Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1899-11-26
WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE?
Navy Department Wantonly Revived
the Controversy.
(Arny and Navy Journal

| i+ATNlS ana Navy JOucfal)
II officers of the navy wish to under
stand how entirely unlovely is the con
/ troEersy which has arisen over the
| conduct Of naval affairs in West Indian
walters during the war with Spain they
VIII read the three documents we print
! elsewhere in this number One IS Il
| letter addressed 10 the President by the
Secretary Of the Navy. another q reply
! t" this document by one of the near
! friends Of Admiral Schley, and the
| third an extract from an article ap-
rearing in the Washington Post criti-
! cisinE the Chief of the Bureau Of Nav
| isation. We are not responsible for
the original publication of these ar
ticles hut now that they have appear
Cd IN print it is Well to lay them before
i'the navy that they may Judge for them
selves as to their character and effect.
| Ine newspapers receive much criticism
i for their supposed tendencies to mis-
! Chief making, some of it quite just and
i much of it less SO. The controversy in
this case has not originated with the
| newspapers. It has been started by the
navy itself and it has received it's slim
! Illus ana encouragement from navy Of
| ficccs. .....
1t is difficult to understand why Sec
Rotary Long should have permitted
I; himself to be drawn into it. or why he
/ should have been guilty Of the indiscre-
ton Of Writing Il letter to the President,
" "itHll ne Always llGEo access as one
| or his constitutional! advisers. AS to
! persecution. any officer has a right, or
| his friends have a right for him. to
| complain If he is subjected to punish
inent without trial. a rebuke from a
superior officer is a punishment. and is
SO regarded by the navy regulations.
| We do net propose to embroil our
selves in this controversy, further than
! to insist that those who for any cause
have occasion to find fault with an Of
hcer should proceed decently and III
order. Trials by newspaper and by
| letter writing are not provided for in
the regulations, and those who pursua
this method of redressng wrongs car
accomplish nothing beyond creating a
public scandal which inflcts injury or
The navy as a whole and thus Injuries
4 every man in it.
about Admiral Schley. it is still obvious
that these attacks upon him are a seli.
Gus mistake. They only tend to create
a public sentiment against the navy
which will make itself manifest Wher
Congress meets. to the discredit snG
disadvantage of the service. Try the
admiral if you will and inHct upoi
him any humiliation and punishment
that just verdict may require Du
stop abusing him in the newspapers
Abuse only adds to the strong feeling
in his favor that undoubtedly exists
liii GUS ilphI lnt community, IL not IT
i'she navy itself. Whenever the battle
of Santiago is referred to, before q
popular audience. it is Schley who gets
the applause. What profit is there If
Ignoring this fact and putting the navy
IN antaGonis7n to a pronounced public
sentiment. sentiment THAT is certain
to be reflected in Congress? IF the PEG.
PIE are wrong, and have been misled
there surely should be some way found
foT correcting the error which accord:
with the dignity and the established
precSdents Of all military services.