Letter from Charles J. Bonaparte to Theodore Roosevelt
Secretary of the Navy Bonaparte intends to revoke an order transferring civil engineers J. W. G. Walker and Frederic R. Harris from their post at the Naval Dock in Charleston, South Carolina, to other duties. Bonaparte explains his reasoning at length to President Roosevelt. John Dougherty, the president of the New York Jewell and Filtration Company, a contractor subject to the engineers’ review, had repeatedly requested that the engineers be removed. Walker was eventually transferred to a new post and subsequently requested an investigation into his transfer. The Department of the Navy is concerned about the publicity the transfer is receiving, and the inference being made that it was due to pressure from Dougherty. While the action in itself was appropriate and just, Bonaparte is going to revoke the order, to protect both public confidence in the Department of the Navy and the reputations of the two engineers.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1905-07-12