Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1921-07-19
Roosevelt Says !
Probe Partisan

navy are denounced for methods
used in investigating the war time
scandal among enlisted men at the
Newport training station. in the
majority report OF senate sub
committee made public today. m9
The charges made by clergynen
of Newport. r. l., and the Provi-
dence Journal, the report says
"have been proved to the satisfac-
tion of the committee" and both
the clergy and the Journal, says
the report, deserve the thanks OF
the people at large"
Not Given Hearing. sA
I. At the same time today, Mr..
Roosevelt issued a statement de-
claring that Senators Ball OF Della
ware and Keyes of New HampA
shire, the two republicans who
constitute the majority of the ina
vestigating committee, had issued
their findings without giving him
hearing after promising to do so,
Which Mr.. Roosevelt in his state4
ment contended Shows a premed-
itated and unfair purpose of seekE
ing what they mistakenly believe
to be partisan political advan-
tage."
Senator King, of Utah, the demr
ocratic member of the Investigates.
ing committee, will file a minor
ity report later. 9
Details "Unprintable." "a
Most of the details Of the News
port scandal. as 1t is disclosed in
the investigation, are OF an un-
printable nature. The crux of the
majority report charges is that
with the knowledge Of Mr.. DanieisI
and Mr.. Roosevelt, enlisted men off
the navy were improperly used as
participants in immoral practices
for the purpose of securing evi-
dence on which to dismiss Offend
ers from the navy.
Mr.. Roosevelt, under whose Of
fice the investigation was conducts
ed, was held by the majority 70 be
morally responsible" for the orr
ders. The findings of q naval
| court-martial which investigated
the scandal are introduced in the
record for the first time. II held
the action OF Mr.. Roosevelt "une
fortunate and ill-adyised." Secre-
tary Daniels disapproved the por-
tion OF the findings which con-
demned the method of investigar
tion and on that point, the com1
mittee report today says:
Charges Declared False. ~
'The committee agrees that
Franklin D. Roosevelt's action
was not only unfortunate and i'll
advised but most reprehensibles
and Mr.. Daniels disaproval of this
opinion OF the court is to be Sc
yeroly condemned" Fl
Mr.. Roosevelt, in his statement,
said that at no time was the work
Of investigating supervised ty
himself personality and that no ufl-
til September, 1919, was he and
the acting chief of the bureau OF
navigation informed that members
Of the investigating squad had
used highly improper and reyolt7
ing methods in getting evidence"
"The insinuations that l must
have known, that supervised the
operations and that was moral-
lily responsible" said Mr.. Roose-
velt's statement "are nowhere sup
ported by the evidence"
Say Officials Knew Facts.
The majority findings OF the
subcommittee hold that Mr.
Roosevelt was present at confer7
ences which determined the meth-
DDS of the investigating and 1T
Is beyond the comprehension OF
? the committee how the methods to
be could have been entirely eliini-
mated and forgotten at the confer
ences." If Mr.. Roosevelt did not
inform himself of the methods
used, the majority report says, he
was most derelict in his duty"
'It is probably true" - says the
report, "as contended by both Sec
retary Daniels and Assistant Sec
retafy Roosevelt that they were
not Officially Informed regarding
acts Of operators or dectives" until
later. adding that "all through the
records before this committed
strenuous and strained efforts
we're made by naval Officers to
differentiate between official
knowledge and knowledge as the
ordinary layman has IT,"
Lieutenant Attacked. e
Lieutenant Uranus n. Hudson,
OF the medical corps, who was in
direct charge Of the investigation.
the report says, showed utter lack
OF moral responsibility" and
should have been eourt-martialed-
The navy personnel would be
benefited" the reports says, II the
name of Chief Machinist's Mate
! Erwin Arnold. Hudson's assistant
in the investigation, were strick-
en- from the roster OF the navy"
The report notes that no evai-
missioned officer Of the regular
naval establishment was involved.
Mr.. Roosevelt in his statement
on the majority report summed up
his reply this way; A
Throughout the report I accuse