Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-04-26
K0RbLY WILL ACT
To File Beers Case Letters
With Committee.
WRITES TO Mr.. MEYER
Comments Caustically On Statement
Made by Supt. Bowyer.
NOT SATISFIED WITH REPORT
Refers to Social Customs In eng
land and In the Beacon
Hill Annex"

Representative Korbly of Indiana,
democrat. today sent q reply to the let
ter received by him from Secretary of
the Navy Meyer, transmitting a report
in the Miss Beers case" Mr.. I>orbly
this morning received the report sent to
Secretary Meyer by Capt. ]. NJ. Bowyer,
superiYendent Of the Naval Academy, re-
garding the alleged affront offered Miss
Beers at hop at Annapolis. The Secre-
tary's letter to Mr.. Korbly contained an
intimation that the Beers incident was
closed as far as the department was con-
cerned.
Following is the reply to the Secretary's S
letter. written by Mr.. Korbly today:
IT wish to acknowledge your letter OF
April IS transmitting to me the report OF
the superintendent of the Naval Academy
on the Beers incident. You say:
1.-The facts of the case were as re-
ported to you in my letter of April q
ALLOW me to remind you that mas
much as your letter to me of the I'd dld
not give the facts, I wrote my letter of
the oath calling your attention to the
omission and respectfully repeated my re-
quest for the facts
scription hop. paid for by the cadets, and
that you directed the superintendent of
the Naval Academy to apologize to Miss
Beers and her father because Mtdsh1p man
Burtis. who escorted her to the hop, had
been cautioned privately that it was not
considered fitting that a midshipman
should take nursemaid or domestic
servant to social function at the acad-
emy.
Refers to Report.
1.-THE superintendent of the Naval Acad-
emy In his report says:
Nothing was known Of the young
woman beyond the fact that she was q
nurse girl in the employ of an ofhcer's
family and no reflection was cast upon
her character
'I can hardly refrain from saying that
it was very considerate that the young
lady's character was left to her, and no
doubt her family and friends are duly
grateful. 1t is we'll known that many
young women take employment as nurse
girls and that they contribute out OF
their earnings to the support OF the gov
ernment. Are these young women to be
forever excluded from polite society be-
cause they have taken employment? 1t
may be so in England and in the Beacon
Hill Annex, but 1t is not SO In the United
States.
"Since you have been kind enough to
ter, ! trust you will allow me to ad-
wise you that public opinion in the
United States has established the
status of the American working wom-
an quite as firmly as the double mind
ing of seven rear admirals of the
United States, acting as court mar
tial has established the status OF Capt.
knight Of the United States Navy.
Makes Two Suggestions.
"Your assurance that the incident is
closed. so far as the Navy Depart
ihent is concerned, coupled with the
suggestion that it is due to the young
lady and her family that they be
spared the annoyance OF further pub
licjty. suggests the following obser
vations.
"First. that your soicitude fc- the
young lady would probably have been
more appreciated at the time when the
embarrassment was not manifestly more
yours than hers: second. that copies Of
the correspondence 1 have had with you
concerning this matter Will be filed by me
with the House committee on naval az
f.irs and I shall refrain from further
annoyance to the Navy Department as to
this incident.
The letter from the Secretary Of the
Navy, % which Mr. Korbly referred, was
received by him this morning. and is as
follows:
"My Dear Congressman-Your letter Of
the oath at hand. The facts in the case
were as reported to you in my letter OF
scription hop paid for by the cadets.
II inclose a copy Of the memorandum
received from the superintendent of the
Naval Academy The acton taken by the
department was shown in the instructions
to the superintendent to send an apology
to the young lady and her father.
'The incident is closed as far as the
Navy Department is concerned. and 1t
would seem due to the young lady and
her family that they be spared the an
noyance of further publicity.
Statement Of Capt. Bowyer.
THE report from Supt. Bowyer to the
department is as follows:
LIT was brought to the attention Of the
commandant of midshipmen that nurse
maid in the employ Of the family OF
Lieut. Commander W. P. Tarrant L. s.
n. residing in Annapolis. had attended
an informal hop at the Naval Academy
Wednesday afternoon. March 10, escort
ed by Midshpman W. H. Burtis. second
class.
mo action was taken. except that on
the following day Midshipman Burtis
was cautioned privately that it was not
considered fitting that a midshipman
servant Of an officers family to social
functions at the academy. Nothing was
known of the young woman beyond the
fact that she was nurse girl in the
employ Of an officers family, and no re-
Elections were cast upon her character.
The young woman in question was
discharged by Mrs. Tarrant on the day
following the hop.
'Thc newspaper reports Of the matter
have misstated the facts and have ap-
parently been based on rumors or gossip.
as far as the Naval Academy is con-
cerned, since no information in regard to
,,{x
authorities.
LIT is recommended that a statement
Of the exact status Of the young woman
in the family Of Lieut.. Commander Tar
rant and the reason OF discharge be OBJ
tanned from that officer, which facts are
not known at the Naval Academy. Lieut.
Commander Tarrant Is attached to the
u 8. 9. Michigan.