Arizona republican., 1903-02-03


 reputation is firmly established nnd almost as we'll earne Is his reputation for lack Of discretion.
 The immediate CausA Of his reSigna- tion was his assignment to duty 10 o navy yard on the Pacific coast. lie felt that the department was persecut- ing in ordering him to active duty, and suddenly decided to leave service which his gallantry has honored. As a matter of course he is entirely wrong in supposing that he has been singled out for the displeasure of the admins tration. Ever since his return from the Philippines and China, some two years ago, he has sought to leave the service, but he wished to be placed on the retired list for disability, a serious trouble with his eyes being alleged by his as the ground for the request. In due course he was sent before a retir- ing board. but the medical experts re- ported that he was not incapacitated from work, and that he was in no
  sight should he remain on the active list. As was to be expected, the de- partment followed the recommends ton of the officials who had made the examinatioh-it is difficult to see how the secretary could have done other wise. Meantime, however. the brave young officer has had Q long rest, has gone on lecturing tours, and has had an easy time. generally.
 It is claimed that Mir. Hobson has political ambitions. It is said that he hopes to be sent to congress from an Alabama district. and it is supposed that he has had political career in view while asking for permission to go on Uncle Sam's payroll as a retired officer The dispatches from Washing ton say that MT. Hobsons letter of resignation fairly sizzles'' with heat, and 1t is to be presumed that he will soon favor a waiting public with the contents o: the document in case See retary Moody does not make the same public. But the country is not likely to be thrown into a ferment of excite mert by a "Hobson issue" It has often been remarked that the Ameri- can people have a marvellous faculty for quickly reaching common-sense conclusions in regard to matters which are widely discussed. and there is no reason to suppose that a mistake was made in measuring MT. Hobson when It was concluded that he has unlimited personal courage but is lacking in that balance which should be one of the strong characteristics of Q naval off, cer.
 As Fighting Bob" Evans has point d out in his admirable autobiography. A Sailors Los" an officer of the United States navy is called upon at times to exercise all the talents of a finished diplomat, and numerous cases In point ct once suggest themselves. For instance, had Fighting Bob" him. self been anything less than a states man and diplomat as well as a brave commander, this country would have been involved in a war with Chili as a result of the riots in Valparaiso and the massacre of the Baltimore's sea- men in 1892. And had Dewey been less well balanced and skillful in conduct ing affairs at Manila during the try Ing months which followed the de- struction of the Spanish fleet, a war with Germany would have been a cer- tainty. The history of the navy is full of similar examples of the excellent poise and sound discretion os our naval commanders. Had an officer of Hob sons temperament been in command in Chilli in place of Evans, or in the Philippines instead of Dewey, the con sequences might have been appalling And when, in the history of the navy, did Dewey CT an Evans refuse to ac- cept a service because the assignment was disagreeable?
 It can hardly be made to appear that the country is an actual loser by reas- on of Hobson's retirement