Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-06-03
Army and Navy News.

| washington, June THE case OF
Colonel William l.. Pitcher, 2Sth IN
fantry, gets more and more muddled
! Some of the officers on duty in Wash
ington were anxious not to push the
case. since it would lead to all sorts OF
complications and embarrassments, ii
being one Of those incidents in the pri-
Vate life OF an officer when he is virtu-
ally in the position of telling his SEN
| iorS in the service to mind their own
| business. Pitcher has been i'm the last
| week threatened with trial by court
| martial for failure to marry a young
woman who is clerk in the War De-
| pariment and who is the daughter of
n late chaplain in the army. Pitcher
came here last winter from n tour os
duty in Alaska and was presented
| among the woman's friends as her fu-
ture husband, while he introduced her
to his friends here rs his bride-elect
The wedding day was named and the
young woman had her marriage gowns
prepared. Then Colonel Pitcher dis
| appeared mysteriously and finally
| turned up at his post. the Presidio of
| San Francisco. California, where he
| has since been on duty. lie gave no
|
duct. and her friends were greatly in
| censed at his silence and attitude. One
Of them, Colonel S. C. Mills, of the in
spector generals department. filed for
nal charges against Pitcher, and in
| this way the troublesome question
came before the War Department.
| Pitcher. who has n gallant record, was
| asked to explain the situation, and his
,r,r.,.
| week the authorities here determined
to have him court martialed although
| it was rather ticklish question to
| bring before n military court Still,
| the publicity had somewhat reflected
upon the service. and it was considered
| that Pitcher was too defiant and obsti-
| nate in his refusal to explain. The de-
partment has since received a request
from Pitcher asking that the detail Of
the court be postponed until he could
| make Il final statement which he be-
lleved would eXonerate him. He said
| he had hoped to hear nothing more of
the case officially. but now that he was
confronted with court martial he was
willing to explain fully and would rath-
cr do this than make 4 statement he,
| fore 4 court. 1t is likely that the War
Department will suspend action in the
case until the authorities have n
chance to read the promised statement
AS n result of the special physical
examinations of candidates for the
position of midshipman at Annapolis,
the Navy Department is in recent of
numerous appeals from the decision of
the medical officers. Some weeks ago.
on the advice of the naval medical
officer on duty at the Naval Academy.
IL was decided that the candidates for
the academy should be subjected to
strlcter examinations at the hands of
tho doctors, to the end that there should
be no lowering of the standard Of
health and bodily vigor in the COM
missioned personnel of the service.
The result of the new system has been
the rejection of numerous candidates
and their appeal through friends for q
revision of the medical officers de-
cisions. 1t has been the practice to
waive defects of this kind and usually
the success of the appellant depended
more on the extent and nature of the
influence he was able to command in
ms behalf than on the degree of the
disqualification. The appeals became
so urgent that the decision of the Navy
DepaT tment not to interfere in any way
with the reports and findings of the
medical officers at Annapolis was at
tackled. and the subject was carried to
the President in the hope that greater
leniency might be exercised at the
White House. The appeals were from
such sources that 1t became policy OF
the administration to know what to do.
The question was even discussed in the
cabinet sessions last week. with the
result that the report of the medical
officers will stand against all attacks,
and no appeal. no matter how strongly
1t Is sustained by prominent indorse-
ments. will have any effect. The pro-
tests which have been filed with the
surgeon general, therefore, will prove
without avail, much to the disappoint-
ment of numerous young men.
The paymaster general Of the navy
has set for himself the task of having
prompter governmental inspections of
supplies delivered under contract.
There has been much complaint in that
particular, especially at BROOKLYN.
where most of the material bought
under contract il delivered. Con-