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Home Town Shepherdstown W.V.
Last Address Elmwood Cemetery, Shepherdstown, Jefferson Co., WV
Date of Passing Jun 04, 1939
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Julian Lane Latimer Rear Admiral U.S. Navy
Navy Cross, USS Rhode Island WWI
9th Judge Advocates General of the Navy,
Commander of the Special Service Squadron,
Flag Commandant of the Philadelphia Navy Yard
and Fourth Naval District.
From 1925 to 1927 Rear Adm. Julian Lane Latimer was commander of the Special Service Squadron, a collection of five old, slow cruisers, based in Panama for patrolling Central American waters. During Latimer's duty with the squadron, U.S. Marines landed in Nicaragua to begin the second intervention.
Born in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, in 1868, Latimer graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1890. He served in Cuban waters during the Spanish-Cuban/American War and commanded the battleship RHODE ISLAND patrolling the Atlantic coast during World War I. He was made admiral in 1923.
After Gen. Emiliano Chamorro Vargas's coup d'état of October 1925, the opposition Liberal party forces raised the banner of counterrevolution on Nicaragua's eastern coast in May 1926. In response to U.S. And British consular requests at Bluefields, and with Washington's approval, Admiral Latimer sent the cruiser CLEVELAND and its marines to occupy the town and to protect the customs house and customs collector, then under U.S. Supervision. Chamorro was able to reestablish his authority along the Caribbean coast within a few weeks, but by August Latimer had to send ships to Corinto on the Pacific side and again to Bluefields because of disturbed conditions. As Nicaragua was about to begin a new revolutionary cycle, Latimer and the United States chargé d' affaires, Lawrence Dennis, talked with antagonists to arrange a conference in October at Corinto aboard the DENVER, another of Latimer's old cruisers. Although the conferees reached no agreement, Chamorro resigned by the end of the month and Adolfo Dîaz, a former conservative president, emerged as the new head of state.
The United States extended diplomatic recognition to Dîaz's government, but because he was no more acceptable to the Liberals than Chamorro had been, the revolution continued. Latimer responded to pleas for protection from U.S. Citizens by creating neutral zones, including one at Puerto Cabezas, where the Liberal claimant to the presidency had established his government. Another zone in which fighting was prohibited was established along Nicaragua's Pacific Railroad from the west coast port of Corinto to Managua. Although neutral zones were created primarily to protect lives and property of U.S. Citizens, they also controlled Liberal bases in a manner that favored the Conservative government. When Liberals attempted to collect an export tax on mahogany logs, Latimer instructed U.S.-owned companies to pay taxes only to the government. There were also charges that Latimer had ordered the destruction of ammunition belonging to the Liberals at Puerto Cabezas, and there was criticism, denied by Latimer, that Conservative forces used the railway while the Liberals were excluded.
Admiral Latimer briefed Henry L. Stimson when Stimson arrived in April 1927 as President Calvin Coolidge's special emissary to resolve the Nicaraguan situation. Latimer understood Stimpson's arranged peace to include a threat to disarm forcibly Liberal troops if they did not surrender arms voluntarily. Disarmament went well except for Augusto C. Sandino's small group which at first seemed no great problem. After about a month of waiting, while Sandino appeared increasingly defiant, Latimer on 2 July ordered the marines to begin operations against the rebels, which led to the bloody engagement on Ocotal. Although the U.S. Marine and Nicaraguan national guard offensive into Nueva Segovia Province was successful in occupying towns and defending Sandinista attacks, Sandino remained free and armed. Shortly before the Battle of Ocotal, Rear Adm. David F. Sellers arrived in Panama and replaced Latimer, who had requested to be relieved as commander of the Special Service Squadron.
Latmer received praise as a sea-going diplomat rom an observant New York Times reporter who wrote that Latimer combined his military duties with "tactful essays" toward settling the Liberal-Conservative dispute. In conversations with President Dâz, presidential claimant Juan B. Sacasa, and Liberal General José Marâ Moncada, Latimer seemed to have both sides' respect for his efforts to achieve peace.
In November 1927 Latimer received command of the Fourth Naval District of Philadelphia. He retired in 1930 and died nine years later.
Other Comments:
Navy Cross, USS Rhode Island WWI
LATIMER, JULIAN L. Captain, U.S. Navy
Commanding Officer, U.S.S. Rhode Island
Date of Action: World War I
Citation:
The Navy Cross is presented to Julian L. Latimer, Captain, U.S. Navy, for exceptionally meritorious service in a duty of great responsibility as Commanding Officer of the U.S.S. Rhode Island, in the Atlantic Fleet.
Virginia Class Battleship: Displacement 14,948 Tons, Dimensions, 441' 3" (oa) x 76' 3" x 26' (Max). Armament 4 x 12"/40 8 x 8"/40, 12 x 6"/50 12 x 3"/50, 4 21" tt. Armor, 11" Belt, 12" Turrets, 3" Decks, 9" Conning Tower. Machinery, 19,000 IHP; 2 vertical, inverted, triple expansion engines, 2 screws. Speed, 19 Knots, Crew 812.
The following analysis is by historian Chuck Haberlein, formerly of the Naval Historical Center:
According to "Register of Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1775-1990" (by Stephen S. Roberts & K. Jack Bauer), three of the BB-13 class had their names changed on 7 March 1901 (before any of them were laid down). Battleship # 13 was originally named New Jersey. Battleship # 14 was originally to be Pennsylvania, and Battleship # 16 was to be Virginia. After the renamings, Virginia and New Jersey had swapped places, Nebraska (originally intended for Armored Cruiser # 4) swapped ships with Pennsylvania. Again, according to that book: "The construction of the first two ships (ie BBs 13 & 14) was delayed because of Congressional limitations on the price that could be paid for armor plate and because of lengthy debates within the navy on the arrangement of the guns" (presumably the superposed 8"/12" turrets). (my comments are in parentheses). Same book's Armored Cruiser # 4 class entry states: "The refusal of manufacturers to sell armor within the price limits set by Congress delayed the ships' construction." Both classes (BB-13 & ACR-4) were originally authorized in Fiscal Year 1900, but the first of them were not laid down until 7 August 1901 (Pennsylvania, as Armored Cruiser # 4) and 31 August 1901 (Georgia, as Battleship # 15). It looks to me like there may have been some political log rolling involved in the renamings. PERHAPS (this is purely a guess) some Pennsylvania politicos wanted "their" name on a ship ASAP, so it was given to the first available keel. Then again, maybe builder location had something to do with it. Cramp built Armored Cruiser # 4, while none of the Virginia class battleships were built in Pennsylvania.
Operational and Building Data: Laid down by Fore River, Shipbuilding, Quincy MA., May 1 1902. Launched May 17 1904. Commissioned February 19 1906. Decommissioned June 30 1920. Stricken July 12 1922.
Fate: Sold November 1 1923 and broken up for scrap.
Chain of Command Latimer, Julian L. Captain, U.S. Navy Commanding Officer, U.S.S. Rhode Island Date Of Action: World War I
Citation: The Navy Cross is awarded to Captain Julian L. Latimer, U.S. Navy, for exceptionally meritorious service in a duty of great responsibility as commanding officer of the U.S.S. Rhode Island, in the Atlantic Fleet.
