The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-10-17

Editor of The Tribune
Sir: Referring to my article on Admiral
Schlcy of the 1ith inst. you advised me to
read the documents and then let
you hear from me again. In reply / beg
to say that / have read the documents
in question and all that have been pub
lished in the chief Sampson bellclapper,
the New York Sun. 1t is fair to assume
that the Sun has aired all the ''solled
linen" it could find. These naval docu-
ments' have left an impression on my
mind / would gladly avoid. They charge
Admiral Schley by implication rather
than by direction, with disoDedience Of
orders, and it is true they appear over
the signature of no less a man that Sec
retary of the Navy Long. Now let us look
at the facts. These documents" are
sent to the United States senate in an
swer to a resolution of inquiry of the
latter asking why Sampson had been
advanced in promotion over Schley. This
was some months after the events in
| question trdnspircd. 1t follows that the
navy department We're In possession of
| all these facts Mt the time Schley's name
was sent into the senate for confirmation
as rear admiral. We have then a most
| anomalous situation, viz, Secretary Long,
representing in his position of cabinet
| officer at the head of the navy, the presi-
| dent of the United States, deliberately
| Il
| Guent statements are true, he believes to
be guilty of fragrant and wlful disobedi-
| once of orders and recommending him
| for court martial ard dismissal from the
| navy? No-but for actual promotion.
| Shades of all discipline! Was such a
| thing ever heard of before? Could such a
| thing have occurred in any other navy in
! the world? Certainly not, nor in the
| American navy if the offense actually eN-
| listed.
| What, then, is the inevitable Conclusion?
| The answer is politics and bureaucracy
| undoubtedly, and very low down at that.
| The latter is not a new disease In either
| branch of the service. A lot Of fossil
bureaucrats set themselves up to run
| the service. 1t was tried during the re-
belion, and actually did run things al
most to the ruination of the country, un-
| til Grant took the reins and threw the
| crew overheard. Farragut did practlc-
| ally the same thing for the navy, and
| both had abundant success thereafter.
The same thing has been the curse OF
the late Spanish war. 1t is an open Sc
Cret that Dewey's success is largely to
be credited to the great distance he was
| away from the navy department. The
| pulling and hauling of these bureau
Gratis to secure promotions for friends
| and favorites is a well known and most
| disgraCeful feature of both branches OF
| the service. a veteran field officer Of the
! regular army, who was in the hottest OF
the fight at San Juan, and badly wound
ed, told me that of the eight brigadicr
generals appointed at the commence
ment of the Spanish war all but one were
captured by junior officers occupying
bureau positions at Washington through
the well known manipulation of poll
tics and social relations Many Ol
ia, 1,,l 81, Il -
in the real work of the army, whilst he
and a hundle ed senior officers had uncOn'
plainingly spent their lives on the from
tier fighting Indians and taking the rouEl
Of army life. If Secretary Long believed
= these insinuations against Schley to bt
) true as the head Of the navy whose pride
is its discipline, what was his duty i'm tho
premises? Clearly one thing only was ir
order, viz, court martial, and on con
viction dismissal Failing to do this, bu
actually promoting him, does he not pu
himself in a most remarkable position, af
terwards in sending such a document tC
the senate? The explanation is, the
bureauCrats of the navy have resolved
to push Sampson up, and Schley down
, and Secretary Long was used TO do the
work.
, The editor of The Tribune has the hono
/ of having been on both sides of this con
a troVersy. If he will open the inner doo
to the navy skeleton closet, where th'
bureaucrats must and do congregate,
, he will doubtless get at the real trutl
/ underlying this question. In the mean
time let me contrast for his edificatiol
the narrow, spiteful spirit of Sampson
with the broad and generous utteranC
l of Schley when he said there is glor!
{ enough in this victory to go all around
l have no desire to detract from the repu
tation of Sampson. His friends, with tn
sun at the head are making a big ef
4 fort to boom him. Put him under tn
" searchlights and see how he looks. Tn
same spirit that has been dragging Schle,
might find food for criticism @. g., in hi
' steamng away from his fleet ten or NOR
e miles on that fatCful morning when
a most desperate battle was TO be mOmen
. tarily expected, Can II be well said tina
, his own absence and with him one OF tn
I best ships Of his squadron at that tim
= of supreme danger was justifable on tn
ground of a conference with Shafter?
hope so, but | may be permitted TO sa
. that such action under those circum
I stances is very unusual. A staff Office
Q could have communicated with Shafte
and the commanding officer with his pow
erful ship would have shared the honor
OF the fight. Respectfully,
F l.. Hitchcock.
b ! Scranton. Oct l6