Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1917-08-17
ASKS Mr.. DANIELS
TO QUIT WITH HIN
Pres. Thompson Of Navy League
Replies To Sec Daniels
FOR JOINT RESIGNATION
Daniels Seaving the Navy Department
And Thompson The League Called
"A Sporting Proposition"

Colonel Robert NJ Thompson, Presi-
dent of the Navy League of the United
States. made public a letter he had
written to Secretary of the Navy
Daniels in the controversy growing
out of the charge made by the League
that the Navy Department had failed
TO make an adequate investigation of
the recent explosion at the Mare Is
land tCal) Navy Yard In this letter
Colonel Thompson offered to resign
as head of the organization if the
Secretary would quit his place in rhe
Navy Department.
The letter was given to the press
before it could reach the Secretary
of the Navy. 1t was an answer to a
letter sent by Secretary Daniels to
Colonel Thompson demonstrating
against the statemnt made by officers
of the League that they had been
credibly informed that the explosion
at Mare Island, in which five persons
were killed, was caused by a time
fuse attached to the black powder
magazine, and that the inquiry into
the incident had been blocked by la
Dor influences. Secretary Daniels
wrote that the chief service Colonel
Thompson and the other officials of
the Navy League could give to the
navy would be to resign at once and
permit the League to be directed by
those who in crisis like the present
could not permit a statement to be
the entire Navy Department, and
which will be read with contempt and
disgust by every honest citizen in
America"
Colonel Thompson's answer fol-
lows:
Southampton, L. J., Aug. 16, 1917.
'The Hon. Josephus Daniels, Secre-
tary of the Navy.
washington, ID. c.
my dear Mr.. Daniels: / have re-
ceived through the columns of the
] daily press your letter dated Aug. IA.
"It is true that Mr.. Station (the
Secretary of the Navy League) and /,
in order to insure cordial cooperation
between the Navy Department and the
Navy League, offered TO give way to
persons who might be selected by you
for the purpose We knew that we
had committed the grave offense of
being right when you were wrong,
and that, to some minds, this is an
unforgivable offense.
$50, in the interests OF the service
that we love and the country we are
working for, we were ready TO sacri-
! flee ourselves. If it were necessary
for you to remain as Secretary of the
Navy, it would probably be better to
have some one other than myself as
head of the Navy League, for / find ii
difficult to respect the Navy Depart
ment when that department is repre-
sented by you.
I'm your interviw you substantially
admit the important fact in our state
ment, namely. that the explosion was
the result of conspiracy, but do not
explain to the public why you have
| failed to take action.
There is a reason. What is it?
You were very angry with us for tell
ing the American people this import
ant fact. Why? Quoting from your
letter to me, the chief service which
you can render the navy is to resign
at once.
81 make you a sporting proposition
lii you do, shall Faithfully yours
ROBERT NJ. THOMPSON,
president of the Navy League of
the United States
Colonel Thompson telephoned the
letter to the newspapers from his
summer home at Southampton, L. |
The Mare Island explosion occur
red on July 8 last, and in addition tc
killing FIVE persons, injured thirty.
five others. The Navy League CON
tended that it had received its infor-
nation that it was the result of 9
| conspiracy from an official source
but never disclosed what this source
was.