Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-27
Capt. NibIack Attacks Repre-
sentative Gardner's State
ments as to the Michigan.
OFFICER REFUSES
TO BE MADE THE "GOAT"
Says if Legislators Had to Go to
Firing Line There Would
Be Less 0ratory.

Baking at what he terms being made
the goat in an attempt to dfscredlt
somebody else. Capt. Albert +. Niblack.
commanding the battleship Michigan.
star hitter of the Atlantic feet. has
made an open reply to the charges of
the inefficiency of the Michigan in her
battle practice. lie cites figures in re-
ply to statements of Representative
Gardner, and points out to the public
some of the difficulties which the naval
gunners run into in battle practice. He
remarks that few will reap the result
of the folly OF neglect in preparation
for war by government officials more
surely than TIE naval officers, and says
that If there was an equally auto
matte method of putting the legislative
branch of the government on the firing
line in case of trouble there would be
less oratory and more Ioosening up.
Methods Not Respected.
Capt .NibIack says that while he has
high personal respect for Mr.. Gard
ner's good intentions. he has none for
his methods. He says the representa-
tive has been misled and has misled
otrers. He declares ne Informed the
representative that he was riding for
a fall" capt. Niblack's letter follow s.:
Il once knew an inventor who said
that h- hated to go out on the street,
because ne saw so many things he
could improve. The Michigan has re-
Gently been the storm center of one of
kcp. esentative A. L. Gardeners lauda bic
u. ut movements in national prepared
LIS, but. unfortunately for him. the
cc.TeHt notifying gossip and alarm
II. record OF this ship turns out to
h. le been Il figment of his Imagination.
P i this horrible example in degen-
I IN naval gunncry has been award
tie battle efficiency pennant as hav-
lie, the bes: combined score in gu.-
and engineering efficiency OF ali
SHIPS in the battleship Class ior
Ia past year.
IA; il cannot BE- said that the pen
naut was awarded the ship just to
q appoiIt him. or that the scores were
dottored. or that she won because other
Slips were poorer. statement of facts
VIII clear the air, and convict Mr..
Gardner of carelessness in handling
firearms.
After the fleet target practice last
spring notifying gossip informed Mr..
Gardner that the Michigan made only
five hits out of twerty-seven shots
with twelve-inch guns, SO to improve
matters he wrote me "a letter to that
effect and asked me If il was true. As
he mentioned divisional practice, l. in
good faith. stated that he was mis-
taken. as the Michigan's hits were in
two figures. but ! was not permitted to
say exactly. the matter was con-
J fdential. June %. in spite of this, he
wrote ar opea letter to the Secretary
/ OF the Navy. published broadcast, at
taking naval isunnery and selecting
. this ship as a horrible exampla. statirg
|, that. whereas in 1911 she had mad ;
, nineteen hits out of tweaty-seven shots
. In the current year Gsl5) she made
shots.
Statement Is Denied.
c<ot wishing to be drawn into q con-
troversy, | wrote the Secretary of the
Navy 4 letter. and told him that Mr.
Gardner had made this accusation to
ne in writing. and l had unqua1ihedIy
denied it. so Mr.. Daniels. August 3.
publicly denied his statement. Mr..
G.. GHer then wrote me that il was
g day individual practice he had alluded
70 end at once replied that tne
Aiic1ISaus bits on that practice were
ev, a greater than at divisional prac-
tie. aId that this ship he'd. in fact
Y Q" the competition and done better
: th:n any other ship ahoat. ] depre
e g Il ht- mixing my business with his
, business. and in many words told
2 hiia he Was riding Cor fall He re-
pii.d on August l.. and animated that
: the hsures ] w-s dealing in had been
: DO toied by the Navy Department or
as 10 expressed ii. reviewed and that
: n" vas going to expose the process by
publishing al the Sc ,res. so on August
. ~ He gave a long letter to the press
: Among other things he said:
? When wlote June % | had no fig
G.Fs available except those of the
70 Mlr'iitan. Since then have acquired
=; figures % the individual spring
pras5ice OF the rest OF the reet and
: 'Iizs thar tTany a battleship has :.
: "o e r,ccrd tlIau the Michigan
IN followed re tabl= Of scores
= he publis ed again. awarding
: IS I" this 2'iI. I'll lief; out the
= -.". which STOOD NJ. IN the COM
= 90
y Mir Gardeners letter was long
: ana his charees specific. | want to
= c'inch things b. saying that no one
eve reported. sienaied or decided tIat
: tue MI, hiEIn made hye hits on this or
.HN "th"r practice, and the number of
mats awarded by observers at the time
g, Siend!tu and unchanged by the Navy
department, was the winning number
= 81 the InSiuuation Of constructive hits
can be dismissed
Save Te pn,-