The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-07-07
American Military Operations Criti-
ciSed By English Experts.
SKATER WAS INGREDIENT
AND AUTHORITIES AT WASH
INGTON WERE INDISCREET.
War Department Not Justified In
Pronouncing Skaters Victory a
''Drawn Battle"-Naval Victory
Proves Nothing, Except That the
Spaniards Could Not Handle Ships

New York, July "a dispatch to the
Tribune from London says: Military
and naval experts are enabled to ex-
press their opinion respecting the San
tiago operations with clear knowledge
of the facts. They are critical, but
this does not imply unfriendliness to
America, but merely an intense inter
est in the art of war
One of the highest officers of the
British army considers that General
Skaters advance on Santiago was i'm
prudent when his force was numeri-
cally inferior to the requirements of
the capture of the town by storm. He
declares that Shafter on landing ought
to have taken up a strong defensive
position. fortified it and waited for
reinforcements and siege guns. before
attempting to carry by storm the
Spanish position. He believes that
Shafter was in a critical position after
Fridays battle, and was only delivered
by Cervera's folly in pushing out OF
the harbor and allowing Sampson TO
win a victory on the easiest terms. This
high officer considers that the Amer
lean campaign was not well planned,
and that serious loss of life was I'M
necessary.
Other officers, while crediting the
American army with splendid dash,
valor and fortitude, are disposed to
criticise what they consider grave IN
dscretions in the war department at
Washington in publishing Skaters ur-
gent call for reinforcements, and IN
pronOuncing a conflict in which the
American troops gained and held adj
vanced positions a drawn battle"
Naval experts have nothing to say in
criticism of Simpsons fleet, and mar
vel at the facility with which Cerve-
ra's powerful vessels were driven
ashore and destroyed. The opinion ex-
pressed by journals like the Globe, that
Sampson ought to have entered SAN
tiago harbor several weeks ago, and
that there has been lack of co-opera-
ton between the naval and military
authorities, is not shared by any eX-
pert who is familiar with the approach
es to the inner bay.
The handling of the American fleet
is considered by skilled officers or the
British navy as beyond the range OF
criticism. They do not admit that the
battle has much practical utility in its
bearing upon naval warfare. For eX-
ample. there is much establishment that
the torpedo boat destroyers should
have proved ineffective, even against
a steam pleasure yacht, but the deduc-
ton is made that this proves nothing,
since the Spaniards displayed no skill
in using these vessels.
Members of parliament interested in
naval matters assert that the compar-
alive value of armored cruisers and
is as much of a mystery as
ever. since Cervera's fleet, with Eng
lish crews aboard, might have sunk
some of the most formidable of their
opponents.
Mr.. William Allen, one of the most
practical naval experts in parliament.
contends that the Spanish navy is of
no account of any engagement since
ii has neither engineers or mechanics
for scientific warfare. He
does not believe that Camaras fleet
will ever reach the Philippines, and
hopes that Sampson will promptly en-
ter Santiago harbor
One of the most mysterious factors in
the Philippine situation is Agulnaldo,
whose intrigues against his leading as
sociates are reported in the press dis
He is regarded as Spanish
insurgent of considerable capacity and
but corrupt and unprincipled
Among diplomats he is described as an
insurgent who was bought up not long
ago by the Spanish government, but
was easily induced to act in conjunc-
ton with Dewey, in the expectation of
receiving a handsome reward. He is
regarded as an untrustworthy and I'M
certain leader, unfit to be placed in
control of the islands, and as one who
would readily make a coalition with
Germany for embarrassing the Ameri- !
can forces in the islands.