The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-12-05
ACNUS ON SChLEY
Tart Letter to the Navy
Secretary.
A Maryland friend Of the Admiral
Defends Him and Dresses
Down Sampson.

BALTIMORE, Nov. 21-Felix Ag
nus, editor of the Baltimore American
has addressed the following letter K
Secretary Long in answer TO a letter
about the Schley-Sampson controyer.
sy written by Long to the President
owe give the pertinent extracts.-Ed.
Some weeks ago l sent a dispatch
TO Senator McComas asking for an in
terview with the President. Together
with number of other Maryland Re-
publicans l desired to protest against
The persecution of Admiral Schley as
unjust in itself and hurtful to our par
", which was at that time engaged in
a serious struggle with the Democracy.
In some way you learned of the
telegram and you wrote a letter to the
President with the obvious purpose of
defending yourself and your depart
ment against the charges that would
be made by the Maryland committee.
Inc tUter denies 1he persecution of
Schley, but every attempt at argument
is a clear admission, and the tenor of
the document is so unworthy the au-
gust position held by you as ito sug-
gest the work of some incompetent
subordinate.
You hill that Admiral Schley when
in independent command did not find
Cervera's fleet. No one knows better
than yourself that this is disingenous.
1t was impossible for Schley before he
was superseded in command to- find
Cervera, for the reason, we'll known
by everybody, that the natter was a
thousand miles away on the coast of
South America. The suggestio falsi is
more heinouS offence than a direct
falsehood.
You say that the Navy Department
from the beginning was especially con-
siderate of Schley. You displayed
your initial Partially by jumping
Sampson over him when Sampson was
several numbers below him. This. too,
in spite of the fact that Admiral Sch'ey
had already earned a national reputa-
ton by unusually brilliant services at
home and abroad.
You review the contemplate charg-
es made by the disappointed Sampson
concerning Schley's course off Cienfue-
sos. They were not thought of until
Schley had gained the glorious victory
powder before Senate committee by
the production of despatch which
you and Sampson had suppressed-tthe
IL. ST instance of the sort, and it is to
be hoped the last which has occurred
in the history Of the Navy.
But even were these charges true
they would ~e too trivial to be used by
brave and honorable men against the
hero who fought the battle of Santi-
ago.
''1he charge about the coaling of the
flying squadron needs no reply 1t is
natter OF common knowledge that
today there might be a storm at sea
and tomorrow a calm. When Schley
could not coal he could not coal and
that is all there is to it. He found he
could not coal one day and on the next
he could, and then he did coal.
Admiral Schley knew more about
the immediate needs of his squadron
than The NAVY Department, or even
the almighty Sampson. | quote from
your letter to the President:
You will remember that you were
much troubled and grIeved when you
received the news of his (Schley's) re-
maneuver, which was the
only one on the part of the Navy dur
ing the war
"Oh! Mr. Secretary, how could you
frame a charge like that? Not only
the American people, but the enlight-
ened world know it to be absolutely
false. In his official report to his
the Spanish commander
gives unconscious testimony against
you. He declares what you are pleased
to call 'Schley's retreat was a most
brilliant naval maneuver, and really
1he only one of the battle He admits
hat it completely upset all his careful
" laid plans which were made to ram
and sink the Brooklyn, and resulted
IN the destruction of his own fleet in
stead
There was but one naval commander
who retreated during the Spanish war
Sampson, the Commander-in-
Chief, as you pompously call him,
naae that retreat, and excited the sur
prise and indignation of the country.
He attacked San Juan with much dis
play and great waste of powder, and
without accomplishing anything in
gloriouSly retreated.
The commandments per-
formed another feat but for which
here would have been no controversy
today. With full knowledge that
JerVera was watching Tor an OppOrtu-
nifty to get away and that Cervera s
defeat would crush Spain and end the
war, he deliberately took away from
he fleet on the morning of the battle
the best fighting ship in it, and left on
y two fleet enough to keep up with
the paniards-Schley's flagship, the
Brooklyn, and the Oregon.
Sampson could have gone to meet
The military commander in any small
vessel, even a launch, but his pomp
osity could not be satisfied with any
thing less than the New York. Had
not the Oregon displayed such unex-
pected speed Schley would have had
10 destroy the fleet with only the
Then followed the bombastic des-
patch of the Communicative Chief
a victory to the country
hat he had nothing to do with. There
vas mighty wave of popular disgust
when the truth became known, and
hen Schley was instantly enshrined
n the hearts of the people, there to
stay forever in spite of the petty bu-
'e3ucr1tic aftemDtS TO pyaIf n hOo11S