The Washington times., 1910-08-06

reported, left ship at Annapolis.
anQ are still away
For two days at the beginning of
the trip the water condenser De-
came out Of TX. and bracifsh water
had 20 be used for drinking. Not
one man had any kick to make
against this.
Contrary 10 the stories told by
the "deserteTs,' there has not been
one man placed in the brig" since
the beginning OF tie cruise This
IS record for naval battalion
Captain Stratton has IL his OIL
Clal papers q CODY of a letter Dur-
ported 10 have been Se1L to head
quarters i'm Washington ceiling Of
the reasons why the ship Ozark
cid uot so to Gardeners Bay for
the joint militia maDeUEerS- The
letter IS dated August D
ship could be found who would
say that they could make the
slightest protest against treat
meEt. food. work. or fEe condition
OF The ship during the whole two
weeks Of the cruise Many VINO
have been with the. battalion for
years say u is the best, most in
strEcJivG and easiest trip they
have ever experienced Some Of
these men are coal passers and
coal beavers
Forty Men Contradict Deserter.
e Allen Lloyd, one Of the ''5eserters"
who told Of being worked in the coal
pits until he fell exhausted. was abso-
Iutely. contradicted by at least rorty. men
who were his sleeping and working
companions They say he kicked agAinsr
working in the coal rooms. and Al his
own request was detailed TO serve one
OF the mess tables This assignment
Is ND 10 be one Of the choice ones on
ship
Lto. d worked one day as coal passer.
He was serving tables when ne Jump
ed ship"
As far as could be seen by re-
porter for The Times who spent
pGfL OF the day aboard the shin
Capt Samuel Strarton vas sssIT -
charge, no mutIneers could be found,
ana there were no W0rk-eyHar7Sred
gaunI-taced crew in any way re-
sembling the ghost crew that visited
me Ancient Mariner
On the other hand. the members
o. the naval battalion who have
stuck by the ship throughout its two
wsTNS cruise, have the appearance
OF iuSuness and health in spite of
mOi1y bread, TUmOrs. rotten beef re-
poLLs, ana stories Of water. water
every where, and not a drop TO drink
Crew Is Indignant.
When d reporter for The Times YES
terday afternoon carried news aboard
snip mat twenty-five men had jumped
ship and deserted at Annapolis because
o. hauseatlnS food, e0haUstinE work and
nothing but salty water to drink II
was the only time that there was any
thlnS Ike disturbance on board since
the Ozark left Washington two weeks
ago So angry were the members Of
the crew al the stories Of alleged
harcships told by the men who LETT the
snip at Norfolk. they could hardly re-
strain themselves
When they saw the newspapers and
realized that serious consideration had
been given TO the reports Of the de
serters' permission was Immediately
asked OF Captain SJraJton 10 get I'D a
round robin signed by officers and men
protesting against the stories. con-
oelllllnS the i've 'deseTJers-- for their
e---lL-ss ana expressing entire salts
faction with the food and treatment
accorded to them during their cruise.
OAe OF the stories which caused much
HtrrlTDenJ, even though a number were
angry at It's circulation. was that At
one time, there were so many men
sentenced 10 punishment for kicking
against the "rOclOn grub thar 2 nor
ton had 70 be put into the shfp-s .sbril--' /
one time, and portion later on.
Inc reporter Of The Times was shown
nlAttfeSSeS, SUIT cases. trunks. and
spOre clothing Virtually every man on
the ship vas asked
Who We're the men sent 10 the brig
The answer was that for the first
time IN the history Of the naval bat
talon cruises not a single man had
been sent 10 the brig on the cruise
g1st ending
Officers and men frankly admitted
that minor. punishmenIs mad been in
nicted on some men who had been
guilty Of minor lDtraCt5OuS OF the rem
lations. For careIeSSIv leaving cloth
ING about the deck when L should have
5een IN the clothes bags. a half dozen
OF more have had to do extra duty. Z
This means that where q man guilty Of /
g minor OfIeDSe would have had four
hours work 10 do, he was given sir
OF eight hours as the case might have
been
Officers and Men Worried
On every hand, officers and men
showed anxiety that rumors OF dread
<ul hardships had gotten out In some
instances they called The Times re-
porter 10 one side and asked that he 1
phone relatives or mail letters to them /
Stating that ''everythinE-s a. right
As best evidence that the food ard
treatment has not been what Inc de-
seste5s' say II has, Captain StraJtcn
asked the ships doctor nov many Ia
had OF the sick list and now many &c /
hal mad for the entire trip TIE rco:v
was That one man was having his
finger treated 1t had been mashed
during instruction work in the ma
chine shop Several, less than a dozen I
in all, had received treatment for slight I
stomach trouble or sUnburn.
A typical instance Of the way the /
men have Jared was f0rCibIy expressed I
by JCHn Augustine, q uineteen-year-oId !
coal passer. the work being the heaviest
On board a ship
Il came down on this cruise to
harden my muscles said AussSr5n=
but 7 haven't had enough OF it
nv cheeks don't look hollow. 20
they2" he asked. pointing u MS fun
face
And I haven't been houow here"
he concluded passing his aS5ld over
his stomach.
As 10 the absence Of reports that Can
tain Strattcn IS said to have omitted
sending TO headquarters IN Washington.
he showed a copy OF one dated August
.. and which he said had been mailed 10
General larrieS from Annapolis Nd
This letter explained that At the srC-
Eestion Of q regular naval Official aboard
the shin. Il had been- thought best. be-
cause of the INABILITY Of the Ozark to
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