Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1901-11-06
parker MAKES ADDRESS
Counsel for Admiral Schley Makes His
Address to the Schley Court
of Inquiry.
Declares That No Naval Officer in
History Has Been in the Posi-
tion of Schley.
Says There Is No Ground for Charges
That Have Been Made-Re-
marks of Hanna.

Washington, Nov. 6.-At the open.
ing of the days session of the Schley
court of inquiry Mr.. Hanna continued
his discussion of the retrograde move.
ment, saying that but one explanation
Schley's dispatch, namely, the mad.
equacy of the coal supply. 'There is
he said, mo suggestion of any other
reason in this dispatch. In his testi.
mony before this court Admiral Schley
gave four reasons for leaving his sta.
tion off Santiago, but no one of these
four reasons appear in his telegraphic
report made at the time"
Mr.. Hanna then took up Specifica.
tion of the precept, relating to the
circumstances attending and the rea,
sons for the disobedience by Commo
dore Schley of the orders of the de.
part contained in it's dispatch
dated May Is, 1898, and the propriety
OF his conduct in the premise In this
connection attention was directed to
the fact that the court was, by letter
OF August 1, 1901, instructed that it is
absolutely free to report, if such shall
be found to be the case, that Commo-
dore Schley did not Wilfully disobey
orders, but that he was justified in dis
obeying them -.
Mr.. Hanna contended that while
Commodore Schley was acting under
the orders contained in dispatch No.
= when the retrograde movement be-
gan May 26, that order was suppressed
ed by the dispatches delivered on the
Brooklyn May ~ by Captain Cotton,
in command Eof the Harvard, and in
one Of which it was said that "all the
departments information indicated
the Spanish division is still at San.
| tiago de Cuba and to which the or
der was added: "The department
looks to you to ascertain the facts and
that the enemy, If therein, does not
leave without a decisive action
Mr.. Hanna took issue with Admiral
schley that this was suggestion and
not mandatory order. $50 far from
being suggestive, doubtful or uncer.
tain are the terms of this order that
they approach the verge of reproof, -
said Mr.. Hanna. "Their incisive dis.
tinctness Is notable, so mt1ch so that
think few subordinate officers, hav-
ing turned their backs on a task to
which they had been assigned, would
care to be arrested in such act by a
telegraphic order. from a superior
couched in such terms"
Schley's Message of Regret.
Mr.. Hanna quoted Admiral schley's
dispatch of May 27, In which he ex-
pressed regret over not being able to
obey orders. saying that as it was
written after the Cotton dispatch had
been received it was an explicit CON
fession that the Cotton telegram was
an order. Commenting upon this dis
patch he declared that it was "the
most remarkable one to be found in
the annals Of the American navy"
He contended that the repairs to the
Merrimac could have been made, as
they were, without going to Key West
and that the Texas was not in severe
straits for fuel. As for the Vixen, she
was not a fighting ship and could have
been sent for coal. The Brooklyn; he
said, was abundantly supplied. He
also contended that on that date, May
27, the condition Of the seas was not
such as to prevent coaling. He assert
ed that the weather was rough only on
| May Is and that, therefore, Commo-
dore Schley's assertion that the wealth
er had been boisterous and the sea
rough ever since leaving Key West
was unjustified by the facts.
Referring" he said, Ito the indis-
putable evidence of the squadron logs,
it appears that the Brooklyn could
have remained on blockade about 80
days, the Massachusetts about "a days,
the Iowa 189 days. the Texas 46t, days
and the Marblehead 6 days, retaining
still coal enough sto reach Gonaives,
Haiti, where he could secure coal"
The speaker also controverted the
statement made In his dispatch to the
department to the effect thai 1T Is not
possible to cruise to leeward of Cape
winds, quoting several Witnesses to
show that the wind was not from the
sout thWest.l WI ID, u - T. /.
Quoting from the expression from
the same dispatch: e ut is to be re
gretted that the departments orders
cannot be obeyed, Mr.. Hanna re-
marked: ss II 3 II ss3S S;.ts +
Most undoubtedly! It was criti-
Cttl vine tduuF LIE fHCtfUu uEOL#SOIumOUOTG
Schley In aband doning his static be
fore Santiago, thus. as he himself
states, failing to obey the department 's
orders caused grave anxieties In cur
national councils. |" Z ss
Mr.. Hanna expressed the opinion
that the commodore's statement that
he could saseertain nothing certain
concerning the enemy disposed OF
the controversy respecting Captain
Sigsbee's report to the conimodore and
she statement OF the pilot, Nunez.
auestion 81 The Goal Supply.
Taking up the coal supply OF the
deet Fas required by Specification g OF
ahe precept, Mr. Hanna said Z.
From testimony pf commanding