Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-04
ARMY AND NAVY NEWS
The Use of Detective Methods
FroWned on in Navy
Department.

| Albert A. Roeber, chief yeoman Of the
| navy, was recently convicted by court
| martial on the Asiatc station of improper
manipulation of the paymasters books on
which he worked, and sentenced to three
years confinement with loss of pay and
| allowances.
| 1t appears from the report of the judge
advocate general in this case that when
| the chief yeoman was suspected of pecula
| ton the paymaster by whom he was en-
| ployed permitted the Irregularities to pro-
coed with the view of securing additional
evidence for the conviction of the offender.
The action taken by the ships officers was
dsapproved by the Secretary of the Navy.
! In his Endorsement of the Secretary
Bonaparte said,
while extraordinary conditions may
sometimes arise that would justify the
adoption of quasi detective methods in deal
ing with suspected persons in order to OBJ
tain the necessary evidence to concluslVeiy
establish guilt, the department in general
does NOT ADVISE or favor such methods'
and in this particular case does not ap-
prove the methods adopted by authority OF
| the commanding officer of the Ell Cano, with
the concurrence of higher authority. for
the purpose of obtaining knowledge of spe-
cific acts of the accused. Any system of
espionage which, in effect, amounts to the
encouragement by persons In authority of
the commission of unlawful acts by others
in order to bring about conviction is en-
phatically disapproved.'
All Ready for the President.
The battleship Louisiana, which is to take
President and Mrs. Roosevelt to Panama
| and Porto Rico, is reported to the Navy De-
partment by Capt Couden, commanding,
| to be in first-class shape, after having been
altered to accommodate the presidential
party She was locked at the New York
navy yard about two weeks ago and since
that time she has been thoroughly cleaned
and overhauled, many repairs being needed
as a consequence of her rough voyage from
| Havana some weeks ago when she brought
| Secretary Taft and party back to this coun-
try The Louisiana will sail from New
| York tomorrow for Wolf Trap, in Chesa-
peake bay where the chief executive will
| be transferred from the Mayfiower. which
vessel Will take him from Washington
Cannot Pay Quarantine Fees.
The quarantine charges recently imposed
on army transports by the quarantine au-
thorities of the state of Virginia will not
| be paid by the War Department, and in
| structions to that effect have been sent to
| the transport authorities While a public
| vessel of the United States is required to
| submi. to inspections they do not, and cam
not, pay quarantine fees, as they are state
imports which cannot be levied upon in
! strumentalities of the United states When
| an army transport arrives from a foreign
port it is the duty of the commander to
submit to an inspection and examination,
but he is without authority TO pay any cues
or fees for the services rendered Whlch nave
| been imposed by the authority of state
| upon public vessels or other agencies OF
| the United States.
Casualties in the Philippines.
| Mai. Gen. Wood, commanding the Philip
| i.;o hoe DjU statistics
show what the American occupation of the
| islands has cost in human life. From the
| records it appears that from the occupa-
| ton of the islands to July II, 1906. 1854
| soldiers and officers, regulars have died
| in the islands; navy and marines, Io';
scouts, 436; state volunteers, o. -, Snlt Gs
| william employees, members OF ofhcers ram
| lilies, ex-soldiers, ex-employes, conv1cts
| under military control and miscellaneous
cases since the occupation of the islands
to July II, 1905: Civilian employees, 4I9;
civilians not employees, 460; total, 939. or
| the victims, SIG were killed by the enemy,
500 died of wounds, 400 were drowned, 532
died of cholera 31J of smallpox and 136
were suicides
May Be Named Flusser.
1t has been suggested to Secretary Bona
iparte that one of the new torpedo boats
be named Flusser, in honor of Lieut.. Com
mander Charles Williamson Flusser, a ma
tive Of Maryland and an illustrious naval
officer i nthe civil war, who, while In the
| command of the Miami in the fight with the
confederate ram Albemarle, lost his life
by a shell from one of his own guns He
was the first officer to be buried in the
| Naval Academy cemetery at Annapolis
| While the name of Flusser is rarely heard
| in these days, nevertheless, IL Is IN the
| honor roll of heroes who, though OF SOUTH
ern birth and kin, remained loyal TO the
| Union, and his associates sta alive remem-
Der the brave deeds that earned for him
! the sobriqret OF ''Lion-hearted F1usser.
Christmas Gifts for Soldiers.
| ARRANGEMENTS are being made by the
| ouartermaster's department of the army to
| transport to the Philippine islands ard to
| Cuba free of charge, Christmas boxes In
| tended for the officers and enlisted men OF
| the army, navy and Marine Corps serving
| on those distant stations. Boxes for the
philippine islands will be taken on the
transport Thomas Cor Buford which will
| sail from San Francisco. December o.
| These boxes should be sent to San Fran
cisco Cal, care Of the depot quartermaster
| there with all express charges prepaid.
They should be plainly addressed and plain
Nv marked christmas Box. Inc BOXES
FOR cuba should be sent in the same way
care of the depot quar1ermas.eir [ al on St tSe
| transport Sumner, which Is scheouleo "
make two trips a month between Newport
News and Havana.
l. Care in Handling Mines.
In order to guard against the possibility
of accidents Secretary Bonaparte has Is
sued a general order calling attention to
the necessity of strict compliance with the
instructions laid down for mining exercises,
and directs that in all such exercises the
mines be handled exactly as they would be
il fully charged, whether such is the case or
not.
Tn Encourage Workmanship.
To stimulate tho marines in rife practice
Secretary Bonaparte has issued a general
order providing that every marine who
qualities as an expert rifeman shall receive
s. per month extra pay; those qualifying as