The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-10-17
STOOD BY SCHLEY
Reason Why Sampson Has APP
parently Been Preferred
Is Said to Be That Schley Was
in Disgrace.
RECALL THREATENED.
Cabinet Wanted Him Relieved
From Command.
The President Alone Stood by
RECALL THREATENED.
The President Alone Stood by
Him.

st. Louis, Oct 17.-One of the best
kept secrets of the war has leaked out
here and throws a new light on Presi-
dent McKinIey's judgment of men and
his generous forbearance.
The gossip in the presidential party
had it that the cabinet at two different
president to remove Commodore Schley
from the command of his squadron.
About the time of the battle with
Cervera'S fleet there were WhiSperings
in Washington that Commodore Schley
was in disgrace with his superiors and
had been in danger of losing his COM
mand. 1t was intimated that he had
been guilty of disobeying an order but
it was not possible to authenticate the
rumOr or get details.
The Washington dispatches tell of
coming reports by Captain CrOwnin-
shield and Lieutenant Sutherland bear
the disclosure.
Source of the Trouble.
When Schley's squadron started from
Key West in search of Cervera's fleet
the American commander steamed for
Cienfuegos in the south coast of Cuba.
Schley thought he had the Spanish ar
mazda bottled up in that harbOr, and he
waited outside five days under that de-
fusion.
When the Washington authorities
learned through a scout boat that
Cervera was in Santiago bay they sent
of Mole st. Nicholas, Hayd. The dis
patch was carried by the Marblehead,
Captain McCalla, to the American fleet
at CienfuegOs.
Commodore Schley Immediately raised
the blind blockade of CienfueSos and
sailed to Santiago. The story goes that
he soon left Santiago to go to Key West
to coal his ships. Friends of Schley
have heretofore explained that this
movement was a blind, that Cervera
was not in Santiago bay and that
Schley merely got out of sight to let
the Spaniard slip into the bottle. At
any rate the story has it that when the
Washington officials learned of Schley' s
departure from Santiago they sent Cap
tain Cotton and his flying scout to over
haul Schley with preemptOry orders
to return to Santiago, blockade the bay
and under no circumstances leave the
station without permission.
Cabinet Grows Angry.
It is explained that the members of
the cabinet on learning that Schley had
been in front of CienfuegOs five days
without discovering his mistake were
chagrined and angry, and expressed
themselves unanimously in favor of re-
moving him from command of the
squadron. The president, on the other
hand, argued that it might do an injus-
tice to condemn Schley without know
ing more of the circumstances, and at
any rate it might have a bad moral
effect to make such change at tnat
tfrne-a change that would lead to dis
closure of the reasons and perhaps to
some decentralization of the navy. he
made the suggestion that Admiral
Sampson should be sent to take COM
rnand Of the squadron operating against
Cervera which would displace Schley
naturally and without i'll feeling or bad
effect The president had his way, OF
course and this explains the sudden
dispatch of Sampson to Santiago, about
which there had been an air of mys-
terry.
1t is asserted that when Commodore
Schley left Santiago the cabinet again
advised the president to remove him
from his command. Sampson had not
arrived yet The president, it is SAID
admitted he thought Schley had MADE
an error in judgment in going away
and leaving the mouth of the bottle
conveniently open orCervera to escape,
but he pointed out that Sampson would
soon reach Santiago, when, as the
superior commander, he would take
charge of the situation. He argued that
with the peremptOry order to Schley
to guard the entrance to Santiago pay
it would be better to have little
patience and show no sign of democrat
izatfon or error to the world at large.
The president adhered to this course
and history tells the result.
There have been long inquiries as
to WHY the Washington authorities fav-
ored Sampson above Schley. This dis
closure is the answer