Evening star., 1898-12-01
FRICTION BETWEEN LEADERS
Dissensions of Shafter and Sampson Re-
vealed.
Lack of Willingness to Cooperate at
Santiago Charged by Each
on the Other.

| The Navy Department has made public a
| report from Admiral Sampson covering the
| operations of the United States blockading
! feet off Santiago, after the destruction of
! Cervera's squadron, disclosing considerable
friction between himself and General Shat
| ter regarding the conduct of the campaign.
In a telegram to the Secretary of the
| Navy Admiral Sampson says
! Il think that the falsity of the suggestion
| that the navy was unwilling to cooperate
| in forcing an entrance to Santiago is al
| ready sufficiently shown. 1 would, how
| ever, add, to show the good will of the
| navy and my desire and understanding
| that in case the enemy failed to come to
| terms through bombardment the harbor
! entrance should be forced, that in the
| meanwhile all preparations were completed
| for counterminIng, the mines having been
| removed tor TINS purpose from the Reso-
| lutte to the collier Lebanon, LieutS. Roy
| Smith and E. h. Capehart, who are min
| ing experts, placed aboard the Lebanon,
| and everything arranged for action when
| ever desired. The onIy reasons for post
| ponement came from the general COM
| manding the army.
The navy has been placed in such an in
| VldIous and faIse position before the coun-
\ try through the very unwise publication of
General Skaters kilograms tnat L think
| tins matter should IN some way be made
clear to the public.
Navy Ready to Do Its Part
On July IA Sampson sent the following
| to Secretary Long:
July IA, 1895.
Published kilograms of General Shafter,
| Herald of July q, reflect on the navy 1
wish the department and the President to
understand that the first requisite to open
ing harbor of Santiago de Cuba is the oc-
cUpatlon of forts and intrenchments at its
entrance guarding NINE fields, and that the
general has never made move to do
this, although before his army landed he
stated that such was the primary object of
his operations If the general chooses to
ignore the sea approaches and to attack
Santiago to the east and north that is his
affair, but it should be clearly underst BOD
that this attack does not influence the sit
uatlon at the harbor entrance, from which
his left flank is distant not less than four
miles. L have been ready at any time dur
ing the last three weeks to silence works,
to clear entrance of mines, and to enter
harbor whenever the army will do the part
winch the proper conduct of war assigns
to it. To throw my ships to certain de-
struction upon mine fields would be suicidal
folly, and L have not the force to form
landing party strong enough to insure the
capture of the forts. No disagreements
mentioned by the paper have been brought
TO my notice by General Shafter.'
Shafter Ignores the Navy.
Correspondence between General Shatter
and Admiral Sampson in regard to the
capitulation of Santiago developed some
acrimony, as is shown by the following ex-
tracts from a letter from Admiral Sampson
to General Shafter:
L. S. Flagship New York,
July II. 1898
Sir: Upon sending in an officer to take
charge of the captured Spanish gunboat,
the Alvarado, 1t was found that one of
your officers was on board, evidently with
the expectation of taking charge of her.
1t should hardly be necessary to remind
you that in all Joint operations of the char
aCter of those which have resulted in the
fall of Santiago all floating material is
turned over to the navy, as all forts, etc,
60 to the army. L have been lying within
800 yards of the MORO, from which the
Spanish flag was hauled down at . o'clock,
and upJn which the United States flag has
not yet. at p. m been hOisted. Although
my forces have frequently engaged these
| forts and yours have not exchanged Il Shot
with them, L await the arrival of a deta III
ment of your troops to take possession, as
they must eventually occupy them. l ex-
pect the same consideration.
[ request that you will relieve Lieutenant
Caruthers Of the duty given him, as / have
directed Lieutenant Marble to assume COM
mand Of the Alvarado. Very respectfully
&c. W. T. SAMPSON.
After quoting some further corFespon-
| QeHce on the matter IN which Sampson
| claims the prizes, he refers to the expulsion
| Of Lieutenant Doyle from captured vessels
| and the failure of Shafter to invite any of
| the squadron officers to be present at the
| surrender. and adds:
This of course may have been a mere
| oversight, but it is, of course, to be regret
! ted that any such should take place. Had
| the navy been Withdrawn after the action
| of the 3D. after which all the fleets opera
| tions were tO.aid the army, all the shipping
| referred to would have escaped and our
| army have become the besieged instead of
| the besiegerS, as, Of course the Reina
| Mercedes and the gunbOat Alvarado would
| have been free to destroy drive eff the
| transport fleet. | do not think the COM
| manding general quite appreciates how
necessary a part of our forces were to the
| reduction of Santiago and the surrender
| of its garrison in any case independently of
| the effect of our shell, which latter was
| undoubtedly one of the principal causes
| of the surrender a t this time"
Skaters rejoinder came on August l.
| directed to Admiral Sampson as follows:
| SANTIAGO August l. 1898
do not acknowledge the authority of the
Secretary of the Navy in the matter in
| which you wire me. The surrender of Sem
| tiago was made to me by General Toral In
| person, In surrendering verbally all the
| prisoners and public property Of Spain in
the district commanded by him, and ac-
| ceptng the same in the presence of troops
! representing all the respective armies. The
! details for carrying this into effect We're
dIIdIlStu DS inTte commissioners cn
slne. These articles were signed by the re-
spective commissioners in duplicate one
copy handed TO General Toral and the eth
er was sent by me to the Secretary of War
Neither General Toral myself signed
them. l certainly could not and would not
submit these articles to any officer for sig
nature, my own not being affixed, and ]
| shall protest to the Secretary of War
against your signature to that document
| respectfully invite your attention TO the
| fact that no claim for any credit for the
| capture of Cervera and his feet. has been
| made by the army, although It is fact
| that the Spanish fleet did not leave the
| harbor until the investment of the city was
| practically completed and Cervera had suf-
| ticient losses on land on July and 9
| notably among them his chief of staff
w. r SHAFTER, Major General.
Sampson says that he acknowledged re-
| ceipt of the above without argument and
! that the matter should be decided at Wash
ingtOn.
| Women burglars in Paris
| From the London Mail.