Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1915-04-30

washington, d. c., April 29-ln-
formation has reached here that the
CustOdians of Public Property Of
North Dakota have sold thousand
pounds or so of Junk taken from
the bow ornament of the U. S. s..
North Dakota, loaned to the state in
1913. Although the report has not
been officially placed before the Navy
Department, one of the officials re-
marked today that IF the govern
ment had wanted to dispose OF the
ornament as junk it would have done
SO in the first place. and would the
Department take official cognizance
Of the reported sale? 1t appears that
tall and lofty explanations must be
made some OF these days.
Not Gift.
The placing of the ornament Of the
battleship in Bismarck was not in the
form of a gift to the state by the
government, but was distinctly a
loan, and the navy officials remarked
this morning that although there had
been no exact precedent or similar
act in the history Of the Department,
any sale Of q part Of it was in di.
rect violation of the terms upon
which the loan of the relic was made.
Investigation Of the correspondence
leading up to the sending OF the or
nament to North Dakota, discloses
that officially Governor Hanna agreed
that .it will be preserved and cared
for"
It seems, according to the Navy
Department records, that Secretary
George Won L. Meyer, then at the
head of the department, wrote Gov.
ernor Hanna under date of January
"a. 1915, stating that the bow orna-
ment of the u, s. E. North Dakota
had been removed and was at tia;
time stored at the New York Navy
Yard. In that letter he spoke about
the attractiveness of design and sug-
gested that the state might care for
the relic for exhibition purposes at
Bismarck.
The Secretary said in his letter:
"Of course, under the law, the De-
partment would be debarred from
making an outright gift of the orna.
ment, but could loan the same inde-
finitely with the understanding that
it would be properly cared for and
preserved" 9y2S''9.s-a
Gave His Word. +
Governor Hanna said, writing from
Bismarck January 20, 1913, in re-
sponse to the offer: We would like
very much to have it sent to us and
will understand Of course tina. this
is not an outright gift, but that it
is loaned with the understanding that
1t be preserved and cared for"
The two quotations constitute an
agreement to keep the thing intact
as long as it should be in the pos
session of the state and is is con-
strued in Washington that there has
been violation of the spirit aud in
tent Of the loan.
So prompt was Secretary Meyer
that he issued an order four, days
from the date of the governors let
ter. on February 3, 1918. authorizing
loan of bow ornament of tigurehead
of the U. S. S. North Dakota to the
State of North Dakota" Brief cor
respondence, however, was necessary
previous to the shipment from the
New York Navy Yard, wherein 1t
was agreed by Governor Hanna that
the freight would be paid by the cou-
signee.,
No Estimate Of Cost.
NO estimate as to the actual cost
Of the ornament is obtainable FROM
the records. At the Bureau Of Con-
struction of the Navy Department It
was stated that the ornament was OF
considerable original value but the
ship was built under contract at Fall
River. Bostont, and the ornament was
included in the regular contract price.
The custom Of placing ornaments
on battleships was discontinued
number of years ago and the orna-
ment of the North Dakota was Une
\ of the last-if not the very last-to
be placed upon a battleship. It is
argued, therefore, in computing It's
value, this latter fact would Of course
enter into it from sentimental stand
point.
The only incident approximating a
I precedent is reported from Meridel,
] Connecticut, and the case is still
\ hanging fire.
Under the act of Congress authoriz-
ing municipalities to receive relics
Continued on page two.)