Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-26
TEMPEST IN 4 TEAPOT
Over Alleged Sunday Base Ball
Playing
BY ADMIRAL EVANS MEN
During Fleets Anchorage OFF Prov
incetown, Mass.
SOME SPICY CORRESPONDENCE
The American Naval Commander Pays
His Respects to the Churchmen
and Town Officers.
;OME SPICY CORRESPONDENCE

NEW YORK, May GA portion of the
official correspondence which preceded the
announcement that the United States At
lantic fleet will rendezvous at Rockiand,
Me-. instead of Provincetown, Mass, on
Sundays during the coming summer was
made public today. The correspondence
comprises resolutions adopted by the Evan
ge1ical Alliance of Boston and vicinity pro-
testing against the practice of Sunday ball
playing at Provincetown by the men of the
Atlantic fleet, the reply of Rear Admiral
Evans to the letter transmitting these reso-
lutions and a letter sent by the admiral to
the selectmen of Provincetown.
The correspondence follows: Boston,
Mass. May 10, 1906. Rear Admiral R. D.
Evans, Washington, D. C. My dear sir: AS
secretary of the Evangelical Alliance Of
Boston and vicinity, l transmit to you here
with copy of the resolution unanimously
adop;ed by the alliance at it's public meet
ing yesterday:
Whereas, Rear Admiral Evans through
his attitude toward and criticism of the
selectmen of Provincetown, Mass, has
Obliged them against their own judgment
and desire to maintain the time -honored
sancuty of the Lords day, to accede to his
request that the men of his fleet be allowed
to play base ball on Sunday.
Resolved, That we discern in his action
a singular disregard of the civic and re-
ligious sentiment and laws of the common
wealth of Ma Massachusetts, and that he has
placed himself in a position unworthy of a
servant of our federal government, and a
position which all law-abiding and rghte-
ous-loving people OF our commonwealth
must sincerely regret.
Resolved That if it be true that land
recreation for the men of our navy is now
restricted to the Lords day. this body
would recommend that the Navy Depart
ment consider such change of
as would allow recreation upon land on
some other day of the week
Resolved That a copy of this resolu-
ton be sent to Secretary Bonaparte of the
Navy Department, to Rear Admiral Evans,
to the selectmen of Provincetown and to
the daily papers. Very truly yours, Charles
A. q. Thurston, secretary"
Tart Reply to churehmen.
United States flagship Maine, North
River New York, May 10, 1905. Sir: l.
have to acknowledge the receipt of your let
ter of May Is. in which you inform me of
certain resolutions unanimously adopted by
the Evangelical Alliance of Boston and vi
cinity. and in which it is alleged that /
have placed myself lin position unworthy
of a servant of our federal government
etc.
2 Regarding the second paragraph In
which you state that my attitude toward
ana criticism of the selectmen of Province
own Judgment and desire to maintain the
tme-hoEored sanctity of the Lords day to
accede TO his (my) request that the men of
his tmy) fleet be allowed to play base ball
on Sunday, beg to state that on this SUBJ
Ject have communicated with no one but
the Navy Department In reply to a COM
munication received. In this letter | stated
t1at, as the selectmen represent the majesty
OF the civil law, If they maintain their posi-
tion as represented by their petition I shall
feel obliged to accede to their request and
not permit base ball on Sunday. Your let
ter therefore is entirely in error as to my
attitude toward and criticism of the Sc
lectmen of Provincetown" and l have in no
way Obliged them. against their own judg-
rnent to accede to his (my) request" that the
men of the fleet be allowed to play ball on
Sunday.
J. Regarding paragraph four, It is not
true that the men of our navy are now re-
stricted to the Lords day for recreation
a. In view of the above 1 think that it
would be well if this Christian Society of
which you are the secretary would recon
slider It's resolutions unanimously adopted"
and in future would charitably refrain from
adopting similar resolutions regarding my
self. which may be based upon erroneous
statements such as seem to have been the
foundations for these.
Respectfully,
r. d. Evans, Rear Admiral, U. S. Navv.
Commander Chief, U. S. Atlantic fleet
Rev G. A. G. Thurston. Secretary Evan
gelfcai Alliance of Boston and vicinity oOl
fremont Temple, Boston, Mass"
Evans Letter to Selectmen.
United States flagship Maine, North
river, New York, May 10. 1906 Mr.. George
Allen. selectman Of Provincetown, Mass.
Dear sir: have been informed by the
Navy Department that an official notice has
been received by the Secretary of the Navy
from you, saying that a meeting has been
called at Provincetown on May %, 1906,
at pm, for the purpose of inviting the
feet under my command to visit Province
town during the summer.
"As / presume you are aware, when the
fleet was at Provincetown during the early
part of last summer 1t was my custom to
permit men to go ashore Immediately after
dinner Sunday for the purpose of play
Ing ball. Later in the season September
100 nreceived request from the selectmen
and some of the clergy of the town asking
that we should refrain from all games
when on shore on this day. whereupon l
gave an order that no man should be per-
mitted to go ashore for ball playing before
o'clock on that day, thinking that the
request was made because the ball playing
might interfere with church services If en-
gagged In before that hour.
There was no fntimation in the request
that there was law on the statute books
of the state of Massachusetts prohibiting
games of sport on Sunday, nor was I aware
that this was fact
THE purchase of Evans field for a place
where our men could engage in sports re-
ceived my most hearty approval, chiefly for
this reason. Knowing that Proyincetown Is
a small place with but few people in au-
thority to make arrests of disturbers OF the
peace, and knowing that there are always
some men on board ship who will IL the
opportunity occurs become intoxicated and
create disturbance and knowing that the
police authorities of Proyincetown could
not or certainly did not. put stop to the
surreptitious selling of liquor In the town,
the best way to keep these men out of mis-
chief was to provide a place where they
could go and have sports.
"I am a believer that Monday is as much
the Lords day as Sunday. and that every
day is one on which Charity and good will
toward men, should be followed. do not
want to offend the religious sense of any
one and should never be guilty of SO Of
tending even small part of the COM
munity.