Evening star., 1920-06-27
CHARGES DANIELS
| |SDETERM|NEDT TO
BREAK OFFICERS
Admiral Decker Claims Use
OF Press to Misconstrue
Acts of Navy Chiefs.
SHAFTS ALSO AIMED
AT Mr.. ROOSEVELT
Letter to Chairman Hale of Senate
Committee Refers to "Intima-
tions by Circuitous Routes"

Attacks on Secretary Daniels and
Assistant Secretary Roosevelt are
made by Rear Admiral Benton c.
Decker. commandant of the seventh
naval district. Florida. in letters to
Chairman Hale of the Senate naval
investigating committee. which were
published today in the Army and Navy
Register. a service journal
The officer charges that the naval
Secretary in his recent testimony be-
fore the committee Intentionally and
deliberately" misrepresented certain
acts of Rear Admirals Sims Fullam
and Fiske. and that he had deter
mined to break" these officers be-
cause they, would not follow him to
the limit of demoralizing and degrad-
ing the Navy"
Declares He "Used' Newspapers.
Admiral Decker asserts that in this
effort Mr.. Daniels had used "all the
power of his high Office. the power of
ridicule. sarcasm and half truths, the
strength of publicity secured through
| his newspaper connections-all the wea-
|
its enemies and autocracy has used
through the ages to maintain it's
| power"
The admiral declared that to him, as
to other high officers of the Navy. lit
has come that if We would bow down
and do the wishes of Mr.. Daniels we
would receive the rewards therefor-in-
timations that come by circuitous routes
and underhanded, sneaking ways, so
that no one can take hold of them
In any reorganization of the Navy, the
admiral continued, the best interests of
the country demanded that there would
be placed in the Department an officer
big enough and broad enough and of
sufficient ability to maintain the stand
ards of the Navy against the encroach-
ments of the civilian Secretaries, who
seek to make of the Navy a politicaI
orga anization
Assafls Assistant Secretary.
| Admiral Decker assailed Assistant
Secretary Roosevelt for his references in
recent communication to a member or
Congress to ''holier- than thou" group
of officers at the Navy War College at
Newport. He declared that this was a
group of officers who had stood out
against the introduction of politics into
| the Navy and to whom the assistant
secretary had scornfully referred to as
''gold-laced gentlemen" when he sought
to ingratiate himself with the working
men," He added that Mr.. Roosevelt did
not scorn these officers when he met
them in ''rich clubs in New York and
| Washington
This is the group of officers" Admi-
raj Decker declared, ''who have stood
out against the introduction of politics
into the Navy and have sacrificed them
selves for the good of the Navy and not
fattened on it.
These may be the same officers
who were scornfully referred to az
.gold-laced gentlemen when on a
previous occasion Mr.. Roosevelt
sought to ingratiate himself with
the workingmen. and the same to
whom his confidential clerk writes
letters giving instructions that they
dare not give in public with regard to
the laboring men,
Both Secretary Daniels and As
sistant Secretary Roosevelt are at
San Francisco to attend the demo-
cratic national convention. Senator
Hale is in New York and at his
office it was said that there was no
record of Admiral Decker's letters,
hich were dated June Il. Attaches
of the Office recalled that Senator
Hale received a letter from Admiral
Decker early in the Senate investi-
CATION of the award of naval decora-
tions.
Decker Removed mt Madrid.
At this investigation it was de-
veloped that Admiral Decker had
been removed as naval attache at
Madrid following representations 10
the State Department by Ambassa-
dor Willard that the admiral in his
work there was encroaching on Dip
lomatic functions.
Admiral Decker said he also had
sent a copy of the letter, which was
dated June II. to Secretary Daniels.
Secretary Daniels has stated that
Admiral Decker's removal at Madrid
followed representations from Am
bassador Willard to the State Depart
ment that he was encroaching on
dinlomatic functions in his activities
there.
The admiral declared in his letter
that from my personal knowledge
of Mr.. Daniels character | am led To
believe that whatever is cited in his
statements TO the discredit Of the
officers is so perverted and twisted
as to give the actual facts Il false
meaning"
ut is probable and more than
likely" Admiral Decker's letter said.
that if these officers had served the
gods that Mr.. Daniels worshiped
they would today have been fatten-
ing on the Navy as commanders OF
fleets on active duty or in pleasant
Jobs in Washington.
Exclamation Based on Experience.
MY explanation of the incidents set
forth by Mr.. Daniels is based upon
nv personal experience with him.
This explanation is that Mr.. Daniels
found these officers would not follow
him to the limit of demoralizing and
degrading the Navy: that even
CONTINUED on Page .. Column Sd