The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-05-24
SOME SEVERE CRITICISM
Of the Way Admiral SIMPSONS Fleet
Has Been MANAGED.

New York, May PA Washington dis
patch to the Times says:
News from Admiral Sampson and Com
modore SchIey is looked for at the navy
department every hour, but no one at the
Just It,' where here the news is to come from All
that can be positively ascertained there
where out of Key West looking for Ad-
miral Cervera and hoping to come up with
Santiago. at Cienfuegos or somewhere be
tween those points or at san Juan tiisa De De
pert will venture to say.
Meantime there is some discussion
among naval officers about the actions of
the fleet of Admiral Sampson that sug-
gests a spirit of criticism. Naval Of
ticers who have the highest respect for
the men who are supposed to have design
ed the plan of campaign for the United
States fleet are openly expressing wonder
that Admiral Sampson was permitted to
travel all the way from San Juan to Key
and then coal again, merely to sail back
over the course he had just traVersed his
have led him to remain in the Windward
passage, holding position OF great STRAIT
egic advantage until his SCOUTS prougnt
and many officers believed him to be there
after he had returned to x Key west we dfeoors
that the Washington authorites did not
know the Spanish meet was al RiarIIdt9ue MAJ 1
trip, the unofficial strategist answers that
the navy department knew week age
that Cervera was at curacao; tnat II haa
at its command two or three SWIFT vessels
that could have stopped Sampson DerOre
he had come half way on his return, and
that colliers could have been provided to
take coal to him. and that he might thus
have been able to intercept the Spanish
fleet on its way to Santiago harbor AS
it was, Admiral Sampson left Key West
Washington that Cervera had arrived. If
the news of SIMPSONS departure worked
its way to BlancO he probably sent 1t by
wire to Santiago the next day, and Ad-
move out and renew his explorations of
the Caribbean sea-
But the navy department will forget the
waste of time by Admiral Sampson If 1t
arrived at Santiago and found Admiral
Cervera still there When he started
from Key West last Thursday he had to
steam 100 miles to reach Santiago. At
ten-knot pace he would have made the
distance in three days.
The almost unanimous opinion of naval
officers is that, whether not CerVera
has decided to stand and fight or run and
wait a little while longer before giving
battle. he cannot long postpone a meet
ing with Admiral Sampson, and, perhaps,
with Commodore Schley at the same time.
The policy of silence concerning naval
movements has been very strictly obServ-
ed now for a couple of weeks, but not so
strictly that it did not become known here
that Commodore Schley had got away
from Key West a little sooner than Ad
miral Sampson. If it was but half day
sooner he ought to have been able, with
Cuba on Saturday. 1t is assumed that
he did so by those who conclude that the
department sent him to look for the Span
ish fleet where it was last hear cd. 1t is
believed that Schley went to the south of
Cuba by the Yucatan passage.
Naval officers assume that everybody
is now familiar with the formation of
Santiago harbor and the disadvantage in