The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-11-06
ARGUMENT
 FOR SCHLEY Parker Speaks for the
 Applicant. HE DEFENDS THE ADMIRAL Throughout He Acted With Courage and Discretion. Speed of the Squadron from Cienfue- gas to Santiago Necessarily That of the slowest Vessel. No Orders Disobeyed

Washington. Nov. 5.-The time of the Schley Court of Inquiry was entirely de- voted today to hearing arguments. MT Hanna finished his argument in behalf of the department. and Captain James Parker began, but did not conclude. his presentation of the case for Admiral Schley.
 MT. Hanna today considered the retro grade movement the bombardment Of the Colon, and the charge made against Admiral Schley for disobedience of or ders. Captain Parker had only reached the Colon question when the court ad- journed. It is expected that Captain Parker will conclude his speech tomor- row, when Mir. Raynor will begin.
 In regard to the blockade at Cienfue- gos, Captain Parker said:
 T contend that up to this time. so far as the blockade is concerned, so far as his conduct there is concerned, there IS absolutely l.othing shown by the testi- mony in this case from which the slight est suspicion of fault can be placed upon Commodore Schley."
 Work OH Notifications.
 Replying to the claim that Commodore Schley did not obey orders in failing to prevent work upon new Notifications at Cienfuegos, Captain Parker said that Captain McCalla testified that when he got back there on the 24th they were in the same condition as when they left on the l6th. Not a particle of evidence, he said, had been introduced to show that any work was being done on the fordfi- cations. "The court will agree with me. T 41tnlr t,, x,nxx 04ateunanf " aaid the Can tain, that a coanmander-in-chief is gift ed with some discretion; that he Is en- titled to exercise it, and 1t is his duty to exercise it." 4,!,,,
 Sampson had, he said, instructea sShley to remain ct Cienfuegos. notwithstanding the depirttnenss advice to procsea to Santiago, and in dispatch Nos discre- ton had plainly been given to Schley. Suppose" he said, "he had gone off and 1t had been found that the Spaniards were there: he would have been con demned and justly, and in case of a court martial, my learned friends here would have thundered against him. l gay that no criticism is deserved for the Commo- dore's conduct at Cienfuegos."
 This closed the discussion of the Cien- fuegos blockade, and Captain Parker contended that he had then acted wisely showing that the discretion allowed him was we'll placed.
 Taking up the question of the progress of the flying squadron from Cienfuegos to Santiago, Captain Parker said:
 q prefer to take what the officers wrote at the time rather than what they say now"
 Regarding the weather at that time. Captain Parker said:
 Condition of the Weather
 "The court knows that weather is no consequence except that it produces a sea. There may not be even a zephyr blowing, and yet there may be sea rolling that will make it dangerous for vessels to come within quarter of mile of each other"
 Captain Parker clained that in the passage from Cienfuegos to Santiago, the speed of the slowest vesselEof the squad ron must be that of the squadron. It would not have been the common sense idea of the situation, he said, to have abandoned the Eagle and the collier and make all speed for Santiago. Captain Parker also commended Commodore Schley's conduct of the cruise to San tiago. He had, said the speaker, acted according to the dictates of his best Judgment, a judgment which, the Captain said, was better than of less experienced officers, an experience which had been gained in command under circumstances of every nature, in the Arctic, around both capes. on every sea and under every sun" 'FIe was," Captain Parker con tinued, "at least as likely to be as cor rect as those young officers who, for the first time in their lives, were given com mand of a small boat.
 Taking the fleet to the southward from Santiago. May 26. Captain Parker detailed the meeting with the scout boats, and said that the condemnation of the Com modore for not communicating with Cap tains Jewell and Wise was puerile. "All that Wise had to do'' he said, was to signal that he had important information and he would have been asked to come on board It is the business, the clear duty of any subordinate, to make known to a superior any informa tion he may have"
 Sigsbee Curiously Blind. Tn the absence of information of the captains of the Yale and the Minneapolis. Cantain Parker held that Admiral Schley had a right to suppose that Captain Slgs- bee had given all the information he had from the scouts Speaking of the infor- | nation conveyed by Captain Sigsbee, | Captain Parker said that officer was cautiously bnd-nOt purposely blind, but curiouslv so. He not only had not been , a Dlp tO lind out dIlN lIiilAb ehbohN lhC COipl hui when she was there and in plain sight on May D. a clear. bright day. sigsbee had failed to see her This is to | me one of the mysteries of the cam paign.'
 Continuing. he said that with the in- formation given. Commodore schley had | acted wisely in turning back to Key | West "Nhethcr he acted wisely and his judgment was sound is for you gentlemen of the court to say-not with the infor- msti0T bd that ths hs' S Reid " at the | time.'
 Captain Parker referred to the dispatch from the Department receive received ,, by .t the fi@Eyote aProceeS d at once and inform schley and also senior officer present off Santiago he Fat se. S9n 5o o6nteSpass sns asRst'a at
 - "1t ..'. S,pp,oY,1odore Schley is at Santia- So." St, 'is' he continued II is to inform Com modore schley and also the GST%andins t5at ding ,l Vt'lNer - VI VI l,.. .vidently did not con-