The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-10-23

Something that would be curiosity
In controversial logic, IL 1T were not SO
widespread. is the reply that General
Shafter and the organic press have
studied up to Richard Harding Davis
criticisms Of the management OF the San
tilgo campaign. Mr. Davis article ap-
peai'ed some weeks ago Last week Cen
eral Skaters reply appeared, and was
echoed in the editorial columns of the Or
gans, including some of this city.
Richard Harding Davis is a writer and
newspaper man of high reputation and no
mean opinion OF himself. 1t may be that
this opinion is not entirely without foun-
dation in his parentage, his associations
and his literary work. From his personal
observations of the San Juan fight no
makes numerous assertions damaging to
the general in command of the army.
Among the more salient OF them we select
the following:
THAT the wharf at Baiquf1'i the first
day the troops landed was partly COW
cred with loose boards and partly bare
so that those landing had to step along
the open girders, and that three week!
later, when the correspondent saw General
Miles land there, the same loose boards
und bare girders were found, without any
Improvement
That there was no firm command over
the captains OF transports obliging them
TO bring their vessels inshore to land sup
Plles' Ihese two statements are given in
explanation of the scarcity of supplies.
lllaL during the SiN a W uyha III.
were collecting at Siboney no explora-
ton or reconnaissance was made of the
wooded basin between FL Pcso and san
Juan HILL and that officers were forbid
den to go beyond 81 Poso. with the ex-
oeption that General Chasfee, whose rank
exempted him from this order, made a
personal examination OF the spot
ih@t five days before the attack Gen
eral Chaffee, in conversation heard by
the writer. stated the necessity of cut
ting trails through chs thickest parallel
TO the Spanish lines and from them small
trails to the open ground in FROST of the
spanish Entertainments, so that our troops
could deploy from large number Of points
unknown to the Spaniards, and predicted.
further, that II troops We're sent to the at
tack along the two trails then open whose
locality and Nnge were perfectly known to
the Spamiards, they would be subject to
heavy fire and severe losses before they
cou!d reach tho point of deployment.
That no such trails were cut and tina,
instead of being sent along two trails 1000
troops were sent along a single trail, which
was consequently blocked. and for n mile
was under the heavy fire of the Spanish
troops, with greater losses there than in
the actual charge.
That the troops leading this advance
were ordered by the general com
manGtns to advance TO the edge Of tho
wood, in front of San Juan, and there
to await further orders. which orders
never came to them
That tho troops reached that noini
FOUND themselves subject to a calling fire
which, II continued, meant extarmination
and being unable to retreat along the
trail behind them. blocked with the
troops following, charge the height and
took the imtrenchments, in violation OF Or
dtrs.
All these are statements bearing very
cogenrly on the Intelligence or ineffl-
cheney or the command. A very per-
tnent reply would be to show that any
or all of Them are untrue But after two
weeks Of cogltaion General shafter ana
his organs produce the following:
That Richard Davis Harding wanted TO
be the first man 10 land at Baiquirl, AMI
because that favor was refused is re-
venging himself!
The intelligent part of the public will
very promptly perceive that the corent
question Is not whether Davis has a grudgc
but whether his statements are fact or the
reverse Even II We suppose for the sake
of the argument, that man WHOSE recnri
and character are those OF gentlemen
with a good opinion OF himself. could dc.
scend 70 the sort Of meanness typifled by
Ayers feat with tina Roosevelt letter me
organs that are exploiting this view should
pause long enough TO ask themselves this
question.
How 10 It, IN Davis is simply satisfy
ing grudge. that other observers. lilo
Caspar Whitney Fox OF Harner's Weekly
Lee OF the British army and Others. In nub,
lishei reports and private correspondsnne
eorroboraite not only Davis' statements ~
TACT, but his conclusion that the Santiago
campaign was won By the heroism OF thn
line; despite the stupidity and bluniering
OF the management,
The Posts Democracy.
Ell Paso Times,
No man can arcuSa TWO tr,..,... =.