New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-20
Daniels Vice
Hunt Called
Blot ON Navy
Lures Used in Attempt to
Entrap Enlisted Men and
Bolster Morality Drive De-
noumced i'm Senate Probe
Aid Receives Censure
F. ID. Roosevelt Blamed for
Revolving Methods of Get
ting Evidence at Newport
From The Troane's Washin otom Bareau

WASHlNGlON, July 19.-The Sen
ate committee report on immoral anc
vicious practices at the naval training
station at Newport, r. L., made public
to-day and submitted to the Senate
assails Joseph Daniels, former Secrc
tary Of the Navy, and Franklin D
Roosevelt, former Assistant Secretary
for permitting men of the enlisted per.
sonnet to go to unwRrranted lengths
and themselves violate the moral code
in trying to obtain evidence against
other men which would justify their
dismissal from the navy.
Mr.. Roosevelt issued statement say
ing that the Senate sub committee
which made the report refused to give
him hearing after having promised
him one. He charged the committee
with classification Of evidence" and
with unfair tactics. Mr.. Roosevelt said
that he had not supervised the investi-
cation of immoral practices, for which
he was criticized, and that when he
Investigating squad chad used highly
improper and revolving methods in get
ting evidence" he had ordered the
practice stopped Immediately.
Most of the Report UnprintabIe
Most Of the committee report is I'M
printable. The investigation was made
by Senators Ball of Delaware and
Keyes Of New Hampshire. Mr.. Roose-
for the situation. The findings of q
naval court martial which investigated
the scandal, reprinted in the committee
report, held that the action of the As
sistant Secretary was "unfortunate and
ill-advised" and Secretary Danels's
course was to be severely condemned.
The condition of affairs is indicated
in part by the following excerpt from
the conclusions of the committee:
at is inconceivable that any one in
the naval establishment could counte-
nance such proceedings as took place at
Newport. -: The moral code OF the
structions of certain navy department
officials and the rights of every Ameri-
can boy who enlisted in the navy to
fight for his country were utterly
ignored 1t is doubtful in the minds Of
the committee if such an immoral con-
dition as presented can be found in the
annals of the United States Navy"
The committee finds chat immoral
acts were practicsd under instruc-
tions or suggestions by number of
the enlisted personnel of the United
States Navy, in and out of uniform,
for the purpose of securing evidence
. and authorization for the
use Of these enlisted men rs opera
tors or detectives was given, both
orally and in writing, to Lieutenant
IL,
lin D. Roosevelt. with the knowledge
and consent of Josephus Daniels,
Secretary of the Navy"
1t is found that the instructions to
members Of the navy personnel were
given by Officers Of the United States
Navy Lieutenant Erasmus M. Hudson
and Ewin Arnold, Immediately in
charge" The report continues:
"That such orders, instructions, or
suggestions could have been given, ex-
press or implied, in any manner for
any cause, by commits sioned or petty
officer of the United States Navy is
most reprehensible and beyond COM
prehension; that Secretary Daniels or
Assistant Secretary Roosevelt should
have allowed enlisted men to be placed
in a position where such acts were
ever liable to occur is. in the opinion
disgraceful and unnatura! proceed
ing"
The report says that enlisted men
of the navy, many of them immature
boys, were practically forced into the
duty of trying to hunt down those
guilty of immoral practices by
methods which cannot be printed in a
newspaper, because of their igno-
rance of naval procedure and civil law
and their mental perspective regarding
the obedience of any order given them
by superior"
1t is brought out that after con-
terence in Washington, June 6 and Z
1917, Hudson was placed in charge of
squad of men. Their orders were con-
iidential, headquarters was established
in New York and the supervision of the
squad was given to Assistant Secretary
Roosevelt.
Whatever criticism there may be Of
former Navy Department officials OF
others OF the navy in either the court
OF inquiry report or the report of this
committee, is in no manner directed
nor does it apply, to any one attached
to the naval establishment Of to-day
All four Of the principals discussed in
this report are now out of the service
They left it either before or on March
4, IVA, ana therefore no reflection
from this report can in any manner
touch or affect the personnel Of the
department or the naval service as at
present constituted
"Before making it's recommendations
the committee desires to point out that
the practices complained of at the New
port naval training station had their
origin with few men of bad character
who came there among the many thou
sands concentrated there under the
emergency of war.
"The committee desires to point out
that no regular commissioned naval
officer indoctrinated with the high
standards that result from the regular
training of naval officers, was involved
in the obliquities to which the sub
committee has had occasion to direct
attention"