Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-13
MAGRUDER is GIVEN
COMMAND OF BASE.
Rear Admiral Forgiven for
Criticism of Navy and Or
dered Back to Duty.

Forgiven for his vigorous criticism
of the Navy Department in a series of
articles in 1927, Rear Admiral Thomas
P. Magruder, who has been drawing
his pay without any work since Novem-
Der of that year, was ordered yester-
day by Secretary Adams to assume COM
mand on August / of the fleet base
force aboard the flagship U. S. S,
procyon.
Out of clear sky after continued
omcia1 silence on the case, the order
of the naval secretary came suddenly
yesterday afternoon directing that Ad-
miral Magruder relieve Rear Admiral
S. E. w. Kittelle, who has been ordered
to duty as president, Board of Inspec-
ton and Survey, at the department.
With less than three years of active
duty to do Admiral Magruder in more
than 40 years of service has won the
Distinguished Service Medal and the
French Legion of Honor His Offend
Ing articles charged that the Navy was
overorganized, at1oat and ashore: that
1t had failed to demobilize completely
after the World War and that large
amounts OF money were wasted by con-
tlnuance of uneconomical war methods,
maintenance of superfiuouS navy yards
and bases and in retaining in commits
sion ships useless for war service.
Called Act of Justice"
Secretary Adams action Yesterday in
restoring the bad boy of the Navy" to
active. duty brought comments from
Chairman Britten of the House naval
committee and Senator King. Demo-
crat, of Utah, who introduced a reSo-
luton to investigate why the critical
admiral had not been restored to duty,
and from Chairman Borah of the Sena-
ate foreign relations committee. Chair
man Britten interpreted the order as an
indication that the feelings which grew
out of the articles had been forgotten,
While Senators Borah and King de-
Scrlbed 1t as an act of Justice"
The fleet base force, which Admiral
Magruder will command consists of
train squadron l, operating with the
scouting fleet: train squadron 2, oper-
atlng with the battle fleet. and mine
squadron 2, based at Pearl Harbor, near
Honolulu
Admiral Magruder was relieved while
In command of the 4th Naval District
OF Philadelphia and commandant of the
Philadelphia Navy Yard.
Former Secretary Wilbur explained
In statement at the time that Ad-
miral Magruder was called on the
carpet for his vigorous criticism of the
conduct of the Navy. and that the order
10 Admiral Magruder relieving him of
MS command was not punitive, but ad-
miniStrative.
Admiral Magruder was particularly
called to task by former Secretary Will
bur for his articles on affairs in the
Navy appearing in the Saturday Eve
ming Post late in 1927. A sheaf of
correspondence developed in the case
as Admiral Magruder sought to JUS
tlfy his assertions before high naval
: authorities. but he was unable to sat-
1sfy the requirements of the department
and the service witnessed the unusual
spectacle of rear admiral being shorn
OF his command. without q formal
court-martial while at the same time
retaining his pay and rank.
Naval officials explained that Ad-
mlral Magruder, in the absence of a
command, has been officially awaiting
orders"
Born in Mississippi November 90.
1867, the fighting admiral graduated
from the Naval Academy in June, 1889
For eminent and conspicuous conduct
In battle" he was advanced five num-
bers in rank in 1901 when he was a
lieutenant. In 1916 he served as
captain in the division of naval militia
affairs at the Navy Department, and
after the United States entered the
World War he was assigned to official
duty in connection with fitting out Ger
tain steam fishing vessels for the serv-
ice. He was in command of the coast
patrol in 1917 and went on duty later
as chief of staff of the United States
Patrol Squadron, based in France.
Returned to United States in 1919.
Early in 1918 Admiral Magruder was
named district commander of L'Orient.
Following the armistice, he was de-
tached from duty as commander OF
Squadron 4, patrol force, and from the
Macdonough flagship to continue duty
as commander of Base 10 and returned
to the United States in February, 1919,
when he assumed command Of the
U. S. S. Nevada.
Admiral Magruder again came to
serve in Washington in October, 1919.
and for temporary duty in the Office of
Naval Intelligence, and later went to
Paris. serving as naval attache Of the
American embassy. He was temporarily
appointed a rear admiral on April IA,
1920, and served again in Washington
in 1921, being commissioned regularly
as a rear admiral on June 3, 1921.
Rear Admiral Kittelle will relieve |
Rear Admiral George c. Day. who has
been ordered to duty on the General
Board Admiral Magruder's new flag |
ship. the U. S. s. Procyon. is based on |