Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-13
OCCURRENCES AT PORTLAND
Unless Ordered Will Not Again Take
His Ships There.
PRAISES SELF-C0NTROL OF MEN
Gould Have overpowered Their As
sailants Easily-Discrimina
Against Uniform.

Rear Admiral Evans has sent to the
Secretary of the Navy a report in which
he vigorously criticises the treatment the
sailors Of his fleet received while at Port
land. Me. He claims that they, were
beaten by the police and refused admit
lance to places of amusement because
they wore their uniform.
Commenting upon the report, Secretary
Bonaparte said that he would make rec
concentrations to Congress for legislation
to meet such conditions, and he also re-
marked that it would not be the policy
of the department to go out Of its way to
send vessels to places where seamen Ere
illtreated
The inference is that all ports Of this
kind will be avoided unless it is neces-
sary for vessels to go there in the course
Of business.
The admirars report follows:
~ s. FLAGSHIP MAINE.
BAR HARBOR, Me-, September 5. 1906
During the recent visit of the Iowa.
Indiana and second torpedo fotilla to
Portland Me-, which visit was made at
the suggestion of the residents of Maine
many Of the men from the Indiana were
treated with great brutality by the police
and by a civilian in the presence of the
police, from which l may infer that he
was a policeman in plain clothes.
These men. who were, without
doubt. perfectly sober and going in the
direction of the wharf at which the
ships boats landed, were dubbed and
kicked and knocked down by these police.
The civilian, in the presence of the police.
drew a revolver and threatened them.
Nothing but commentator can be said
Of these bluejackets for their moderation
in submitting to these indignities without
creating trouble. for they outnumbered
the police, and without a doubt they
could have taken them in charge.
Another indignity to which these liberty
men were obliged to submit took place at
a skating rink. Tickets were sold to them
to enter the skating rink on Peaks Island.
and then skates were refused them on the
ground that they were dressed In seamens
uniform. Others were refused admittance
to other entertainments that were places
Of common amusement and to which civil
fans, regardless Of their characters or OF
the condition Of their clothes. were admit
ted II they had the price OF admission.
II presume the owners or managers OF
places OF amusement are not compelled to
sell tickets. but it seems a sad comment on
the patriotism Of the citizens OF Portland
to say that they objected to sitting beside
sober. honest and industrious men who are
in a profession among the most honorable
of any in the world.
81 inclose herewith the statements of the
men concerned the report of the command
ing officers and the correspondence with the
mayor OF Portland on the subject, and
have to ask II legal proceedings cannot be
undertaken by the United States district
attorney in Maine against the policemen
who so brutality treated the men and the
civilian who drew a revolver on. them. I
have to ask also. if not incompatible with
the views Of the department, that such pub
lfcity be given to this incident as may tend
to bring about a change in the sentiment
of the people in order that more considera-
ton may be shown to the men of the naval
service when they are on shore.
II have to inform the department that,
except when otherwise instructed by the
department, I shall mot permit the ships
under my command to visit Portland"