The sun., 1919-02-20
HUSH IN NAVY
ASBIG SCANDAL
BREAKS IN CITY
Graft of Half Million From
Draft Dodgers and Favor
Seekers Alleged.
HIGH OFFICER IS ACCUSED
Lieutenant Commander, Many
Times Under Charges, Has
Strange Immunity.

There is one commanding officer, with
the rank of Lieutenant Commander. OF
q naval base at one American port who
has had forty-seven charges lodged
against him by various navy investiga-
tors during the war. The charges. many
OF them very serious. were told In de-
tail in ffty-eight affidavits sworn to
by the investigators. Nevertheless, for
some mysterious reason-which prob
ably will become known In the course
OF the sweeping investigation now be-
ing made by the Navy Department OF
corrupt practlces-the commanding Of
fcer never has been inconvenienced even
to the extent of a court martial.
He Is still in charge Of the naval base
which was and Is being mismanaged so
frightfully that II is known In the ser
vice as 1.-The madhouse." The officer
who SO far has been free even from
court-martial has been accused OF
drunkenness on duty. persecution, indie
cent exposure-which resulted at one
time in prostratlng him with pneumonia
conduct unbecoming an officer. at
tempted suicide while drunk and ques-
tionable financial dealings.
Silence shrouds Scandals.
The facts about this officer and others
now under arrest or about to be ar
rested were not obtained from naval
officers. In fact when the various fleets
and squadrons Of newspaper men came
to anchor yesterday either at the Third
Naval district headquarters at ESQ
Broadway or outside-always outside
hA NJ whfla
ing for latest developments In the scan
dals being Investigated by the depart
,nent the only thing which the poten-
tial intervlewers obtained was silence.
whole oceans OF silence.
At Washington 1t was learned yester-
day that ten additional charges are
pending against Medical Examiner Ben
5amin Davis, whole court martial and
conviction here on a charge of accept
ing $500 in marked money in the Hotel
Plaza from a sailor pretending to seek
preferential appointment were told of in
detail in THE SUN yesterday. Davis's
counsel, ex-Congressman William s.
Bennett, has protested against the con-
viction and three year sentence i'm
posed upon Davis. Mr.. Bennett contend
ing that some of the evidence was hear
say. Action is now pending on the
protest.
Another Lieutenant OF this district is
involved with Davis, and the Judge Ad-
vocate-General said at Washington yes
terday that the evidence against the
Lieutenant Is conclusive. The Judge
Acknowledgement refused for the pres
ent to reveal the Lieutenant's name.
No Annapolis Men Involved.
In the report Of Major John G. Muir,
who is now here In charge of the In
all III, \
against officers and men OF the Third
Naval district, the name of Ensign Paul
Beck Is included. 1t Is not clear from
Special Investigator Muir's report that
Beck was mixed UP in the Davis case.
II should be stated that so far the
name of no "regular'-Annapolis gradu-
Rte-naval officer in the Third or any
other district has figured In the slightest
degree in the scandals now being I'M
earthed. The men accused of wrong
doing are either naval milltiamen who
were commissioned in the navy during
the war. officers commissioned directly
from private life or petty officers and en-
listed men who entered the navy in war
time.
Witnesses are now being summo ed
from all over the United States TO an
pear at the coming court-martial OF
Lieut.. Ebert, now under detention on
charges Of misconduct while attached to
the Third Naval district.
An instance OF the way favoritism--
for n consideration-might be obtained
in certain offices in the local naval dis
trict were revealed yesterday in the case
Of a Broadway actor who wanted to get
out of the draft Tho young actor was
playing in a Broadway production when
he received notice to report before his
local draft board for an army examina-
ton.
"served" Behind the FootIights.
Broadway, for some reason or other,
during conscription days knew more
about the graft in the local naval district
than any other part of the city. Down
20 ESQ Broadway on the morning OF the
day that the young actor had been or
dered to report to his board for examlna-
ZION hurried the actor. What passed
in a certain office at ESQ Broadway has
not yet been made public, but the fact is
known that, regardless of draft board
orders, Some one" whose name Is known
TO navy investigators took the actor to a
pleasant person at the naval headquar-
tiers generally known as the "fxer."
Then the actor was taken to the navy
yard and permitted to enlist. He was
not, however, sworn into active duty for
some time Later he was attached TO
the Broadway headquarters OF the naval
district for few days, then sent TO the
Naval Intelligence office In the financial
district for less than a week. aud inn
mediately thereafter put on the inactive
list. Each night he played in his Broad
way show and when the show went 10
Boston the sailor" went along and con-
tinued playing as long as the production
lasted And the ink was scarcely dry on
the arnilstlce when the actor got his dis
charge from the service in which he had
not served
One civilian got a commission as full
lieutenant because certain navy men of
the district were anxious TO get hold of
the clubhouse OF n Long Island yacht
club OF which the civilian was an official
The civilian got his Lieutenanrv
Rnd the Third Naval district got hold OF
the clubhouse for training station pur-
poses
stopped Drilling on the Links.
Ono day at the clubhouse training
school last year a warrant officer named
HOE was ordered by one Casey, then
sdjutant at the school. to take 500 stu
Nent sailors out on the yacht club golf
INKS 10 drill them. The sailors were
marching over the links when they were
confronted by an Infatuated officer. who
wore civilian clothes topped by a uni
form cap. The infuriated person. who
happened to be the yacht club official
VINO had been commissioned a full Lien
tenant shook his finger severely at War
rant ofhcer Roe and his marchera
rake these men off the golf links. -
eried the Lieutenant. 81 will not per-ri,