The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-08-09
Secretary of the Navy Stands BY
the Admiral.
REPLIES TO A CRITIC
SAMPSON WAS TIED BY THE
STRATEGY BOARD.
Had Received Instructions to Run
No Risks In Attacking San Juan
and Santiago-A Faithful, De-
voted, Patriotic Commander As
sailed As If he Were an Enemy.

Washington, Aug. S.-The secretary
of the navy has received several letters
violently attacking Admiral Sampson.
To at least one of these Secretary Long
replied, and a o p of his reply was
furnished for publication today. 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 admfraFs
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
because the fleet did not capture h
harbor of Porto Rico, Secretary Long
says: THE department, which has
very rarely interfered with the move
ments of admirals commanding squad
a III III AAOAAS 0A-1
order. and hat was hat u battle
ships should o 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 Cervera
fleet. There was no intention of TAX
ing Porto Rico at that time without the
cO-~OperatiOn of the army.
AS to the sending of the fleet into the
harbor of Santiago, the secretary
states that Admiral Sampson was act
ing under explicit orders not to expose
his armOred ships to the risk of sink
ing 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-
ton to the elaborate instructions which
the admiral had given for the attack
upon the Spanish fleet. should it ap-
pear, and he adds that the battle with
Cervera vas fought under these orders
and that the victory was the oEsum
nation of the admiral's thorough prep
aration.
Secretary Long says he can well I'M
derstand why the friends of other of
ficers should be so enthusiastic and
earnest in their behalf-for, he says.
every one OF them richly deserves the
credit for his glorious workout, he
says. he cannot understand why such
bitter feeling is manifested in many
quarters toward Admiral Sampson,
when all these subordinate officers to
him. in their reports, clearly and cor
daily recognize the fact that although
at the beginning he was, by orders
from Washington, going to confer with
General Shafter, yet the battle was the
contamination of such thorough prep
aration."
The secretary adds: 81 can think of
nothing more cruel than the deprecia.
ton of the merit of the faithful, de-
voted, patriotic commander-in-chief,
physically frail, worn with sleepless
vigilance, weighed down with measure
less responsibilities and details, let.
ting 10 duty go undone; for weeks with
ceaseless precautions blocking the
Spanish squadron; at last, by the IN
erring fulfllment of his plans, crushing
t under the fleet which executed his
command. yet now compelled in digni-
fed silence to be assailed as vindictive-
ly as if he were an enemy to his
try. ] am sure that no one more de-
precates such an attack han the Of
icers of his leet-commodOre, captains
and all"