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Contact Info
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.
Other Memories Julian Lane Latimer. -Appointed from West Virginia. Naval Cadet, September 30, 1886; Ensign, July 1, 1892; Lieutenant (junior grade), March 3, 1899, Lieutenant, July 1, 1899; "San Francisco," 1892-1898; "Monterey," 1899 to date. (Navy Records)
