The times., 1899-03-16
A PLAIN SCHEME TO
AFFRONT TEE COUNTRY
Schley'S Promotion to Be
Stopped by a Court.
All the Sampson Charges to Be
Revived Against Him.
apuarcntiy the Plan Docs Nat Com
Apparently the Plan Does Nat t"n-
template Consideration of His
Accuser's Shortcomings.

A statement of which the following is the
substance was given out by a high Off
cial OF the Navy Department yesterday.
The story speaks for itself. and if the board
of admirals indicated should happen to be
less honorable men than their rank and
service would justify the country in con-
sidering them, it may happen that they
will be subservient enough TO the Samp-
sonian conspirators to consider all the al
legations made against Admiral Schley by
Sampson and omit to give weight or
thought to the conduct of that person in
suppressing material facts and correspon-
dence relative to the operations of the Fly
ing Squadron. On the face OF il the plan
appears TO be an open and impudent at
tempt to nullify the action of the United
States Senate in refusing to honor naval
officer who ought TO have been court mar
tialed and in negatively insisting upon
some show of recognition for the victor in
the sea battle of Santiago. We give the
matter as it emanated from the depart
ment:
In accordance with the provisions OF
section 1897 OF the Revised Statutes. in
relation to the examination of officers OF
the navy promoted from commodore 10
rear admiral. the Secretary Of the Navy
by direction of the President yesterday
appointed board consisting of three
senior rear admiraIs of the navy to exam
ine those commodores who were advanced
in grade through the naval personnel act,
Section 1897 was not repealed by the Law
for the reorganization OF the personnel.
This routine action OF the department is
interesting only in the effect II may have
or the future of Rear Admiral W. 5. Schley
as a naval officer. He was included among
the commodores promoted 10 be rear ad-
mirals in accordance with tle terms OK
The personnel law. The board has been dl-
rected TO examine all the official records
on file in the Navy Department concern
ing Admiral Schley and the other officers
who were recently promoted. All the Of
fetal papers dealing with his conduct while
in command of the Flying Squadron, OF the
southern coast of Cuba, are part of the
records of the Navy Department, and will
be placed before the board for its consid-
Grafton. These papers comprise the report
of Admiral Sampson as Commande--in-
Chief of the North Atlantic feet, which
includes the kilograms of Admiral Schley
in regard to his retrograde movements be-
tween Cienfuegos and Santiago; the let
ter OF Admiral Sampson to Secretary Long
pronouncing Schley's conduct 'reprehensi-
ble;' the report of the board of nayigat
ing officers of the ships engaged in the
action with Cervera's feet, whcih shows
by means of a chart the peculiar outward
circle described by the Brooklyn when she
came near TO the Spanish vessels; the
statement of SchIey that Captain Sigsbee
had told him that the Spanish ships were
not in Santiago harbor, and Sigsbee's de-
nial, and the letter of Secretary Long 10
the Senate telling of Schley's refusal TO
obey the order to proceed to Santiago with
accompanying documents proving this
and other assertions of the Navy Depart
ment.
1t is not probable that any charges
against Schley will be made to the board
but il Will be necessary for its members
10 go more fully into the question Of
Schleys conduct than has heretofore been
done. The board will have authority to
summon before it Admiral Schley and 9TH
er officers. The law under which the board
was appointed prescribes that its functions
shall extend TO the examination of commo-
dores promoted in time of peace Al
though the war with Spain has not been
ended officially through the PRONUNCIATION
of the ratification of the Peace Treaty,
Schley's nomination was made under the
authority Of a law providing for the reOr-
eanization of the navy's personnel on a
peace footing, and was not due in any way
10 the war.
The board consists Of Rear Admira!s
Frederick V. McNair, John A. Howell, and
Henry l.. HowisOn. They will meet at the
Navy Department on March q. Rear Ad-
miral McNair ranks next to Admiral
George Sewey, and the others follow him
in the order given. Had the Senate con-
firmed the nominations Of Sampson and
Schley for advancement on account of their
war service they would have become senior
TO HowisOn"