The evening times., 1898-07-06
WEDNESDAY, JULY 6. 1888.
Put Scbley in CCmnand!

Great reason as the country has for
pride and joy over the glorious victory
of Commodore Schley, there are some
things connected with the situation in
front of Santiago that justify anxiety.
Pando is now believed to have sue
ceeded in throwing seven thousand
troops into the beleagured town. ard
the opinion prevails in military circles
that General Luque may today get in
with eight thousand more from Hol-
guin. There are other Spanish detach-
ments, from various points in the prov
ince, which have been making forced
marches to relieve General Linares,
and some or possibly all of them may
reach him. In that event. it is estimat-
ed that he would have a force Of APP
proximately thirty thousand seasoned
troops to oppose General Skaters
command now reduced by casualties
and climatic disease to an effective
force of less than twenty thousand.
and Luque, the fear is generally enter
tanned that the Spaniards may be able
to conduct a successful evacuation, or
possibly to defeat the American Army
unless the latter has the immediate CO.
operation of the Navy in an attack upon
Santiago. This, as General Shafter has
cabled the War Department, Admiral
Sampson refuses, except upon d.rect
and specific order from Washington to
force the harbor. What that diffidence
on the part of the admiral involves is
suggested by a second message received
from the commanding general yester-
day, which said: IF Sampson WI. help
me we can take the city today"
We are afraid that there is little dis
position on the part of the naval com
mander TO do anything of the sort. If
our Sampson ever had any hair there
are grave reasons for suspecting that
the Delilah of bureaucracy has long
ago shorn it. There is a certain amount
of danger to be encountered in passing
through the Santiago channel, and he
does not evince much eagerness to MAXI
the attempt. Perhaps we should not
blame him. His distinguished abilities
run more in the line of desk work than
of fighting. In an office with a pitcher
l. 8 -;tI,
he might be truly great and an honor
to his country. Difidence in the pres
ence of the enemy is often matter of
nerves and temperament. Sometimes
such things result in military disaster
and great sacrifice of valuable lives,
and leaders at the front should be men
of different stuff. like Schley and Dew
ey, for example.
There is a suggestion in this morn
ing's news and gossip that President
Mckinley may have ordered Samps n
to make a break into the harbor. We
sincerely trust that it is not true The
movement appears to be imperative.
but 1t is not one with which the man
who offered Schley's Fourth of July
present to the American people as his
own should be intrusted. The obv Gus
thing to be done would be to supersede
Sampson, order him to duty at the Ma
val Observatory, cable ''gunboat COM
mission as acting rear admiral TO
Schley, and leave him discretionary
power. We are willing to pledge our
lives, our fortunes and our sacred hon
orr that an hour after hoisting his
flag as commander-in-chief of the fleet
he would have the nose of the New
York or Oregon well past the Estrella
battery.
We will not stop at this moment 10
consider whether or not Admiral Samp-
son is altogether blameworthy for the
naval paresis which has been the mark
ed characteristic of sea operations un-
der his charge. It is sufficient that
nothing has prospered under his fos-
tering care, and, while We have genu-
inc victor and hero at his elbow, the
opportunity for making a swift and
sweeping change in men and condi-
tons is manifest.
There should be no hesitation or de-