him
! The charges We're referred to the burea,
of navigation, which at once found tha
Paymaster General Kenney had been en-
tirely correct in his action, which hat
been dictated by a proper desire to saw
money to the government: Not satisfied
q with this vindication. however, .Paymaste
: General 5Kenney filed formal charge
against Rear Admiral Evans on the groun,
y that ''Fighting Bob had violated tn
regulations by failing to furnish the pay
: master general with a copy of the charge
81 filed with the secretary. Of the navy, s.
that those charges became a secret accu
: sation. There has: been a great mass Q
correspondence onithe subject and the tw
read admirals have written some tart, let
ters. fs&@I 4 -. >
! Since he has been on the Asiatic static
''Fighting Bob has court martialed sew
eral officers and made charges agains
others ON frivolous grounds, and it is be
lieved at the Department. that Secretar
Moody will take the matter in hand him
self and will notify Admiral Evans tina
the department does not, approve%of hi
+ readiness to charge his; brother officer
y with violation of the regulations. So Ion
! as his charges were directed against h
subordinates the department could 1ft
4 readily interfere, but now that the disput
has arisen between two rear admirals tn
: secretary will probably feel at liberty. Q
{ |generalo principles, to put a stop to th
: system Of making petty charges which wa
: inaugurated in the department along abor
. ! the time of the Schley trial.