Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1903-03-07
CR0W|NSH|ELD IS M|FFED
His Request for Retirement IS
Promptly Granted.
ACTION ATTRIBUTED TO PlQUE
The Admiral Received as a Personal Af-
front Orders Transferring His Flag From
BattIeshlp Illinois,

OotiSohlP haHOios
Washington, Mar. 1.-Two interest.
ing and significant communications
were received at the NAVY Department
yesterday from the European station.
One was from Rear Admiral Aren't
Schuyler Croninshield. commanding
the European squadron, asking to be
placed on the retired list of the navy
under the provisions of the personnel
law. The other communication was
from Lieut.. Henry Fl. Ward, naval
secretary to Admiral Crowninshield,
resigning his commission in the navy.
No little connection was excited in
naval circles by these communications
and they created considerable gossip.
Prompt action was taken by the
Secretary of the Navy in regard to the
case of Rear Admiral Cowninshield.
His application will undoubtedly be
granted. As a preliminary, however.
to such action it was decided to re-
lieye Admiral Crowninshield from ac-
tive duty at nce in order that he
might come home or visit European
capitals. which ever should be his de-
sire.
Rear Admiral Charles S. Cotton,
commandant of the navy yard at Nor
folk, Va, vas assigned to the COM
mand of the European squadron and
will relinqnish his present duty at
once and start for Europe as soon al he
can a his official and private af-
fairs. The European squadron is COM
nosed of the crusier Chicago (1agship),
the protected cruisers ALBANY and
Cincinnati. the gunboat Machias and
the cruiser Raleigh. The last named
vessel is at New York fitting out for
the service on the foreign station. The
other four vessels are in the Medifer-
ranean. The flagship Chicago and the
cruiser Albany and the gunboat Ma
chias are at Messina, Sicily.
The Navy Department contented it.
self with the brief statement of the
admiral's application for retirement
without exclamation of the reason
therefor.
1t is known that the officer was dis
satisfied with the Encouragement of the
armored sauadrons bv the Navy De-
partment following the Caribbean
last winter. which deprived
him of the use of the battle ship Illi-
nois as his flagship. That vessel had
been promised him by President Nc
Kinley as his flagship as o as his
bureau duty should terminate, and the
promise was carried ont by the depart
ment. and he hoisted his flag on the
ship April 80, 1902. and sailed from
New York to re-establish the long
aband oned European station.
Now, the circumstance under which
Admiral Crowninshield came to be
deprived of the Illinois, one of the la
test and most formidable in this or
any other navy, were entirely imper-
sonal. The general board, of which
Admiral Dewey is head, had decided
upon the creation of a magnificent
squadron of ironclads of the first type
to constitute the ''home squadron"
guarding the Atlantic and gnlf coasts,
as the famous British schannel squa-
dron" forms a first wall of defense in
that country.
1t was first necessary in the judg-
ment oft he board in order to make
tina fleet CT the necessary strength to
serve the purpose in view to included
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 its general policy
and without regard to personal feel
ines. the Navy Department assigned
Admiral Crowninshield to command
the Chicago and Admiral Simmer to
command the Newark, and kept the
Illinois and Iowa on the North Allan
tic station. Now. the Chicago while a
very serviceable cruiser and a fine YES
sci Of ten years ago, is nothing like SO
imposing from a naval point of view
as the splendid battleship Illinois, and
Admiral Crowninshield dill not like to
20 back to the Mediterranean and to
the ports of northern Europe. where
his flag had fioated over the big ship.
in an inferior craft, SO he protested