New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1921-07-19
Former Secy. Roosevelt
Likewise Denounced
for Method Used in
investigating impro-
prieties at Training
Station.
Majority Report Thanks
Clergymen and Others For
Calling Public Attention to
Immoral Practices.
Deliberate Falsehood,
Roosevelt's Only Reply

] Washington, July 19.-Former Sec
| retary Daniels and former Assistant
| Secretary Roosevelt of the navy are
denounced for the methods used in
| investigating the war time scandal
among enlisted men at the Newport
Training station, in the majority re-
port OF senate subcommittee made
public today.
The charges made by cIergymen of
Newport, r. l., and the Providence
journal, the report says, have been
proved to the satisfaction of the com
mittee" and both the clergy and the
journal says the report, deserve the
thanks of the people at large.
Parttsanship Is Claimed.
AT the same time today Mr. Roose-
welt issued statement declaring that
Senators Ball of Delaware and Keyes
of New Hampshire, the two republi-
cans who constitute the majority Of
the Investigating committee, had is
sued their findings without giving him
hearing after promising to do so,
which Mr.. Roosevelt in his statement
contended shows a premeditated and
unfair purpose of seeking what they
mistakingly believe to be a partisan
political advantage
Senator King of Utah, the demo-
cratic member of the investigating
committee will file a minority report
Details Are Unprfntable.
Most of the details Of the Newport
scandal as it is disclosed in the inves-
tgation. is of an unprinta BILE nature
The crux Of the majority report
charges is that with the knowledge
of Mr.. Daniels and Mr. Roosevelt en-
listed men of the Navy were improp-
erly used as participants in immoral
practices for the purpose of securing
evidence on which to dismiss offend
ers from the Navy.
Mr.. Roosevelt under whose office
the Interrogation was conducted lis
held by the majority to be morally
responsible" for the orders. The
findings OF naval court martial
which Investigated the scandal are in
troduced in the record for the first
time. 1t held the action of Mr.. Roose-
welt "unft rtunate and i'll advised
Secretary Daniels disapproved the
portion of the findings which con-
demned the method of investigation
and on that point the committee re-
port says:
Criticism Is Severe
THE committee agrees that Frank
lin D. Roosevelt's. action was not only
"unfortuI ate and iI1-advised'' but
most reprehensible and Mr. Daniels
disapproval OF this opinion of the
court is to be severely condemned
Mr.. Roosevelt in his statement, said
that at no time was the work of in
vestigating supervised by him per-
sonally and that when in September,
1919, he and the acting chief of the
bureau of navigation were informed
that members of the investigating
squad had used highly improper and
revolving methods in getting evil
dence." immeditte orders were sent
out that day to stop it,
THE insinuations that L must have
known that I supervised the opera
tions. that I was morally responsible"
said Mr.. Roosevelt's statement. 'are
n owhere supported by the evidence
directly or Indirectly
Refute Roosevelt's Claim.
On that point, however, the ma
iority findings of the investigating
Z. mmittee hold that Mr.. Roosevelt
was present at conferences which de-
.ermined the methods of the inves-
tigating and that lit is beyond the
comprehension of the com mittee how
the methods to be used could have
been entirely eliminated and forgot
ten at the conferences" If Mr..
Roosevelt did not inform himself of
The methods used, the ma jority report
says. he was most derelict in his
duty
1T is probably true" says the
majority report, "as contended by
both Secretary Daniels and Assistant
Secretary Roosevelt that they were
not officially informed regarding acts
of operators or detectives until later.
adding that -'al1 through the records
before this committee strenuous and
strained efforts were made by naval
officers to differentiate between official
knowledge and knowledge as the or
dinary layman has it,
Lieut.. Hudson Scored.
Lieut. Erasmus y. Hudson of the
medical corps. who was in direct
charge of the investigation, the re-
port says. showed utter lack or moral
responsibility and should have been
court ma rtiaIed. The naval personne,
would be benefited the report says
if the name of Chief Machinists Mate
Erwin Arnold Hudsons assistant III
the investigation were stricken from
the roster of the navy" The report
notes that no com missioned officer OF