The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-04-03
DEWEY oFFENDs GERMANY.

Qu8lineu opinion VI IAc AAACAAS~A
navy. AS may be expected, what he
said was in nowise disparging OF the
collection of men and, vessels of which
he has the honor to be commander,
and of the excellence of both of which
he gave proof en- at least one very
memorable occasion. In fact he said
that the United States navy is the
greatest! in the world. This was a
rather broad statement to make, Dut
he made it and gave his reason for
his belief. He said that every maj
in the American navy is a man OF
intelligence, and knows just what to
do and the right time to do it. 1t re-
CURED intelligence to operate a war
ship, he said, and every unit cannot
In time of action be told just what to
do. The orders given were general,
"but in conflict" he added, "every
stroke of work must be directed by
intelligence" Had the admiral stop
ped here nothing further would prob
ably have come out of his interview,
unless it was a quickening Of national
pride in the magnificent fighting ma
chine to the glory of which he has
contributed in no small degree. But
he went farther. BY way of emphasiz-
ing our superiority in this respect he
called attention to the German navy,
and there is where he caused trouble.
He declared the kaiser's navy to
be an entirely different organization
In it's makeup Of human material.
Deep study had convinced him that
the efficiency of the German navy had
been greatly overestimated. The
men composing it did not begin to
compare in education and intelligence
with those of the American navy.
They had been drilled until they were
but little better than mere automa-
tons and looked to their officers and
depended upon them for specific in
strucsions in the least matter and
detail. They lacked the self-reliance
characteristic of the American sailor,
who could fight a ship and fight it to
victory with every officer put out of
action.
No sooner did the knowledge of the
admiral's statement get across the
water than did every subject of the
kaiser, particularly the newspapers,
take it up and demands were made on
the foreign office that it do something
in the way of obtaining satisfaction
for the insult offered the nation and
it's anointed ruler, who, in another
part of the interview it was said had
been given an object lesson in the late
Caribbean manuevers. The foreign Of
fee. it seems, has been in no great
haste to act, preferring to wait until
satisfied that the admiral has been
correctly quoted. The officials say
however, that if it should turn out
that the admiral has been quoted
truthfully the interview is likely tc
prove disturbing to the friendly re
lations existing between the two gov
ernments. At all events it may be
the cause Of a diplomatic incident.
Knowing the extreme sensitiveness
to criticism of our foreign friends
particularly the Germans, President
Roosevelt last Saturday requested
Admiral Dewey to call at the white
house. To him the admiral made
full explanation. He admitted tina
the statements attributed to him wer'
substantially correct, but disclaime'
any Intention or desire to reflect Oh
Germany, her navy or her emperor
He had cautioned the interviewer no
TO quote him "a caution it seems wa
ignored and to that extent the inter
viewer is blameable.
Having made the remarks, it woul'
not have been George Dewey to hav
denied his responsibility. Like tn
honorable man he is he did not seel
to evade responsibility by denyini
the interview ,as some. smaller ma
might and probably would have done
Believing he was talking to a gentle
mar like himself, the admiral request
ed that he be not quoted, somethin'
he had q right to request. He simpl,
made a mistake in reposing conf
dence and now admits it. The pres
iaent was sensible enough to under
atand the situation and at the whit
house it was given out after the ad
nfral's departure that his explanation
Ind been satisfactory and that NJ