The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-14
Credit for the santiago victory.

Credit for the santiago victory.
It is becoming apparent that there is
going to be a controversy of considerable
proportions before the question as to
whether Sampson or schley shall have
| the principal reward for the naval victory
| at Santiago Is finally settled. The public
has already decided that the credit for
| the victory is due to Commodore Schiey,
| and it win insist that he shall have the
chief reward for it, There is no dispo-
sition to detract from Acting Rear Ad-
miral SIMPSONS merits No word Is ut
tered against him. There is simply a
feeling that Commodore Schley, having,
by good fortune, had the command of the
squadron from the beginning to the end
of the battle should have not only credit
for the victory but also the promotion to
which the victory entities the. one who
directed the movements of the squadron
during the engagement
The account of the battle which we pub
lished yesterday-and a very clear and
detailed account 1t was-makes it clear
that Acting Rear Admiral Sampson was
not in the fight at all. His flagship, the
New York. did not arrive on the scene
Of action until the last ship of the Span
iards had surrendered. She appeared
just as the officers of the Cristobal Colon
were about to go aboard of the Brooklyn,
Commodore Schleys flagship to surren-
der. And at that time and subsequently
Acting Rear Admiral Sampson does not
appear TO have acted with the magnaniIni-
ty Characteristic of a great and generous
naval commander. According to the ac-
count Commodore Schley requested the
honor of receiving the surrender of the
officers of the Cristobal Colon" No at
tendon whatever was paid to the request.
The only answer he received was report
your casualties" That kind of treatment
must have been rather CALLING to the
man who had just won a great naval
victory.
But, strange as it may seem, no mention
of Commodore Schley was made by Act
ing Rear Admiral Sampson in his dis
patch announcing the victory to the Sec
rotary of the Navy. The failure to men
ton Commodore Schley has naturally
caused a great deal of comment. 1t has
made friends for the Commodore in all
parts of the country, and the feeling that
he has not been dealt with justly Will
show itself in a way that cannot be ig-
nored when the time comes for rewarding
the one who won the Santiago naval vic
tory.
Acting Rear Admiral Sampson does not
hold his position because of any act show
I'LL
naval commander. Just before the begin
ming of the war Commodore Schey's rank
was superior to that of Acting Rear Ad-
miral Sampson. The latter, however, had
some sort of political pull" and by
means of 1t he holds the position he now
has. It is generally admitted that ne is
a capable officer, but that is no reason
why he should have an honor which clear
ly belongs to Commodore Schley. And
we do not know that he purposes to de-
prive Commodore Schley of the honor
which belongs TO him. His formal report
may give the Commodore all the credit
to which he is entitled.
1t is said that Commodore Schley sent a
dispatch to the Secretary of the Navy to
the effect that he had no part in the
camor in his behalf-that he had not in
spired it, nor encouraged it in any way
A statement of that kind was not needed
from him. Nobody believes that he has
said a word about the Santiago fight cal
culated to create the impression that he
had not been dealt with fairly by his su-
perior officer.