The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-01-03

Washington, Jan. 2.-Tne president
has again taken UP the question of re-
warding the naval officers who partici-
pated in the destruction Of Cervera' 5
fleet off Santiago and his final conclu-
sion viii be embodied shortly in rec
concentrations to congress, either in the
form of q renewal OF the advancement
of Rear Admiral Sampson and the DIN
GERS under him by numbers, with per
haps some mOdifiCatiOns-the scheme
which the senate refused to ratify last
springer according to some other
method.
The secretary Of the navy. in his re
port. recommended as alternative
proposition legislation on the line of the
bill introduced last spring SENATE bill
5005), which provides for three classes
of medals, one for conspicuous conduct
in war. one for extraordinary herOism
and one for general meritOrious SER
vice, the first to carry with II a per
centage of increase of pay, based
upon the rank of the recipient, and
calculated to take the place of the in
crease which would be the result Of
promotion were that the form of re
ward given.
Either method would contemplate, in
addition, the thanks of congress to the
cOmmander-in- chief of the North At
lantic squadron and the officers and
men under his command, as they were
given to the commander-in-cbief of the
Asiatic squadron and the officers and
men under his command.
Advance Both Admirals.
There also has been a suggestion for
the creation of the grade of vice ad-
mirai for the benefit of Rear Admirals
Sampson and Schley. As a result Of
the Sam pson-Schley controversy the
reward Of all the subordinate officers
in the North Atlantic squadron has
been blocked up to this time, and it is
the urgent desire of both the president
and Secretary Long that justice be
done to them, and that they obtain the
rewards which they have earned.
/ Preliminary to a decision on his
] course of action, the president and Sec
rotary Long today had a consultation
/ with eight of the Santiago captains at
the White House. The naval officers
/ present were Chadwick Of the New
York, Cook of the Brooklyn, Clark of
/ the Oregon, Philip (nOw rear admiraD
l of the Texas. Evans Of the Iowa, HIg-
/ ginson (now rear admiraD of the Mass
achusetts. Folger Of the New Orleans
/ and Lieutenant Commander Vain
! wright of the Gloucester. Rear Adml-
/ raj Sampson was not present.
Officers Tell the Story.
| These commanding officers were es-
/ peciaIly invited by the president, who
desired to hear from their own lips the
] story of the battle of Santiago, the
! general movements and difficulties OF
the campaign, including the cruise OF
the flying squadron in search of Ger
veras fleet and their own ideas as tC
the matter of comforting the rewards
For two hours the captains talked with
the president, who manifested keen in
terest in their personal accounts Of the
| stirring events of the south coast OF
Cuba. Some of the cOntrOverted ques-
tons were gone into at length.
The consensus Of opinion Of the naval
officers as developed at the conference
seemed to favor the method of reward
recommended by Secretary Long-the
comforting of medals which would car
~ with them a percentage Of increase