Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1901-08-01
FOR VINDICATION.
Admiral Schley Asks for a Court
of Inquiry.
The Highest Officers of the Navy
Have Been Called TO Sit In Final
Judgment on the Dispute
KetyVeen Sampson and
Schley.

Washington, July 24.-The Wash
ington Post on Monday night tele
graphed Admiral Schley that in an
editorial it insisted that he owed it
to himself as well as to his friends
to begin proceedings against Mr..
Maclay, the author of the History of
the United States Navy, to disprove
the latter's charges, adding: "Will
you do this? Please wire statement"
Yesterday it received the following
telegram:
Great Neck, L. l., July 23.-I be-
lieve the first step should be an in
vestigation of all matter by a court,
then civil action afterwards. l
am preparing to take this course.
"W. S. SCHLEY."
The Post, as a result of extensive
inquiries based upon the admiral's
dispatch, says:
admiral schley proposes to ask
an investigation at the hands of
naval court of inquiry and then to
sue Historian Maclay for libel.
His action is the sequel to the
developments during the past week,
when the entire country has been
sIlIIeu Nv lHt VI the uH-
exampled abuse poured out upon him
in the third volume of E. S. Maclay's
History of the United States Navy,
in which publication Schley is said to
have run away in caitiff fight and
is, in addition, denounced as cow
ard, cur and traitor"
The Schley court of inquiry will
undoubtedly be one of the most cele-
brated cases in the naval or military
history of the country.
Mr.. Long has already stated that if
Admiral Schley requested a court of
inquiry he would grant the request,
and has also expressed his willing
ness to personally select the court.
While he has not made any state
ment as to its personnel, there is
every reason to believe that he ia
vors Admiral Dewey and Rear Ad-
mirals Ramsey and Benham, the
two latter being now upon the re-
tired list.
The name of Admiral Walker has
been suggested, but it is known that
he has expressed views upon the
Sampson-Schley controversy in an.
tagonism to Schley and his appoint
llitHb NOulll, VloitY DC SCI IouoiN
questioned. 1t is said that Dewey,
Ramsey and Benham have always
carefully avoided giving an opinion
as to the merits OF the controversy.
Three names are mentioned be-
cause that number is specified in the
naval regulations for courts of in
q0i1y.
With respect to the matters to be
inquired into by the court of inquiry
the Post says that it might be diff
cult to state briefly the exact ques-
tions which will come before the
court, but that Scs!ey CONDENSED
them in letter written to Senator
Hale, chairman of the senate com
mittee on naval affairs, February is,
1899. This letter divided the criti-
cisms of himself into four heads, as
follows:
First-The alleged delay off Glen
fuegos, Cuba.
Second-The alleged slow progress
toward Santiago from Cienfuegos.
Third-The retrogade movements
on the goth and 27th of May. (This
refers to the turning of the fleet
from Santiago toward Key West.)
Fourth-lhe battle OF santiago
and the destruction ofCervera's fleet.
Washington, July 25.-Rear Adj
miral Schley's request for the APP
pointment. of court of inquiry has
been granted by the secretary of the
navy.
Washington, July 26.-The board of
inquiry, which is to investigate Ad-
mral Schley's conduct during the
Spanish war, will be composed of Adj
miral Dewey, president of the court,
and Rear Admirals Kimberly and Ben
ham. The court will meet in Wash.
ington September 12. Secretary Long
has rendered to Sam c. Lemly, judge
advocate general of the navy, the po-
sition of judge advocate of the court
OF inquiry.