The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1915-10-01
Resent ATTACKON
LIEUTENANT EIDE
Flotilla Commander Writes Denial
= OF Theory Advanced BY For Z
ner Lieutenant Howell

~ W. e E
The officers Of the local submarine
notilla resent the imputation placed
against the skin of the late Commander
Eide of the "a by former Lieut.. J. Il.
Howell, in an address made by the
latter in San Francisco, n report of
which was published in this paper yes
terday. In regard to the suggestion
that the loss of the FL was due to
Lieutenant EIDE g inability to handle
his craft, Lieutenant Cr.ttenden has
written as follows to the editor of the
San Francisco Examiner, in which pa
per the original report Of Lieutenant
Howell's remarks was made. The local
commander writes: &C.,.
Honolulu, T. H., Sept. 80, 1915.
"Managing Editor, San Francisco Elk
aminer, San Francisco, California.
"Sir:--The division commander and
the officers of the submarines station
in Honolulu were shocked and hurt be-
yond measures when reading the total
| ly vicious and absolutely unwarranted
| attack on that high efficient and
splendid officer, the late Lieut.. Alfred
L. Eide, U. s. navy, by former Lieut..
J. b. Howell.
"The statement by Mr.. Howell that
there was no other reason for the
sinking Of the IA in Honolulu than
absolute inexperience on the part of
the commander, is an absolute and un-
warranted falsehood. Lieutenant EIDE
was attached to this division for well
over one year before he was given com
mand of the F-4. He was not given
command Of the F-4 until he had thor.
oughly demonstrated his ability to
handle the boat under all conditions,
both on the surface and submerged.
Lieutenant Eide had been in command
of the F-4 for nearly nine months be.
fore the accident occurred which re-
suited in the loss of the boat.
81 was not in command of the divi
sion at the time but was informed by
Lieut. C.. Z, Smith, u. s. navy, when
l relieved that officer in command of
this division in June Of this year, that
Lieut.. EIDE was one of the best sub
marine officers that he had ever known,
and this opinion is shared by every
officer and by every enlisted man who
was associated with the late and great
ly lamented officer during the time that
he was connected with this division. "
, Lieutenant Eide was q man Of the
highest character aud princiPle,r a splen
did, capable, efficient officer, gentle
man and a fine man in every respect.
He had the respect of all officers and
men in this division, and the feeling
of resentment here is most keen at the
lpnwarrahted attack upon him. !
"The statement by Mr., Howell in
fers that Lieutenant EIDE was making
his first dive. This is absolutely un
true. Having been in command of the
| boat for nine months Lieutenant EIDE
must have made easily $50 dives AMI
had taken his boat through two target
practisos submerged, and through tho
various exercises submerged, required
| in the course of his work. a&d ~
| ."The board of Investigation, of
which l am O member, appointed by
the navy department TO determine the
cause of the accident has not yet com
pleted its work. Therefore, l con
slider it extremely bad taste for any
one, even person who has had such
wonderful experiences in submarines as
former Lieutenant Howell, to publicly
discuss at the present time the probable
cause of the accident, WIS
81 most earnestly request that you
give this letter the same prominence
that you gave former Lieutenant How
ellis speech in order that the widow
and family of the late lamented Lieu
tenant EIDE and his personal friends,
| who may have seen this brutal, vicious
and uhwarranted attack upon him, NAV
know that an attempt has been made
to refute this attack and to let the
world at large know what n splendid
gallant officer and gentleman heuten-
ant Eide was, and what loss the ser
vice suffered in his death.
Whatever the cause Of the accident
may have been it was in no way Lieu
tenant Ede's fault, and we know that
he did everything In his power to pre-
vent It and to recover and to save his
command after the accident occurred.
every sincerely,
ok. B. CRITTENDEN.
Lieutenant, U. 8. Navy, Division Com
--o=dar.6 i,