Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-10-08

Spanish vessels had attempted to es-
cape at night they could not have
been seen by the blockading fleet in
bad weather.
New York. Oct. Col Robert NJ
Thompson Of this city. president OF the
United States Naval Academy Alumni
Association. makes the following state
ment to The Associated Press in come
zion with the Schley inquiry
There is one story which ! am very
anxious sholld be truthfIlly presented T.
the pubic. After Maclavs book was pub
lishCd Mr. Maclay stated that his report
had been submitted to the commanding
officers. including Admiral Sampson. and
that they approved his statements. y
reporter calling upon Admiral Sampson
when he was i'll in his bed. obtained from
the admiral what appeared 10 he con
tirmation Of this statement The admit
raj was asked if he had seen and read
the proofs Of Maclay'S book ana he said
yes. But unfortunately. he was too ii!
to 90 into the matter at amy length ana
explain everything and 50 the public
Were informed and. today. believe that
Admiral Sampson entirely approx cd Tie
statement that Schley was a coward
lays charge against Schley.
II am in a position to state the true
facts and YOU may absolutely rely upon
them as the truth. The proofs were sent
request that they should be read ana
corrected. The admiral at that time was
not in good health and did not wish to
undertake the labor, but his secretary
pointed out that the Maclay history was
d standard one and used at the Naval
Academy as u text book. This volume
brought the history down through the
period of the Spanish war and il was ue-
sirable that there should be no inaccu-
racies in it.
The admiral therefore consented to
read them ana he did correct certain
part of them. but as soon as he arrived
at the part which contained the state
ment that Schlcy was a coward and d
caitiff he was very much angered and said
the statement was one the author had
no right to make, that IL was unjust and
unfair to speak of any naval officer in
such terms, and declined to have any
thing fur her to do with the proofs. His
secretary, impressed with the great de-
STABILITY of having the statements of
facts accurate and not believing that he
was in any way responsible for the state
mcnts of opinions, did. on his own ac-
count, compare the book with the records
and make on the margins number of
corrections
AS these We're in the same handwrit-
ing those made when Admiral Samp
son was giving his personal attention to
the corrections, Mr.. Maclay was perfect
ly justified in his statement. The order
of the secretary of the navy forbidding
naval officers to make any statement for
publication regarding this controversy
issued Immediately after this interview.
prevented the above correction being Off
ciaIly made.
There is one other matter that has
been brought up in which accusations OF
carelesSness, to say the least. have been
made against the gallant Wainwright in
connection with the chart of the battle
of Santiago. prepared and printed in the
so-called appendix. yet anyone reading
the report accompanying the chart sees
fp.lf nISp IA in
to what it was. 1t did not claim to he
and. in the nature of things. could not be
correct. In the first half hour
of the fight, while the smoke of battle
obscured all landmarks and the excite
ment incident to the battle was affect
ing every mind. how could a man deter
mine accurately where they were at each
particular moment? At the best there
could only be. as there was. general
discussion between the navigators, each
one putting down his ship where he
thought it ought to be and where there
were differences of opinion the majority
had to decide as to which position was
to be accepted and so TO the board re-
ported.
The chart in question. which shows
in a general way the positions of the
things we can make it, and in any event
is an approximation of the truth. This
desire description stands true. today. and
all the criticism of Wainwright and the
others is entirely unjust.
II was at the recent yacht races, and |
have learned how exceedingly difficult it
is to determine the position of a ship on
the water from one point of view. Time
and time again people on the yacht with
me were convinced that one or the othe.'
boat was gaining. when the apparent
gain or loss was due to our own motion.
With no fixed standard 10 guide one it
is very difficult to even approximate the
truth. With this in mind | readily an
derstand the difference of opinion of the
several officers who. during the battle,
observed the Brooklyn from varying po-
sitons There is not the least doubt but
each one reported the truth as he saw it,
The exact truth can be arrived at only
by combining all the points of view. or
PERHAPS the exact truth can now never