The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-05-01
WASHINGTON TALKS
 ABOUT NORD|CA SoIey Has Many Friends in
 the Capital NAVY LEADS IN TONNAGE Officer Tells of First and Only Brush Between United States and Ja- pan-Senate Will Have
 Office Building.
NAVY LEADS IN TONNAGE
BY w. T. MANNING.

Washington, Apr1 30.-Washington is never so engrossed with its own affairs.
 even during the last days of a session, that 1t cannot pay attention to outside
 happenings of interest. Consequently
 there has been a tun of talk on tap over
 the Nordica divorce scandal. Nordicas g
 attorney, the Hon. James Russell Soley.
 against whom Zoltan Doahme has
 brought that terribly serious charge of
 collision which if proven. must result in
 MT. Soley's disgrace and disbarment, was
 for long time quite a figure here both
 officially and socially. Hence one can
 hear MT. Soley's present awkward situ-
 ation discussed not merely at social gath
 erngs, but in the clubs and hotel lob
 bies. While 1t is true, of course, that
 MT. Soley has made some acrid enemies
 who would rejoice in his downfall and
 would say with sapient leer: T told you so," on the other hand his considerable
 abilities and his many official suavities have amassed for him a host of defenders and explainers.
 Soley Is a nephew of that fine poet and
 excellent diplomat, the late James Rus sell Lowell, and during Harrison's admin istration was assistant secretary of the navy After leaving Harvard, where he ranked well as a scholar and was also of the robust and strenuous type he became a tutor in the famous Episcopal
 boarding school, St. Marks, at Southbor ough Mass, which was founded by fine old Joseph Burnett. of fiavoring extract repute. Russell Soley was then, l believe a Unitarian, but joined the Episcopal church. He was noted there for his keen personal interest in the morals and man.
 ners of the boys directly under his charge and was greatly liked by them. Some
 have told me he was the favorite tutor.
 He went from there to the post of his- torical instructor at Annapolis and gradually climbed into the navy depart ment, where at one time he had under
 him a niece of the poet Longfelow who always mentions him in the warmest terms of admiration. His tastes and af- filations, throughout his official and legal | careers, have always remained rather literary <and his cleverness with his pen is far more respectable than that of
 many who fancy that the possession of lofty eminence necessarily implies or includes a literary gift
 James Russell Soley Is also accounted | a very generous man with his lately earn GU fortune. I have heard it said that no former pupil and. indeed, no Harvard man ever applies to him In vain for pecuniary help. Hence. 1t is generally hoped nere and elsewhere probably, that he will be triumphantly cleared of the ugly charges brought against him by Nordica's former husband zoltan Doehme. and that here after that excellent singer will keep the even tenor of his way along some cool. sequestered vale of life" where he VIII not be tempted to bring grave accusations of infamous illegality against member of the legal profession.
 United states Leads World. snaak,ny Af divorces in connection with