The Washington herald., 1911-04-27

| SO by resolution, and he knew of no one |
who was ready to introduce one.
Replying to Secretary Meyers letter. |
which contained the statement that the |
Beers incident was closed as far as the |
Navy Department is concerned, and inti- |
mating that it might be we'll to spare
| further publicity, Representative korbly
| issued a piece of correspondence that will
exist in the files of the Navy Department
as about the hottest epfstle ever re-
ceived there. After acknowledging the
| Secretary's letter. and remarking that
| the facts in il were the same as those
contained in his letter of April -, Mr..
| Korbly wrote:
Mr. KOrbIy's Letter.
ALLOW me to remind you that mas
much as your letter to me of the 22d did
not give the facts. / wrote my letter of
the @ith calling your attention TO the
omission and respectfully repeated my
request for the facts.
| You say the dance was private sub
soription 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 Midshipman
| Burtis who escorted her TO the hop had
| been cautioned privately that 1t was not
l
! should take a nurs"maid domestic
| servant to a social function at the Acad-
emy.
The superintendent of the Naval Acad-
eny in his report says
! Nothing was known of the young
| woman beyond the fact that she was
nurse girl in the employ of an officers
family and reflection was cast upon
her character
! fa hardly from saving that
it was very considerate that the young
IladY's character was left to her. and no
doubt her family and friends are duly
grateful. 1t is well known that many
lyoung women take employment as nurse
girls. and that they contribute out of
their earnings to the support of the gov
l"rnm"nt. Arc these Young women to he
forever excluded from polite society be-
cause they have taken employ oHment? II
may he so in England and in the Beacon
Hil Annex but it is not 50 in the United
STATES.
since you have been kind enough to
give me advice concerning this mat
ter. trust YOU will allow me to adj
wise You thai public opinion in the
United States has established the status
of the American working woman quite
as firmly as the double minding of seven
<eal admiralS of the United States. act
ing as n court martial. has established
the status of Capt. knight. of the United
states Navy.
Your assurance that the incident is
closed so far as the Navy Department
lis concerned. coupled with the suggestion
that II is due tn the young lady and
h'S family that they u" spared the an
lnu,anC" of further publicity. suggests the
following observations:
His SoIicItudc.
First. that your solIcitud" for the
Young lady would probably have been
more appreciated at the time when the
Iembarra ssment WAS not manif"stly more
yours than hers: second. that copies of
tho correspondence I have had with you
iconCerning this matter will he filed by me
with ;he House Committee on Naval AZ
fairs. and shall refrain from further
annoyance to the Navy Department as 90
this incident.
The report from Supt. Bowyer to the
department. a copy Of which was trans
mitted to Representative korbly, con-
tanned the information that Miss Beers
was dismissed from the service OF the
family of Lieut.. Comma nder Tarrant on
the day following the incident of the
hop. This statement was contained in
the report unacCompaned by comment.
The report of the superintendent fol-
lows:
1T was brought to the attention of the
comma mandant 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 Is escort
ed by Midshipman W. H. Burtis, second
class.
NO action was taken. except that on
the following day Midshipman Burtis
was cautioned privately that it was not
considered fitting that midshipman
should take a nursemaid or domestic
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-
1ections wer cast upon her character.
The young woman in question was
discharged by Mrs. Tarrant on the day
following the hop.
Reports In Papers.
THE newspaper reports of the matter
have misstated the facts and have ap-
psrently been based on rumors or gossip.
as far as the Naval Academy is con-
cerned since no information in regard to
the matter has been given out by the
authorities.
TT is recommended that a statement
Fof the exact status of the young woman
in the family of Lieut.. Commander Tar
rant ard 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
L. S. S. Michigan"