Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1916-05-16
ASKS WILSON TO Do
JUSTICE TO FISKE
American Defense Society Requests
An Inquiry Into Dispute With
Daniels.
CITES ADMIRAL'S RECORD.
Letter Sent to the President by De-
tense Society Made Public.

The American Defense Society has
asked President Wilson to order an in
vestigation of the question of vera
city"that has arisen between Secretary
of the Navy Josephus Daniels and
Rear Admiral Bradley A Fiske
c. S. Thompson, chairman of the ex-
ecutive committee of the Defense So
ciety, signed the letter which was sent
TO the President requesting that the
matter be investigated. The writer
tells the President that an inquiry is
due both to Secretary Daniels and to
Admiral Fiske, and directs attention to
the fact that the Admiral has had
forty-two years OF honorable service
and that his reconl is without a blot
The letter sent TO President Wilson,
which the Defense Society made pub
lie, is as follows:
The American Defense Society de-
sires to call your attention to an un-
fortunate situation. AS the result OF a
request from the United States Senate
the Secretary of the Navy has recently
made public letter written ON. No
vember 8, 1914, by Rear Admiral Brad
ley A. Fiske. who was then aid for
operations.
The Secretary of the Navy has stat
ed that his aid for operations filed this
letter with the chief clerk of the Navy
Department and did not show it to the
Secretary Admiral Fiske stated that
he handed the letter TO the Secretary
of the Navy as the latter was standing
at his desk in the Navy Department
and he read ii carefully
An issue of veracity has thus arisen
between Rear Admiral Bradley A
Fiske and the Secretary of the Navy
Mr. President, we respectfully petition
you in fairness to your Secretary OF
the Navy and in fairness to a gallant
naval officer not to allow this matter
TO remain uninvestigated.
Admiral Fiske graduated from the
Naval Academy in 1874; he has given
forty-two years of service to his coun-
try. When he served as navigating
officer of the Petrol at the battle of
Manila he was cited by his captain for
tiiliiitnl anu Conspicuous NOiiuutA III
battle and by Admiral Dewey for he
role conduct his series of inventions
have done more than any other one
man to place the United States Navy
in a prominent position; his telescope
sight has been adopted by every navy
in the world ami is chiefly responsible
for the improvement that has taken
place i'm naval gunnery since 1898.
Admiral Fiske is recognized in the
service as the logical successor OF
Admiral Mahan: his writings on naval
strategy mark him as the leading
strategist in the United States Navy.
His record, therefore, is one of gal
lantry in batdle coupled with faithful
attention to the less spectacular duties
of a naval officer in time of peace.
Never before has there been a blot
on his record; today he stands accused
by your Secretary of the Navy of
negligence and untruthfulness, for If
he filed his letter on the preparedness
of the navy with the chief clerk with
out showing it to the Secretary he was
culpably negligent of his duty. This,
he says. he did not do. We earnestly
request that without delay. you will
order an investigation"