The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-09-25
CAPTAIN IVA SON. PLACES NJ BL LAME ON SUBORDINATES
Court Of Inquiry Not Entirely Satisfied With Commander
 Taking All Responsibility

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 SAN DIEGO Cal, Sept. 24-(By the Associated Press. "A tale of the i Honda disaster, told by the destroyer squadron commander who two weeks | ago saw seven of his ships impaled | on the jagged rocks near Point Ar ! guello, and more than a score of his ! men go down to their death took to- 1 days session of the naval court of in- quiry investigating the wreck.
 Capt Edward H. Watson. chief of the eleventh squadron, was the com 1 mander who told the story, and in it he took upon himself 1ull responsi- l biity for the catastrophe that cost 1 23 lives and asked that none of the l blame be allowed to fall on the shoulders of his able and loyal sub- ordnates," against whom he had no complaint to make and only words of praise to utter
 That the court of inquiry was not entirely satisfied with Captain Wat sons testimony, taking upon him. self all of the responsibility for loss of lives and ships. however, be- gan to be evident late today when Admiral William V. Pratt presiding member of the Investigating body, asked him to state whether he had ever objected to his division com manders asking independently for radio compass bearings with which to check the squadron commanders navigation or whether he had ever objected to their taking soundings at crucial points on a cruise for the purpose of making sure that the squadron flagship was right in it's dead reckoning. Watson Never Objected.
 To these questions Captain Watson answered that he had never objected to such independent soundings or re- quests for bearings, and that he did not object to his division commanders checking his navigation for errors or reporting such to him if they dis covered them.
 Under cross examination by coun- 1 sel for the division commanders in- | Nolved, Captain Watson qualified his | answer by saying that soundings could not have been taken while the | squadron was travelling at 20 knots; I that Q division commander would E first have had to ask him for per mission to slow down for soundings.
 Here Admiral Pratt interrupted | again.
 But, as a matter of fact, were your navigation facilities any better than those of your division commanders ] had they chosen to exercise a little I initiative?" he asked.
 No" answered the witness.
 Do you feel that you can assume all of the responsibility that at times must fall on the shoulders of your division commanders particularly that part of their responsibility which concerns the safeguarding of their Nessels?' n
 T have no desire to assume their responsibilities, answered Captain Watson T simply want to make clear that 1 assume all of my own"
 In carrying out his announced de- sire to make clear from the witness stand that he accepted full responsi- bility for the fatal change of course that hurled his ships on the rocks Captain Watson hesitated in his an swers only when they appeared like ly to duplicate one of his subordi mates.
 Says He Gave Orders To Turn.
 He said that he himself had made the decision to turn east at o'clock on the night of September 8, five minutes before his squadron crashed. He admitted that he never took a sounding in all the 14 months he was commanding the ill-fated squadron.
 He admitted that he steered his course by dead reckoning, only pay ing little regard to radio compass bearings, which just prior to the wreck showed his ships were too far to swing eastward into Santa Bar bara channel.
 He admitted that he did not take the pains" to see if any accurate tab was kept on the number of revolu tions per minute of his propellers, al- though the speed was based on his . propeller count. He admitted that a signal meaning "I am aground" would | have been better immediately after the Delphy struck than the signals | which he did send up at that time | F. with the admonitioM Keep clear to i the westward"
 But for the officers and men who faced death with him off Honda, he | had only words of commendation and | testimony concerning brave deeds to | offer
 Denies Liquor RespOnsible*
 He denied emphatically that liquor | was in any way responsible for the | disaster, and said that if any of his | officers or men had liquor aboard | their ships he must have known it, | since "destroyers are such small ves- | sesl that officers and men are thrown 1 into closest association, and one could i not conceal liquor from the others"
 This denial came in response to a question from his counsel Capt. T. T. Craven, who explained that 1t was customary in such disasters such as this for certain critics to charge that the use of alcohol was responsible.
 But for a few minutes at the open ing of this mornings session, when records salvaged from the wrecked ships were offered in evidence by Lieutenant Commander Leslie Brat ton, judge advocate, Captain Watson occupied the stand all day.
 He told a chronological story of events leading up to the disaster, be- ginning with his orders from the chief of the destroyer force before the cruise commenced and ending with the rescue of more than 500 mem bers Of squadron elevens' crews from