to that officer of public funds in hand and on deposit, including public property; will regard yourself detached from duty on board the Tallahassee; will settle accounts. 2. Keep the bureau (Navigation) advised of your address while settling accounts. Dated November 17, 1916. L. C. PALMER, It is essential to note that Passed Assistant Paymaster Heath did. not report until about December 1, two weeks later. The following indorsement appears on the foregoing orders under date of December 2, 1916: [Fourth indorsement] Reported United States naval hospital, New York, 4 p. m. this date, in accordance with instructions of Asst. Surg. H. Priest. U. S. S. Tallahassee. Proceeded with settling accounts, assisted by Chief Yeoman F. C. Greenwood, United States Navy. R. N. HICKMAN. [Fifth indorsement] UNITED STATES NAVAL HOSPITAL, Returns for auditor completed and forwarded this date. Returns for Bureau Supplies and Accounts awaiting receipt of signed invoices from Passed Asst. Paymaster Heath, United States Navy, to complete returns. R. N. HICKMAN. Mr. Hickman's health record shows that the ship surgeon of the U. U. S. Tallahassee made the entry on November 24, 1916, a week after orders were received detaching Mr. Hickman and a week before the reporting of his relief, as follows: Neurasthenia, origin, duty, service conditions. Relief from his present arduous and confining duties with rest and plenty of fresh air considered to be the treatment needed by him. Mr. Hickman was not ill and had no idea at this time of the entry which had been made on his record, and the importance of it. He was concerned only with closing up his accounts according to his orders, and went to the New York hospital to do it, upon advice of the ship surgeon. Quoting from the record at the New York hospital we find: Admitted December 2, 1916, neurasthenia. Opinion is deferred. Upon admission complied with routine procedure. After being assigned to a room he occupied himself with arranging to settle his official accounts. He made no complaint and appeared to be in his normal condition. Examination is postponed because of his duties in connection with pay accounts. December 4. 1916. Upon examination patient makes a normal impression. * * * It is considered that the symptoms of acute bronchitis displayed are due to the conditions aboard ship, are therefore in the line of duty, and that they constitute the paramount condition. If these statements are carefully regarded it is quite clear that the opinion of the New York hospital conclusively refutes the opinion of the ship doctor of the Tallahassee. A psychiatrist made a thorough examination of Mr. Hickman and the entry is "Mental examination negative," thus bronchitis attributed to the poor ventilation of the paymaster's room was considered the paramount illness. The paymaster's room on the Tallahassee was down below and this vessel was an old monitor, obsolescent, and therefore a crowded submarine mother ship. Continuing the record: * * * December 15, 1916, improving, gaining weight and sleeping better. Still some cough. December 30, 1916. Doing well. January 15, 1917, feeling very well. Reported fit for duty. There is still some cough, negative for tuberculosis. He is not considered a strong individual generally. He sleeps well, appetite good, and says he feels perfectly well. Discharged to duty January 31, 1917. The executive officer of the New York naval hospital, Doctor Oman, told Mr. Hickman, upon sending him back to duty, that he was not in robust health and that he should take care of himself. Mr. Hickman went to Washington to see the Paymaster General and was received most cordially. Mr. Hickman had served his chief loyally. There was certainly no question in the mind of the Paymaster General as to the kind of a job Mr. Hickman had successfully completed; nor was there any question in the mind of anybody about his mental stability or professional qualifications. He was ordered to the cruiser Albany, which left Seattle at once for duty in Mexican waters, to be on foreign duty six months. If there had been a question about Mr. Hickman's ability or mental status, he certainly would not have been sent to a ship which was to leave for duty in a Central American revolution. If predisposition to manic psychosis depressive, nervous instability, or any other disease had existed when Mr. Hickman entered the New York naval hospital, and had not been detected by the rigid entrance examination, then it is reasonable to suppose that during the two months at the New York naval hospital this predisposition would have been discovered. On the contrary, the executive officer of that hospital, Doctor Oman, told Mr. Hickman when he went back to duty that he did not believe the paymaster had neurasthenia. The record substantiates this in the statement that "acute bronchitis constituted the paramount condition." Yet about three months later, after an experience which would tax any normal man of strong constitution, we have a lieutenant of the Medical Corps, who was then only studying psychiatry, giving this damaging "predisposition" opinion. * Under the usual procedure with officers, Mr. Hickman would have received sick-leave recommendation from the board of medical survey even had there been evidence of "predisposition." Whatever may have been the condition of the patient when he was sent from the Albany to the Washington Naval Hospital, he would have been given the benefit of sick leave, or, above all, he would have been observed for more than three weeks. Doctor Sutton fully intended to give Mr. Hickman sick leave, for he so stated on June 10, 1917, after an examination of Mr. Hickman. His report on this examination showed much improvement, as had all former examinations at the hospital. Returning to the record of the case, we find that Mr. Hickman's relations with all on board the U. S. S. Albany were very pleasant. He willingly accepted all extra details, such as welfare officer, athletic officer, summary court-martial officer, caterer of wardroom mess, and he complied with requests of the engineer officer of the vessel for assistance in making drawings. As the record shows, Mr. Hickman's marks on quarterly fitness. reports are excellent. The average of all of his marks during his service in the Navy is above 3.5. The marks 3.5 to 4 are excellent. The U. S. S. Albany came through the Panama Canal into the Atlantic a short time before the United States entered the World War. All on board were curious as to where the ship was bound for. All communications were kept secret between the communication officer and the captain, except navy radio code, which enlisted men handled. In some manner the confidential information that the ship was headed for Hampton Roads was guessed, or the information leaked. The captain heard a remark on the bridge. He suspended the communication officer at once, and assigned to Mr. Hickman this duty. Further than this, all of the ordinary radio code which was not confidential and usually coded and decoded by shifts or watches of radio operators was given to the paymaster. Mr. Hickman made no complaint, although such procedure by the captain was commented on by the other officers of the ship. When the Albany became flagship of the Sixth Patrol Squadron, five destroyers and two revenue cutters, the communication duties became very heavy. Quoting from Fleet Circular Letter No. 21, 1917, to commanding officers of all ships, we find: 2. In flagships carrying a staff for the division or force commander, a member of the staff will be communication officer. In other ships the commanding officer will order as communication officer a line officer of at least watch officer rank. 3. In flagships the details of organization and administration of communications will be approved by the force or division commander. * In such ships when the number of officers on board permits, the communication officers should have no other duties. When this is impractical he may be assigned other duties, but his communication duties should be primary. In Article 257 of Fleet Regulations, an article reads: 6. One or more regular reliefs for communication officer will be detailed from officers of proper rank, in order that his necessary routine duties may be carried out. * * * 7. While the communication officer may sometimes be able to handle all coding and decoding of confidential code messages, provisions will be made by the detail of additional coding officers. Mr. Hickman performed the duties of communication officer without relief day and night, which was not intended apparently by Fleet Regulations. The coding and decoding of the confidential code was done at all hours. The naval radio code which had formerly been handled by the enlisted men, six in all, on watches of two, was not only messages to and from the ship, but included all intercepted messages, on which Mr. Hickman was obliged to work several hours each day. The squadron commander, who came aboard the Albany, shared the quarters of the captain, since the small cruiser had no accommodations for a flag officer. Orders were often given by the squadron commander direct to the paymaster, resulting at times in unpleasant situations, since conversations between persons in adjoining quarters could be overheard. Mr. Hickman was very diplomatic in his adhering strictly to naval regulations requiring his contracts with his captain, who in turn should have taken matters to the squadron commander. The record shows that both higher officers sent letters to the paymaster demanding explanations for conditions which had delayed delivery of supplies from the Norfolk Navy Yard about May 1, 1917. After the paymaster had been placed on the sick list the captain continued to write letters to him. accusing him of neglect of duty. The Albany was usually about two weeks on patrol and in port for two or three days-just long enough to get coal and provisions. And the records show that it was most difficult to get supplies from the navy yard at Norfolk. The squadron commander commended. Paymaster Hickman for his initiative and resourcefulness in getting what was needed, at times having material sent from Washington by the night boat in order to sail next day. At one time, there was a discussion between the captain and the squadron commander, when the latter prepared to send the paymaster from the ship, which was a hundred miles at sea, into the Norfolk Navy Yard to expedite the supplies ordered for the ships of the squadron. An examination of the Navy Department's file in the case will leave no doubt as to Mr. Hickman's enthusiasm in the performance of all the duties assigned to him, having little regard for his personal welfare, when the many demands upon him at all hours prevented him getting a reasonable number of hours sleep. In the deposition of a chief yeoman of 14 years' service we find the following opinion addressed to Mr. Hickman while before the retiring board: You had an evident desire for orderliness and system; to carry out all orders promptly and have your subordinates do the same; to put your work first and personal convenience second; personally liked and respected by all; one of the most efficient officers I have ever served under. On April 22, 1917, there was an accident to a main air pump of the condenser system of the Albany. The engineer officer requested Mr. Hickman to come down and look at it. These officers were close friends. Paymaster Hickman, with several years' experience and a degree in mechanical engineering, was asked to make a drawing to send to the navy yard, and he immediately started the work. The engineer officer reported this to the captain, who, expressing the opinion that an error might place responsibility for delay on the ship, gave other orders, which were overheard by the squadron commander, who interfered and ordered the paymaster to proceed with the drawing, and to proceed to the navy yard and handle the matter. On May 2, 1917, the paymaster requested to be relieved from duties of communication, explaining to the captain that he could not get sufficient sleep and could not at the same time do justice to his duties. as supply officer. The captain made reference to the engineering work which had been done by the paymaster and ordered him to continue the work as communication officer. It was at this time that the engineer officer (Lieutenant Wuest) urged the paymaster to take examinations for the corps of civil engineer or the construction corps, and voluntarily wrote the following letter to the Secretary of the Navy: 1. Asst. Paymaster R. N. Hickman, United States Navy, has during his cruise on this vessel displayed a marked familiarity with marine engineering. His ability as a draftsman and his knowledge of the principles of mechanism have been of assistance in expediting repairs to the engineering installation of this vessel. 2. Mr. Hickman has informed me of his desire to obtain a commission in the Corps of Civil Engineers or Naval Constructors, and from personal contact with him in work on board this vessel I believe his knowledge of various branches of engineering fits him well for civil or mechanical engineering work. This is voluntarily offered as a testimonial of his ability. R. W. WUEST, Dated May 5, 1917. Lieutenant (Junior Grade), United States Navy. Mr. Hickman complained to the ship surgeon of pain in his right ear, and the treatment given was an irrigation of the ear. While this was being given one morning early by a hospital steward, the captain sent for Mr. Hickman, who went as soon as possible. As a result of this, the captain started a series of letters of an accusing nature to the paymaster demanding replies, all of which correspondence is of record. The captain four times demanded a reply to a letter, when the paymaster was ill, and the surgeon advised him, after the second demand, not to disturb the paymaster. The following is from a yeoman of the supply department: Working in the pay office and as ship's store yeoman during the entire time Assistant Paymaster Hickman was attached to the Albany, I came in daily contact with him, and from these daily contacts make my judgment. He proved, in my opinion, the ideal head of the department, thoroughly acquainted with his duties, conscientious in filling them, and universally liked and respected by all with whom he came in contact. I know of two instances where yeomen detailed in other departments suggested trades with yeomen of the supply department, stating that "It must be a pleasure to work for the paymaster." From about May 1 to May 20, however, he seemed under considerable strain, due, I judged, to criticism of the commanding officer of performance of his duties. I typed most of the letters replying to these criticisms, and while his notes were always lucid and coherent, I could see that they were written under great stress of mind. From the middle of April his duties were more arduous than average. He was required to code and decode all radiograms. From the captain's writer (yeoman) replying to question as to arduous duty: Yes; I believe you were doing more than your share. On several occasions I noticed you worked in your room until early morning and at times you appeared fatigued. At the time the Albany assumed duties of flagship, you seemed to be on the go all the time, day and night. You returned from the navy yard, Norfolk, with a desk for the squadron commander one morning at 2 o'clock, as I remember. There seemed to be some friction between you and the captain, but what this was for I can not say. It seemed to me that everything you did in the line of supply officer irritated the captain. At one time I remember you were explaining something to the captain about a requisition he had asked about and he cut you off very short by saying, "Paymaster, it is too bad that you were not sent here to this ship as captain." Almost every letter that you submitted for the captain's signature, he would mutilate, and I would have to rewrite them, there being no apparent change made in them. Another thing the captain did was that when he wanted any information concerning the supply department he would send for some representative of some other department. It appeared to me as though he was trying to catch you not on the job. Another case I can recall was when he reprimanded you about the hull book, and remarked in substance that "Everyone in the supply department from the paymaster down would remain on board until the department was in condition.' When you submitted the letter concerning the new system of keeping the storerooms, he remarked he would pay no attention to your signature for the present. I often thought to myself that you certainly could stand quite a lot because at all times you remained calm and collected when speaking with the captain and never did I hear you say anything or act disrespectful in any manner. At this point the committee finds in the record something that hardly seems important, but, in view of the medical survey board's opinion and the general impression given that "neurasthenia" was quite obviously attached to Mr. Hickman before he entered the Navy, or perhaps "nervous instability," or "manic psychosis, depressive,' the committee considers it important to look into the treatment Mr. Hickman received on board the Albany. He was having his ear irrigated, later he was given trionol to induce sleep. He was on the sick list, yet he was obliged to turn out at night and decode or code |