Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-08-06

The other side or tine OZark story
was brought to Washington today with
the arrival OF Maj. Leroy w. Heron,
inspector general, n. G. d. c.. who went
down the river to board the ship at
Indian Head and investigate the re-
ports OF alleged desertions from and
bad conditions on board the varsity.
The report Of the inspector general and
the opinion OF practically every officer
and man on the ship, ii is understood,
agree that the Naval Battalion OF the
National Guard never had a more sue
cessful cruise, and that everything
the boat was in first class condition.
that the food was excellent and that
officers and men had an enjoyable and
profitable time.
Anger at the reports spread throughout
Washington by the ''twenty-six desert
ers, who were In reality only six, was
general among the members of the Naval
Battalion as the Ozark drew up to the
dock at 1:30 o'clock this afternoon, where
a large crowd of anxious relatives and
friends awaited the return of the Dis
trict's sailors. What the men said about
the "deserters" would not look well ia
type, and the reception the dcserters re-
ceived at the wharf was chilly one.
Talked With All Hands.
1t is understood that Maj. Heron, in
spectOr general, reported that he began
his investigation by questioning the men
who rowed him out to the Ozark, where
she was anchored of Indian Head He
had a long private conference with Com
mander Stratton and other ofncers or the
battalion talked to many in private con-
versation, from the petty ofncers down
to the men who nreo the bohers, sat al
the mems table during mess and in every
other way conducted a careful lnspectioA
on board the ship.
He found that there was absolutely
no complaint among the men, that condA-
tions were everything they should DC,
and that in practically every respect the
cruise was the most successful the NaNai
Bait lion has ever had.
Stories OF poor food. brackish water.
overwork, rotten beef and other reports
brought to Washington by those Who
left the ship at Annapols. were IN .ne
opinion Of the inspector general apso-
lutely refuted by the testimony OF pracu-
caily the entire crew
1t was found that four of the dc
serters' were men who had been taken
on probation. 1t is said that they VIII
notbe be rnitted to enlist in the bat
talon. The other men will be tried Tor
their leave. According to the
Iof the members of the crew
no men have been in the brig since
the beginning of the cruise. which they
say is quite a record for the Naval Bat
talon.
The Indignation of the members Of
the crew against the 'deserters" is due
to the fact that the stories of poor food
and other hardships circulated about
caused anxiety among the
relatives and friends of those who
were the cruise.
Regarded as Mere Incident.
Capt. Stratton, in speaking of the alb
sence of reports at District militia
has copy Of letter
mailed at Annapolis August =, in which
he informs Gen. Harries that upon ad
vice from the officers of the Navy De-
partment the trip to GARDENERS bay
was given up. AS for the men who left
the ship, as there were only five or six
Of them, and as these were regarded
as merely having overstayed their
leave. the matter was regarded as a
mere incident of the cruise and was a.
such not reported 10 District militia
headquarters.
The members of the battalion are all
over their trip. Their tanned
faces. hardened muscles and full cheeks
convinced their families and friends who
met them at the wharf that the outing
had been a beneficial one.
"All this talk about the Ozark has
given us a good deal of advertising
said one of the officers, "and as soon as
L becomes generally known that we have
1 first-class battalion and that the cruise
was big success we will probably re-
,eive a great many applications for en-
istment.
Drowning of Co1ored Men.