Show Commander Reiter to Secretary Tracy WASHINGTON Jan 10The following letter has been directed the to secretary of the navy by Commander Reiter United tates navy who was severely censured by the secretary for his conduct in the Bar rundia affair PnrsBtmo Pa Jan 8 SmI have to acknowledge the receipt re-ceipt of the departments letter of the 31st of December 1S90 The letter was mailed in Washington on the 6th day of January and received by mo on the 7th It was foreshadowed by the press of the United States January 1 and 2 and extracts from containing the most savere censure i of the department appears in the press of the country today The letter then I came to the general public unfamiliar with I the true facts of the case as a severe public reprimand to me a punishment which can only be locally inflicted by sentence sen-tence of a naval general court martial I was detached from the cammand of the Ranger by the department order the 29th of September IbOO and this letter is the first written statement of the departments grounds of action extracts ex-tracts from it having been given t the press for publication before I could possibly possi-bly reply to it I now content myself by simply declaring that when in command of the Ranger on the occasion in question I was in no way culpable but discharged my whole duty that I had no desire nor did I endeavor to escape any responsibility attaching at-taching to my position and I do not now fear the most searching inquiry in regard to my action As I regard your letter as unjust undeserved un-deserved and unwarranted I havo to respectfully demand what is clearly might m-ight namely a trial before a navalcourt |