The Washington times., 1910-02-14
Declares His Fight Against
Peary's Promotion Is of
Own Volition.
SAYS COMMITTEE
WILL STAND PAT
Breach Widens In Naval Circles
AS Matter Is Dis
cuSSed.

( Developments In the fast widening
! OF the breach between staff and lire
/ officers OF the navy reached sensa-
tionaI point this morning, when ruEiors
began 70 circulate through every bu-
reau OF the Navy Department to the
effect that the line element Is using
! Representative Ernest ". Roberts, 4
member OF the subcommittee OF the
! House Committee on Naval Affairs 20
lead their fight in Congress against
/ making Civil Engineer Peary a rear
admiral.
/ COIncident with the Circulation OF the
rumors AS an admission made BY
{ Representative Roberts at his residence
+ this morning that it was he who asked
+ the Navy Department 20 look up
( Peary's record and ascertain how much
! he has cost the Government during the
/ course OF his arctic explorations Rep
resentative Roberts went so far as 10
{ admit that he was acquainted with
! the recommendation contained in Sec
/ retary Meyers letter to the House
! committee, and that the Secretary knew
Z MS h-Fatc DEAD-E AtlE AEA-GL ~ a. 4Aa-AaE-A
/ 10 the committee
Bitter Fight IN Sight.
/ When this admission by Mr.. Roberts
I became known later at the department.
( It aroused unprecedented excitement.
STAFF officers are aroused as never be
/ fore, and there IS extreme probability
Z that the Navy Department IS on the
serge Of witnessing the bitteTest fight
I between its line and staf branches It
Eas ever known.
/ Representative Roberts denied that he
Z had been Or Is being used as q tool OF
the line officers.
/ It became known as early a last Sat
Urday that the Navy Department was
( having a statement prepared setting
{ forth Peary's record since he made his
I first trip North to discover the Pole Il
T was stated by staff officers that this
: estimate was requested by opponents OF
/ PeaTy- Until Mr.. Roberts this morning
stated That ne had asked for the esti-
mate, It was not publicly known whether
{ the request originated in the department
or on the outside
Think Roberts Was Prompted
1 Practically the entire staf element be-
/ lieves Roberts asked Cor the estimate
! only after he had been requested by
I the members Of the line It is known
that Nr. Roberts has -een at Secretary
{ Meyers cffice several times since the
! Hale and Allen bills, to make Peary q
rear admiral, were introduced, and on
account OF this the belief arose that
| Mr.. Roberts had not Of his own accord
/ asked for the estimate. but had been in
/ formed that such q, request would meet
/ with nigh approval IN certain quarters
J NJ 10 Tnaa-0 ~ -~Te
] When seen this morning BY a repre-
sentative Of The Times. AT. Roberts
said he had applied for the estimates
I on his own initiative, and that II had
4 been suggested 10 him By no one he
SAID that his first conference with Sec
/ retary Meyer, after the Introduction OF
the Hale bin Sc The Senate, had uOtu-
Z ing TO do with his request to the de-
! DartmenC that he be furnished with data
/ concerning how much Peary has cos
( the department
Pays Visit to Meyer.
I When asked If If were not true that
he had visited Secretary Meyer Friday
morning, the day the Secretary-s letter
+ went 70 the subcommittee IN the House.
Mr.. Roberts rep-ed Il was, but that the
object of his visit was connected in no
way with the Peary matter
/ rs II not true also that on the coca
sion OF your visit YOU we're informed b.
the Secretary OF the action Of the Navy
/ Department in falling to f1doTse the
! Hale and Allen bills2' was asked OF AIr.
( Roberts
/ In The coErse Of our conversation
/ the Secretary referred 70 the fact that
/ the department had failed 10 indorse the
/ bills, but that II would favcr Feary
/ being retired as a civil engineer with
1 the rank Of rear admiral in MS own
| grade he replied
! I told the Secretary that I would
/ eTeR be opposed to that proposition or
/ any other which would retire BelTE..
dta not know that the departments let
/ I reached the committee room later IN
/ the morning
/ Admits Jealousy Exists
/ That there is any amount OF petty
/ jealousy in the navy. Representativs
/ Roberts stated he knew TO be a fact, buC
4 he declared that II had no effect on
him, nor had he IN any way, so far as he
knew. been employed TO make him the
/ champion Of the line element.
/ Commander Peary's feat in reaching
/ the North Pole was belittled from every
{ angle by Representative Roberts this
morning He said hs agreed with Secre-
{ tSTy Never not only that il was neither
naval nor military n its character, bat
/ that to aim il had no national siguifi-
! canoe worth speaking Of He said he
/ could not see much difference between
/ a steepleJack placing the Stars and
Z Stripes upon the summit OF a high tower
and Commander Pesry carrying the flag
I 10 the North Pole.
/ The latter achievent. he asserted did
not arouse any sentiment in him, be
cause he could not see how the North
Pole would ever be OF any benefit 70
4 this country. and that it was more the
/ achievement Of national consequences
j which Congress had been asked TO re-