Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-05-30
THE MIsSoURI'S DEAD
THEIR FATE AS HONORABLE AS
IF KILLED IN BATTLE.
The Presidents Letter to the Secretary
Of the Navy Regarding the
Recent Disaster.

otcretdTy H1OOQy mas issued u Seuerdk
der in regard to the recent fatal explosion
on the battle ship Missouri, which includes
letter from President Roosevelt to the
Secretary of the Navy. as follows:
THE memorandum of Rear Admiral A, s.
Barker, commander-in-chief of the North
Atlantic fleet, of April %, upon TIE accident
on board the Missouri, has been laid before
me by the Navy Department. In 1t Admit
raj Barker says: The disaster was appall-
ing, but 1t developed heroes. History re-
cords no more2heroic act than that Of Mons
sen, who crawled through a hole into the
burning magazine to put out the flames
The conduct of the captain, officers and
crew was superb. showing excellent disci-
pline and marked personal courage
Although We must all of us be saddened
at SO lamentable a catastrophe, and
though every effort must be made and
every energy bent to minimize the chance
OF Its recurrence yet 1t is matter OF pro-
fouSd qualification to all who are proud OF
the American navy that the officers and
men concerned should have behaved SO well
under such trying circumstances. The
weapons with which men now make war on
the ocean are so terrible the mechanism of
our varships is at once so delicate and so
formidable as to make thorough training
and practice in their use both Indispensable
and dangerous. Such war machines would
in battle be utterly useless unless those
handling them knew by actual experience
their capabilities and how to utilize to the
highest degree these capabilities; and this
power can only be acquired by practice,
from which certain amount of risk is in
separabe. AS / have already said, every
effort must be made to minimize this risk.
But after all such effort is made a certain
amount of risk will still remain, and this
risk must be faced in the same spirit i'll
which the risk of actual battle is faced
Spirit of the Fleet.
This is precisely the spirit which was
shown in the fleet under Admiral Barkers
&C mmand, markedly on the Missouri, but
also other vessels. For many minutes
after the accident occurred on the Missouri
every one aboard her knew at any minute
she might go to the bottom; yet there was
no flinching and no disorder among her
crew. Although the veterans aboard her
were less numerous than the recruits every
man continued to perform his duty with a
cool self-posSession and courage which gives
up right to feel grounds for entire conf
oence as to the way In which any emer-
gency in battle or otherwise would be met
similarly we have right to be proud of
the fact that on the instant resumption Of
target practice the craftsmanship If any,
thing, showed a slight improvement after
the accident. 1t was good thing to have
the Texas, for instance as soon as she had
rendered assistance to the Missouri. steam
out to resume practice with the great guns
and to make one of the best records that
had yet been made.
Sol6I anu tHdHK AQm1raI Bar
ker and those under him for the showing
that has been made. l have written sepa-
rately concerning Capt. Cowles Acting
Gunner R. E. Cox Chief Gunner's Mate M
Monssen and Gunners Mate c. S. Schepke"
Died for Their Country.
In the course of letter to the Secretary
of the Navy after reading the report of the
court of inquiry the President said regard
ing the victims of the accident:
These men died for their country as hon.
orably as If they had died in battle against
an enemy. We mourn their fate, but we
mourn 1t only as we mourn those who fall
bravely at the post of duty. The accident
comrades. 1t was one of those accidents
against which We must guard with cease
less vigilance. and which we must discover
means of avertiEg, but the risk of which
cannot be entirely prevented under the con-
ditions Of preparation for modern warfare,
and which, therefore, must to this extent be
accepted as We accept the risk of battle
itself. The lives of these men were spent in
the service of their country and their
deaths were In her honor. Living and dy-
ing they showed that high fidelity to duty
which can be rendered only by those in
whom the determination to do duty well
has become part of their very being. On
to the brave dead who died SO nobly.
II desire, Furthermore, to thank Capt.
CowleS, and through him the officers and
enlisted men under him for having SO borne
themselves in this great emergency as to
deserve what the court said of them in the
language above quoted. 1 congratulate the
nation because our ships are manned by
men who at such a time can make such a
showing, for / know that the honor of the
nation will ever be safe in their hands"