Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-08-15
LEAGUE OFFICERS
ASKED TO RESIGN
Secretary Daniels Tells Them
That Would Be Best Ser
vice to Navy.
BENEATH HIS CONTEMPT
Accuses Them of Attempting to
Discredit Entire Navy
Department.
BENEATH HIS CONTEMPT


influence OF labor interests was ham,
pering investigation of the fatal black
powder magazine explosion at the Marc
Island NavyYard on July 8, was fol-
lowed tonight by a letter from Secre-
tary Daniels to Colonel Robert NJ.
Thompson. president 1f the league. de-
nouncing the statement as false and
slanderous. and declaring the best SER
vice Colonel Thompson and other ac-
tive officers Of his organization can
render the navy Is to resign at once.
In supplemental statement. Secretary
Daniels goes further. He characterizes
the action III the Navy League and it's
officers as too contemplate to deserve
notice."
In his letter. Secretary Daniels refers
to an offer from the Navy League to
cooperate with the Navy Department
in every manner possible, and sug
gcstion from Colonel Thompson that
the present administration in the or
ganization was ready to resign II
deemed proper by Mr.. Daniels. He then
says:
"In view. however. of the false and
slanderous statement given out to-day
by the Navy League. l am writing to
say that the chief service which you
and the other active officials of the
Navy League can render to the navy
is to resign at once and permit the
league to be directed by those who. In
a crisis like the present, could not
permit a statement to be given out
to the public which attempts to dis
credit the entire Navy Department. and
which will be read with disgust and
contempt by every honest citizen of
America"
In its statement the league said 1t
had reliable information that the ex-
plosion. which killed FIVE men and in
jured thirty-one. was set o.; by time
fuse. giving evidence of a criminal
conspiracy. The information was made
public. 1t said, because 1t had been
urged that publicity was the only
measure that cou'd force action.
ACTIVELY PURSUING
FULL INVESTIGATION
Secretary Daniels. in a statement
made public with the letter to Colonel
Thompson. said a board appointed by
the commandant Of the navy-yard was
actively pursuing a full investigation
of the explosion; that 1t had been af-
forded ample funds and the full re-
sources Of the government. and had not
been hampered in any way by supple
mental instructions from the Navy De-
partment 1t had been current rumor.
he added. that the magazine was e1-
ploded by a maliciously placed time
fuse, but the department had refrained
from making any statement concern
ing 1t until 1t was in possession of the
full facts.
The Navy League is a civilian organ
ization formed some twelve years ago
to work for a bigger and better navy.
Among It's members are many retired
naval officers. but no one on the active
list Is connected with 1t. Mr.. Thomp-
son. president for a number Of years,
is financier of prominence, who grad
uated at Annapolis and attained the
rank Of master In the navy before re-
signing in 1871.
STATEMENT REMARKABLE
IN MANY RESPECTS
The Navy League. In it's statement,
which is remarkable in many respects.
says Its informant contends that the
discovery of the fuse gives evidence
Of a criminal conspiracy.
The Navy Department has made no
announcement than that an investi-
CATION was being made. The name of
the leagues informant is withheld, but
the statement says he is one whose
daily work would place him in a posi-
ton to know the facts" and con-
tinues:
The Navy League has no means of
conclusively determining the accuracy
OF the statements made in this letter
but 1t has given very careful consid-
Grafton to the seriousness of tho
charges 1t contains, and would not give
currency to them IL 1t did not have
confidence In the cource Of It's informa-
tlon' Its general reliability and it's
position to learn the facts stated.
IT Is clearly proper that investiga-
ton into such an occurrence as the
Mare Island explosion must and should
he made secretly. and the league re-
alizes that the mere circumstance that
no statements have been made to the
press regarding the progress of an
investigation does not warrant the as
sumption that no proper investigation
Is being made.
on the other hand. the fact must be
faced that government department
could employ this veil of proper secrecy
to hide the fact that the Investira-
tfon had been blocked. The press and
public would assume that silence ON
the part OF government authorities
about the matter was simply due to
the desire to press the investigation
more effectively without hindrance
from premature publicity.
1T is. therefore. an extremely diff
fcult matter to determine satisfactor-
lily, by the customary INQUIRIES uha+h.-
such an investigation is proceeding or
has been blocked. The league is in
formed by man who Is in a position
to know that In this instance the In
vestigation has been blocked II is
urged, furthermore. that publicity Ia
the only measure that can end this
block and force action.
THE league sincerely hopes that in
giving publicity to this information it
is serving the higher public interest,
which Is its one and only purpose"