The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-26
Notwithstanding the Charge that One
United States Troops. 1
PRISE FOR MAJOR ALLEN
WHO DISCLOSED THIn WHERE
ABOUTs OF CERvERA's SHIPS.
Report OF Chief of Engineers WILSON
on Coast Defenses and River
and HarbOr Work.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 25.-Brgadier Gem
eral Greedy, chief signal officer to-day pre-
sented to Secretary Alger his report Of the
operations of the signal corps during the
recent war with Spain In the first section
Of his report General Greely devotes par
ticular attention to the organization Of the
signal corps for the war. Referring to the
Santiago campaign, he says: Especial in-
terest for the signal corps attaches to this
siege, since, as is stated elsewhere. tha
chief signal officer of the army was RESPONSE
bic for the inception of this campaign,
which proved to be the turning point of the
war;
General Greely then discusses the arrange
ment and installation of electrical and
other appliances whereby the War Depart.
ment to all intents and purposes. was
brought near to the army and quick com~
munication established between the come
mandng general and his general officers OF
the Fifth Army Corps. He intimates that
the corps officers in Cuba were handicapped
because they were not allowed to take with
them the signal corps and telegraph train
which had been sent to Tampa for the San-
tiago expedition. He then adds the follow
ing: 1.-The lack of thoroughly trained men
was not the only serious factor that threat
ened the efficiency of the signal work. See-
ing that visual signaling, which the com.
manding general of the Fifth Army Corps
relied on, contrary to professional advice.
was practically impossible for land opera
tions and only useful between the coast sta-
tions and the fleet. it is imnossblczto sur
mise what would have been the result had
it not been for the supply of insulated wire.
which Lieutenant Colonel Allen furnished to
Lieutenant Colonel Green"
General Greedy discusses at length the
physical difficulties of maintaining commuA
nication by wire in Cuba during the San
tiago campaign, but points out that at all 4
critical periods of the campaign Generabe
Shafter was kept in direct communication
by telephone with his subordinate command~
ers, the lines being uninterruptedly main-
tanned under an almost constant fire Of the
enemy. Special stress is laid on the value
of the signal corps facilities in directing the
fire of the naval vessels. The arrangements
were so complete and excellent that the
major general commanding was able to conn
municate directly with the admiral CONF
manding the fleet, and in addition communi-
cate with the War Department within twen-
ty minutes.
"A DlG Al 0f1AtlIh.
General Greely then said: Concerning
this telegraphic and telephone service,
which DID not fall within the plans of the
major general commanding the Fifth Army
Corps, and for which he made no provision.
the chief signal officer of the army feels it
incumbent on him to point out its absolute
military necessity and value, and to indi-
cate the extraordinary risks which any gen~
eral commanding detached army, espe-
cially one serving on a foreign soil,
sumes when he leaves himself unprovided
with telegraphic and telephone privileges"
General Greely is confident that during
the single month of July the lines Of conn
munication maintained by his corps in Cuba
were worth more to the Nation than has
been the cost of the signal corps OF the
army from its inception to the present day.
He refers to the ease with which the major
general commanding the army comnuni-
Gated with Washington giving important
information and receiving important orders.
He then adds: I'm addition Ii is not pleas
ant to surmise what might have been the
fate of the fever stricken army in Santiago
de Cuba had it's fortunes and movements
been debated by mail instead of by elec-
tricity."
General Greedy strongly commends the
it's utility was thoroughly demonstrated.
| Concerning the criticism made Of the bali
loon operations at Santiago he says: 'sThe
forcing of the signal corps balloon to the
skirmish line where its position Is reported
to have caused serious loss of the troops
by disclosing their movements and attract
ing the enemys fire. was the action OF
Major General Shafter through his chief en-
gineer, Col. George McC. Derby, in the face
of the professional advice given by Lieu
tenant Colonel Maxheld, of the United
States volunteer signal corps who is
charged with the practical operation of the
balloon and who besides sharing absolutely
every danger to which Colonel Derby was
subjected, in addition, had his horse shot
under him in a previous reconnaissance Of
the ground
General Greely says that 1.-The signal
corps failed to receive from Major General
Shafter in his original report even a notice
that it participated in the Santiago cam
paign." -
An interesting part of General Greely's
report is that which relates TO the tele-
graph censorship. Upon this feature he
says: There has been a Misrepresentation
on the part of mary that tho signal corps
exercised press censorship during the war.
an opinion that Is entirely unfounded. az
the chief signal officer ignored all sug-
gestions looking to interference with the
free and untrammeled publication of press
matters. even by the II ost sensational and
unpatriotic of journals. II may be added
that the Associated Press and many Of
the leading journals in a most patriotic
spirit expressed freely and frequently not
only their willingness. but also their desire
to refrain from the publication Of any infoss