Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1898-10-27
LOCATED CERVERA'S FLEET AT
SANTIAGO.
so GENERAL GREElY SAYS
Many Interesting Revelations Made in
Chief Signal Corps Officers Report
ON the War with Spain-Some Mat
terS Still BEING Held Up-Gen,
Shafter Criticised

General \. W. Greedy, chief OF the
signal office, Tuesday presented to
Secretary Alger his report on the
operations of the signal corps during
the recent war With Spain, Greedy
deVotes particular attention to the
organization of the signal corps tor
the war. Gen. Greedy intimateS that
the corps of officers in Cuba were
handicapped because they were not
allowed to take with them the signal
corps telegraph train which had been
sent to Tampa for the Santiago expe-
dition. Greedy discusses at length
the physical difficulties of maintain
the Santiago campaign, but points out
that at all critical periods of the cam
paign. Gen. Shafter was kept in direct
communication by telephone with his
subordinate commanders, the lines be-
ing uninterruptedly maintained under
almost constant fire of the enemy,
Gen. Greedy then says:
Concerning this Geographic and
telephone service, which did not fall
within the plans Of the major general
commanding the fifth army corps and
for which he made no provision, the
chief of the signal office of the army
feels it incumbent upon him to point
out its absolute necessity and value,
and to indicate the extraordinary
risks which any general commanding
detached army, especially one sery-
ing on foreign soil, assumes when he
leaves himself unprovided with tele-
graphic and telephone facilities"
Gen. Greedy is confident that during
the single month of July the lines
maintained by his corps In Cuba were
worth more to the nation than has
been the cost of the signal corps Of the
army from its inception to the present
day. The general strongly commends
the use of the war balloon and declares
that its utility was thoroughly dem
onstrated. Concerning the criticism
made of the balloon operations at San
tiago, he says:
The forcing of the signal corps of
the balloon to the skirmish line where
its position is reported to have caused
serious loss to our troops by disclos-
ing their movements and attracting
the enemys fire was the action of
Shafter through his chief engineer,
Col. Derby in the face of the profess
sional advice given by Lieut.. Col. Max
field, of the United States volunteer sig
nal corps, who was charged witn
practical operation of the balloon
An Interesting part of the report is
that which relates to the telegraph
censorship. Upon this Greedy says;
There has been a misrepresentation on
the part of many that the signal corps
exercised press censorship during
the war That opinion is entirely un-
founded, as the chief signal officer ig-
nored all suggestions looking to inter
ference with free and untrammelled
publication by the press of all matters
of general interest 1t may be added
that the Associated Press and many of
the leading journals of the
country in most patriotic
spirit expressed freely not only their
willingness, but also their desire to
refrain from the publication Of any in
formation that would embarrass the
administration or be detrimental to
the military operations. These offers
were not PickwlC6ian, for in more
than one instance information of the
highest interest to the public has new
er been published To Unis day, being
held secret by the press associations.
newspaper correspondents and editors,
as 1t is calculated, If given pub
licity, to injure the national cause
Greely's report indicates that the
credit for the location Of Admiral Ger
yera's fleet in Santiago harbor be-
longs to the signal corps and says that
lin the interest Of history, let alone
justice to the signal corps of the
army the truth should be told. The
location of Cervera S squadron at San
ttaSo was first made by Col. James AL
len. and later certified independently
by Lieut. Col Maxfeld, both omcers
of the signal corps"
The blockading OF Cervera's squad
OF the president and secretary OF the
navy, based on reports and representa-
tons made to them by the chief signal
officer of the army.
On May 10Th, Admiral Ger
vera entered the harbor OF Santiago
with his squadron. That very day Col.
Allen telegraphed in cipher to the
chief signal officer: Five Spanish
vessels arrived at Santiago
dc Cuba. Have notified admiral com
handing (Sampson) That Spanish
flagship arrived at Santiago de Cuba
The admiral fCeryera) hastily wired
Madrid The report says that Col
Allen furnished cipher advices Of the
most valuable sort from Santiago
daily.
Gen. Greedy gives an account Of the
operations OF the signal corps in Porto
Rico and adds some suggestions as TO
the telegraph lines in Cuba and Porto
Rico, and strongly advocates an in
rresaaa in fha 81 narpU