Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-12-01
SCHLEY And sAMP SON
Criticisms Of One Who Was on the
Brooklyn at Santiago.
George e. GrnhnIn, tho Corrcspon-
dent of Tho Associated pross, Ans
wors tho Last Attncis of secretary
Long Upon tho Man VINO Won The
Hattie.

Secretary Long, OF the Navy, has writ
ten a surreptitious letter to the Presi-
dent attacking Admiral Schley and his
friends, and asserting that the latter
are the ones responsible for the con-
troversy and that their attacks are I'M
called for, as the department has not
prosecuted the Admiral, but treated
him better than he deserved. That the
letter was never intended for publica-
ton, but that it was to be covert at
tack for the Presidents eye only, is
evinced by the fact that the New York
organ OF the Navy Department, which
has been kept well supplied with ma
terial for it's yenomous attacks upon
Schley ever since 1t decided to apostate
itself and renounce it's opinions as eX-
pressed in it's early stories of the cam
paign off Southern Cuba, was compell-
ed to translate the document from q
Southern German paper.
Schlcy's friends" says the Secre-
tary, are responsible. Indeed, Mr..
Secretary, you must have sadly mis-
Judged who Schley's friends were and
are.
Was 1t Schley's friends who took out
of the list OF captains the second man
down on that list and promoted him
over the heads of seven commodores
and two captains. many of them men
who had done conspicuously gallant
services?
Was it Schley's friends who shipped
to. China the present hero, Admiral
Dewey, to get him out of the way of
SIMPSONS promotion?
Was it Schley's friends who planned
the Nabortlve attempt to find the Span
ish fleet at Puerto Rico, and induced
Sampson, without learning definitely
OF Its whereabouts. to turn tail and run
Tor home. dragging at the stern Of the
Iowa and Indiana. huge useless mont
tors, running these two ships for flu
ture rapid service during the war?
was 1t Schley's friends who prevented
sampson from coming around the south
END OF Cuba with his fleet at the time
OF his return from Puerto Rico, and so
intercept the Spanish fleet?
was 1t Schley's friends who induced
Sampson to insist that the Spanish fleet
would make for Cienfuegos, and who,
after peremptory order from the de-
partmcnt. sent Schley II merely tenta-
tive order, intimatnE that he still be-
lieved his Judgment correct?
Was 1t Schley's friends who, In the
face of Brassey's Naval Record that the
ships In Santiago harbor had greater
speed than any of our ships except the
New York ana Brooklyn, induced
Sampson to leave the line daily, using
the New York to chase unarmed
schooners and run errands down the
coast?
Was it Schley's friends who led Samp-
son. in the face of the objection of
Schley, TO risk seven human lives In an
attempt to bottle IN Il fleet so that 1t
would be In comparative safety from
our superior force outside, and our own
fleet unable. to force an entrance and
MD the army?
Was it Schey's friends who made
Sampson. after notifying the fleet that,
Tor the first time III weeks, there were
suspicious movements in tho harbor.
send away the battleship Massachu-
sets. the cruisers Newark and Suwa-
nee. and later to take the swift New
York and himself far from the line Of
battle?
Was 1t Schlcy's friends who induced
Sampton to send out after the big fight,
after an alleged Spanish battleship, the
brooklyn. with damaged guns, dead and
wounded aboard, and men tired OF the
fray. when his own flagship, filled with
fresh men and with uneXpended am
munltlon, could have done the duty?
And vet-po friend OF Schlcy's has inti-
mated cowardice on SIMPSONS part.
Was 1t Schley's friends who dictated
the bombastlc dispatch of the victory,
that has SO disgusted the American
people?
Was 1t Schleys friends who compell-
ed Sampson to leave out of his official
report any mention by name OF the man
who spattered with the life blood OF the
man killed OH the Brooklyn. coolly di-
rccted the fight and the long chase?
Is 1t Schlcy's friends who furnish the
partisan and alleged facts for the
weakly, bitter, vicious and disrcputable
attacks by IL New York paper on Schlcy,
or is it Schiey's friends who keep Secre-
tary Long from throttlinE the contro-
versy by preventing the bureau favor
ed captains from carrying out their
v1ndictive fight?
Is ii Schlcy's friends who keep in the
background the names of the heroes
among the captains In that fight-Cools,
OF the Brooklyn; Clark. OF the Oregon.
and Wainwright OF the Gloucester
and make prominent the only captain
whose ship was hanging ten miles
nstern, and the other one, with q war
like cognomen, who was the only cap
tain to seek protection in his coming
tower during the fight?
Was 1T Schley's friends who induced
former Licutenant-Go of this
State. In speech laudatory of Samp-
son, to mortify and embarrass that Of
flcer, who was present, by an elaborate
defence Of his part in the battle of July
3D.?
have tabulatcd these questions upon
my, own knowledge OF affairs off the
southern coast of Cuba For five
months was on the Brooklyn. and.
taking part In five b0mbardmcnts and
the battle of July 3. as n trained OBJ
server without fear of the charge Of
cgotsm, assert that the Secretary OF
the Navy shows at the least Il lnment-
able ignorance in his statement Of ar-
fairs. He asserts that Admiral Schley
should have found out much sooner
than he did that the Spanish fleet was
not at Cicnfnegos, and says that he