The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-05
No SEA DUTY FOR SCHLEY.
Amman REHEr'S APPOINTMENT TO
COMMAND 4 SQUADRON.
Ills Selection to succeed SnmpSon Is Not
Intended rs n slight TO schlcy-Normhn
II. FRruuhar VIII lie Assigned to tho
Command OF the south Atlantic station.

His Selection to succeed sampson Is Not
Intended rs n slight TO schlcy- Norman
II. FRruuhRr WIN Be Assigned to tho
Command OF the south Atlantic station.
WAsHtNG1oN. Sept. 4.-Tho unofficial an
nounccmcnt Of the Navy Department that
Renr Admiral George G. Remey. conmnndant
OF the Navy Yard at Portsmouth. n. H.. would
be assigned to succeed Rear Admiral W. r.
Snmpson as comiuander-in chief Of the North
Atlantic station and naval force. will be FOL
lowed. naval officers believe. BY revival OF
what has come to he known as the Sampson
Schley controversy. Admiral Sampson will at
his own request. be relieved from command OF
the home station next month. II his wishes
had been consulted he would have given upact-
i've sea duty immc lately on the conclusion
OF the programme 81 summer manpuvres.
but the Navy DEPARTMENT desired that he
should be In command OF the flee to assemble
IN New York harlor to greet Admiral Dewey
on his return from Manila. lie will therefore
not be succeeded in command Of the station
and fleet until after tho Dewey ceremonies are
over. His successor 10 one OF the most capable
officers OF the service. who did excellent work
in the war with Spain MS commandant Of the
naval base at Key West. This was the supply
depot for tho American feet operating in tho
West Indies. and Admiral Remey conducted
the business OF the Government through that
trying period in such a way that the Depart
ment has been looking for an opportunity for
showing it's appreciation OF his judgment.
ability and devotion to duty.
But 1t Is the opinion in naval circles that des-
pite the fact OF Rcmcy's fitness for the COM
mand OF SIMPSONS squadron. and the adj
dtional fact that he is the senior flag officer OF
the Navy without sea command or who has
not recently been in charge Of squadron.
Schley's friends will attempt to make tho peo-
ple OF the country believe that his selection to
succeed Sampson was intended as u slight to
Schley. When it was reported recently that
Admiral Schley would ir assigned to the
command OF the South Atlantic naval
station on the retirement Ut Rear Ad-
mral Iowson in October. there was an
immediate outburst against the Navy DEPART
ment on the part of the Schey press Admiral
schley's friends have let 1t be known that
schley would not be satisfied with any other
assignment than the command Of the North
Atlantic or the European station. with prefer
ences for the latter The Navy Department
has no intention OF assigning Schley to the
South Atlantic station. The officer who will
get that detail has already been selected. He
ia Rear Admiral Norman II. Farluhar. the
commandment OF the Norfolk Navy Yard. who.
like Remey. is Schleys senior.
Tho charge OF the Schley partisans that their
hero is being treated unfairly in not being
6lkne0 TO II Sbh command is HOl Juhblneu ny
the facts Schley is number eight on the list
OF Rear Admrals His seven seniors of that
grade are Frederick v McNair. John 4. How
tll Henry l.. HowisOn. Albert KautH. GeorgcC.
Remey. Norman II, FarIuhar and John C,Wat-
Ion. McNair commanded the Asiatic station
M to the time OF Deweys arrival in January
lSyS and he is now serving the usual term
" shore duty as Superintendent of the
Naval Academy. Howell commanded the
European station Just before the war
with Spain. and after his return to the United
States was assigned to the command OF the
North Patrol squadron. and later to the com
mand OF tho blOckad force of the north
coast Of Cuba. lie is now tho president of tho
Naval Examining Board. Iowison Is returning
to New York in the Chicago after having flown
his flag for six months as commander chief
OF the South Atlantic naval station. The Chi
cago il due at New York on Oct D. and five
days later Admiral Howison will be placed on
the retired list for age Kauta is the COM
mander- in chief OF the Pacific naval station.
and as such recently saw important service in
Samoa. Rcmey. who is next on the list. and
Faruuhar. his imm ediate Junior. have not had
sea duty for some time. and neither OF
them has ever been in command OF n squadron.
During the war with Spain. Watson commanded
the North Cuban Blpckading Division for a
short time. and was later placed In command
OF the Eastern squadron, which would have
gone to make rcprisals on the Spanish coast
II Camara's fleet had not been recalled After
brief tour of duty as Commandant OF the
Mare Island Navy Yard, he was sent to Manila
to take command OF the Asiatc naval station.
the duty which he is now performing. Schley
instead OF having been Disseminated against
by the Department was relieved of shore duty
at the beginning Of the war with Spain. before
the time for giving him sea detail had arrived.
and was placed in command OF the Flying
squadron. lie now has tho desirable shore
assignment OF President of the Naval Examin-
ing Board. with headquarters In Washington
1t will lie seen, therefore. that Remey and
Farquhar are the only two flag officers stand
ing near the top OF the list OF Rear Admirals
who have not had an opportunity OF flying their
flags at sea.
There is no immediate prospect OF the iormu-
ton OF European squadron. to the command
OF which Admiral Schley asrires. No occasion
exists. In the opinion o! the Navy Department.
for sending any vessels to Europe. but the De-
partment would re-establish the European
station II it had available the vessels
to do 80. The necessity OF keeping
. large force Of ships in the Philippines is the
reason that no vessels have been sent to
Europe 1t Is the policy OF the department to
maintain a fair size squadron Of armored ves-
sells on tho home or North Atlantic station for
the purpose OF squadron practice. to which is
ascribed the excellent results achieved by the
force under SIMPSONS command in the war
with Spain. Therefore with Schley apparently
determined not to accept any sea duty except
the command OF tho North Atlantic or tho
European station, there is no prospect that he
will fly his flag for some time to come.