Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-07-09
WILL TAKE CASE
TO WHITE HOUSE
Capt. 7. N. Potts, U. S. n, Re-
tired, Arrives Here Seek
ing Review.
FRIENDS ARE HOPEFUL
PRESIDENT WILL ACT
Believe if He Consents to Consider
the Matter Action of "Pluckinp"
Board Will Be Nullifed.

An appeal is to be made direct to Pres.
M. Potts. U. 8. N, retired, to review the
failure Of Capt. Potts to be promoted to
the grade of rear admiral last March
prior to being retired by the .'plucking'
board. Capt. Potts arrived in Washing
ton yesterday from Newport, where he
gave up the command of the Louisiana
following his involuntary retirement.
II Is understood that friends of Capt.
Potts believe that If the President will
consent to go over the promotion uues-
ton the action Of the 'plucking'' board
will be nullified, and the President will
have the authority to send the nomina-
tion to the Senate of Capt. Potts as a
rear admiral. He was due for promotion
March 26 last.
Outside Of denying statements accredit-
ed to him in the newspapers this morn
ing. Capt. Potts declined today to make
any comment on his case. Fresh from
his ship. he appeared to be in excellent
health and in the best of spirits. He
denied emphatically that he had criticised
the "plucking'' board.
The only way the action OF the board
could be reversed directly would be by
an act OF Congress, but friends Of Capt.
Potts believe that he should go directly
To the President and ask that his case by
reviewed carefully to make certain that
no injustice has been done him because
of the uniqueness of several points of
his case.
Secretary Daniels Decision.
Capt. Potts was placed within the
Jurisdiction of the "plucking" board
when he was not promoted in March.
His friends point out that he took the
examination for promotion and receiv-
ed the Endorsement for promotion
Then Secretary Daniels of the Navy
Department decided that he needed
more sea service. and he was assigned
to command the Louisiana, remaining
there until "plucked."
Regarding the contention that Capt.
Potts was deficient in sea service at
the time he was due for promotion, his
friends claimed today that he has al
ways obeyed the orders OF his superiors,
and that he is not responsible in any
way for the length of his service.
either on shore OF stA sea He was
request of Admiral wainwright. they
said, and later succeeded Admiral Pot
ter as aid for personnel He was put
in this post by Secretary Meyer, with
out any request on his part. they de-
clared. In this connection statements
that Capt. Potts asked particularly for
sea service were denied.
Capt. Potts has refused absolutely to
talk about the personnel of the board
which ''plucked'' him, or to go into any
suggestions that any members of the
board might have been prejudiced against
him for any reason. His friends believe,
and he is understood to agree with them,
that the real question at stake Is his
failure to be promoted in March.
House Action Improbable.
Members of the House committee on
naval affairs declared yesterday that
there is little likelihood of the House TAX
ing up Capt. Potts case.
Il am not acquainted with any OF the
facts and have had no occasion to look
them up" said Representative Padgett,
the chairman NO member Of the COM
mittee has ever mentioned the subject to
me, and / know of no scheme to hold
hearings or look into the case in any
way whatsoever.
According to the records of the COM
mittee only two acts have been passed
to restore to active duty officers placed
on the retired list under the personnel
law. These were in the cases of Com
modore Ten Eyck De Witt Veeder, who
was plucked In 1910, and of Capt. Will
liam p. White, who was retired on his
own application in the same year. Both
these measures were vetoed by President
Taft.