Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1901-07-24
A slANoeRous HISTORY.

Fair minded men will commend Sec.
rotary Of the Navy Long for his
prompt action in banishing Maclay's
History OF the American Navy from
the naval academy at Annapolis on
account of the epithets which the his
torian has applied to Admiral schley.
The offending book seems to have
been wormed into the academy and to
have been given official sanction
through misapprehension on the part
Of the naval authorities. Proofs were
submitted. but only the proofs which
had to do with the acts of those con
cerned. Thus Secretary Long saw on.
ly the account OF his w connection
with the war. and knew nothing of the
language used toward Admiral Schley.
Some Of the offending paragraphs in
the work are as follows:
"In his report about the coal sup
ply OF the vessels under his command
Schley exhibited either n timidity
amounting TO absolute cowardice or
n pre~yarication of facts that were in
trinsically falsehoods.-(Nol. ILL.,, y.
296.)
"ScfAey. on May 2S. 1895. e. turned
in caitiff flight from the danger spot
towards which duty. honor and the
whole American people were most
earnestly urging him. Viewed in
whatever light 1t may be. the forego-
ing dispatch cannot be characterized
otherwise than as being without ex.
ception the most h~umiliating. coward
ly and lamentable report ever penned
by an American naval oficer.-Vol.
ILL.,, p. 1881
May 2S. Schley retraced his course
and arrived about ten miles on tn,
harbor Of Santiago, at s o'clock In
the evening. Scbley says 'four to fiv,
miles out but the reports of his com
manding officers make 1t about ten OF
twelve miles.-CVol. Ill.,, p. 299.)
"Schley was perfectly willing to
avoid %blanketing the fire OF the Ameri'
a warships. ever at the risk of a
disasterous collision with the Texas,
so long as he could escape getting
too close to danger. 80. Schley's contri'
button to naval strategy, as too plainly
shown by his conduct throughout this
campaign, was Avoid your enemy as
long as possible. and II he makes for
you run.-(Vol. Ill, p. 1861
LET the Texas take care OF her
SELF was the heartless reply, and the
shameful spectacle of an American
warship, supported by a force superior
to the enemy's-a warship whose
commander had expended such vast
quantities of ammunition in target
practice in the presence Of a fashiona.
bile hotel at Hampton Roads in order
to meet a worthy foe-deliberately
turning tail and running away was
presented ."-(Vol. Ill. p. 36i)
These passages aroused a protest
from the Army and Navy Journal
which is not a partisan of Schley or
Of Sampson, and the matter was
quickly rectifed as soon as Il was call
ed to the attention Of the navy depart
ment. Mr.. Maclay has promised to
eradicate the offensive words reflect
ing on the patriotism and common
sense OF Admiral Schley. In another
portion of his book, however, he man
ifested the same spirit Of partisan
ship, charging Gen. Shafter with
''injudiciously entangling his army in
the rear Of Santiago In his efforts at
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Such work should never be allowed
to masquerade as history, for the rea-
son that it will not stand the test of
time. says the Denver Republican In
it's comments on the subject. History
must show a calm. dispassionate at
titude in dealing with disputed prob
lens, and Mr.. Maclay's book evidences
anything but this essential quality
The historian who forgets his judicia
position and descends TO ~partisanshiI
Injuries nobody go much as himself
as Mr.. Maclay's case has proved.