The San Francisco call., 1898-08-09
DEFENSE OF THE ADMIRAL
SAYS HIS ORDERS WON THE
 SANTIAGO VICTORY.
Deprecates Attacks on the Naval Commander-in-Chief, Who Has Simply Discharged His
 Duty.
speelal plgpatoh to The call.

WASHING1 ON, Aug. S.-The Secre- tary of the Navy has received several letters violently attacking Admiral Sampson. To at least one of these Secretary Long has replied and a copy of his reply was furnished for publication tonight. He does not, however, make known the name of the person to whom his reply Is addressed.
 Secretary Long stoutly defends the entire course of the admiral since his appointment to the command of the North Atlantic squadron. The Secre- tary states that Sampson was selected for the command because it was be- lieved that he was especially fitted for the place.
 He never pushes himself forward" |" says the Secretary to the admirais critic, and when you accuse him of anything of that sort you do most cruel injustice to a man who has never sought favor or applause in any other way than by the simple discharge of his duty"
 Discussing, evidently. a complaint be- cause the fleet did not capture the har- bor of Porto Rico, Secretary Long says:
 "The department, which has very rarely interfered with the movements of admirals commanding squadrons, did, however, make one express order, and that was that our battle-ships should not be exposed to the risk of serious injury from the fire of any fort''
 This order he adds, was made while the strong Spanish fleet was in exist ence, and the movement to Porto Rico was to meet, if possible, the Ger vera fleet. There was no intention of taking Porto Rico at that time, with out the cooperation of the army.
 As to the sending of the fleet into the harbor of Santiago, the Secretary states that Admiral Sampson was acting un- der explicit orders not to expose his armored ships to the risk of sinking by mines
 Secretary Long writes at length of the arduous duties which have de- volved upon Admiral Sampson as com mander of the squadron, calling atten tion to the elaborate instructions which the admiral had given for the attack upon the Spanish fleet, should 1t ap pear, and he adds that the battle with Cervera was fought under these or ders, and that the victory was the con- summation of the admiraPS thorough preparation.
 Secretary Long says he can well un- derstand why the friends of other off,
 
 earnest in their behaif-for he says every one of them richly deserves the credit for his glorious workout he says he cannot understand why such a bitter feeling is manifested in many quarters toward Admiral Sampson, when all these subordinate officers to him, in their reports, clearly and cor dially recognized the fact that, t,although at the beginning he was, by orders from Washington, going to confer with General Shafter, yet the battle was fought under his orders and was the consummation of such thorough prep arations.
 The Secretary adds: T can think of nothing more cruel than the depreca- ton of the merit of the faithful, devot- ed, patriotic commander-in-c chief, phy- sically frail, worn with sleepless vigil lance, weighed with measureless re-. sponsibilities and details, letting no duty go undone; for weeks with cease less precautions blocking the Spanish squadron; at last, by the unerring full fiIlment of his plans, crushing 1t under the fleet which executed his command; vet now compelled in dignified silence to be assailed as vindictively as if he were an enemy to his country. I am sure that no one more deprecates such an attack than the officers of the fleet, commodore, captains and all.'