The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-08-18
Orders That No Agent or Off
Ger Of That Body Shall Be
Admitted Aboard Ships
ACTS In RESPONSE TO
FIVE YEARS OF ATTACK
in Response Navy League Re-
news Attack and Charges
Secretary With II a vim g
Throttled Truth

Washington. Aug. 17.--secretary
Daniels today severed all connections
between the navy and the Navy
league.
He issued an order that no agent or
officer Of the league be permitted to
board any vessel or enter any navy
yard
They can call 1t the Thompson
league" Mr. Daniels said. ''or the
Stayton league or the Anti Navy
league-perhaps that would be the
best name for it under the present
/. management, but they can hardly call
ii the Navy league
Il want the patriotic people who
have given their support to the good
work of the league has done TO know
this"
This was the secretary's answer to
the letter of Colonel Thompson, presi-
dent of the league in which Colonel
Thompson assumed responsibility for
the statement that the navy depart
ment had delayed the investigation of
the Mare Island magazine explosion
! at the behest Of powerful labor in
| terests'
Incidentally. Mr.. Daniels announced
that the report of the completed in
vestigation of tais disaster had been
mailed from the Mare Island navy
yard on wednesday. the very day on
which the Navy league charged that
the invnstieat ion was being delayed.
VIII Make Report Public.
The report will he in the hands
OF the secretary tomorrow or next
day and thu result will undoubtedly
lie made public.
Il have, been patient under the
abuse Of certain people in the league
for a long time" Mr.. Daniels said
today Il have refrained from ac-
tien because realized that 30 per
cent Of the membership OF the league
ware earnest patriotic men and wo-
r,en The comforts committee has
done fire work for the men OF the
ra"y Many OF the officers are SPLEEN
IA gentlemen and | am sure that
they have had nothing to do with the
Eurrilous attack just made.
Il believe I am justified in refus-
ing t6 permit AZ organization direct =
ed in the way the Navy league Is row
directed TO associate itself with tha
service which il maligns"
Secretary Daniels today reiterated
his statement that the investigation
of the Mare Island disaster HAD oeen
pressed with vigor.
Secrctary's Statement.
The statement OF the secretary fol-
lows:
ITO the Public;
TN view of the slanderous and
false statement Of the Navy league
rejecting upon the honesty of me
naval administration and the integ
,rlsy OF the officers OF the navy. for
which responsibility is accepted by rs
officials nN'ice Is hereby given to
the public that the navy department
has directed that no officer. agens OF
representative of the Navy league will
BE- admitted to any naval station. ma
val reservation, or ship OF the navy
Persons who contribute to tho
Navy league In the future will do SO
with the understanding that the navy
department will not permit the ac-
ceptance OF anything whatever from
the organization as at present off,
cered and managed"
Asked as to what the Navy league
would have to do to regain the cor
dial relations with the navy. Mr.. Dam
iels replied:
TT will have to purge itself OF the
present management"
The officers OF the league are: Hon
orary president. General Horace Por-
ter: president, Robert NJ. Thompson:
yice-presidents, Henry H. Ward AL
bert B. Lambert. and Henry B. Joy,
counsel, Herbert l. Satterlee: treas
vrer, Lewis l. Clarke; assistant treas
urer. Ebert A. Bennett; secretary
Arthur II. Danmun; executive secre-
tary, William II. Stayton.
Navy Leagues Reply.
The Navy league late tonight issued
! further statement attacking Score
tary Daniels. 1t read:
.'Josephus Daniels fears free speech
"For Ave years he has throttled
the freedom of speech of naval off,
Gers. He has used his power over
naval officers to injure them in their
nrofession and in their one means OF
livelihood to keep them from telling
the truth about Josephus Daniels.
THE Navy league offered naval off,
Gers an opportunity to get the truth
- they knew it before the public
Because the Navy league has done
this, Josephus Daniels now attempts
10 stop the relief work Of the Navy
loague In behalf of men of the navy.
He says that If American citizens
want to give their dollars and their
time to promote the comfort ana we'll
being OF the men who are defending
the nation. they must first promise
not to criticize. Josephus Daniels
THE officers of the Navy league do
not believe that the members OF the
league or the American public will for
IN instant tolerate such behavior
THE information regarding the
Mare IstanU explosion WnicH mas ie"
10 this persecution of the Navy league
vas communicated to the league by
IN ofiieer of the United States navy.
That man was forbidden by an order
b. Josephus Daniels to tell the facts
himself. In communicating his In
Formation to the LEAGUE he violated an
hrder for which, X his name became
Known, he would be ourt-marttaled
Ind broken over the wheel.
THE American public has no idea