The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-11-06

template that Commodore Schley had ar arrived at Santiago. and yet we have heard 1t said he was due. here on the 24th."
 From the dispatch Captain Parker read: '"The Departments information in- dicates that the Spanish division is still at Santiago"
 Department in Doubt.
 "Ih there anything positive about that?" he asked. eff the Department had chosen to say that the Spanish squadron is at Santiago that would have been another thing but 1t did not say that. There were still some doubts apparent in the mind of the Department on that sub ject."
 Referring at this point to the testimony of Captain Sigsbee. Captain Parker said, The memory of four or five persons as to what Sigsbee said is better than that of Sigsbee. think the court can be sure that Captain Sigsbee did say to Com modore schley when he came 'aooard the Brooklyn that The Dons are not there.
 Again quoting from the dispatch. Cap tain said: ".The Department looks to you to ascertain facts Did not the Commodore ascertain facts?" he asked.
 And that the enemy therein does not leave without decisive action" he con- tinued, reading. "Well, was there not decisive action?" he asked. "The poor old Spanish admiral with his flags flying gaily at his masthead on that suhoay morning and before o'clock of that day he saw his ships on the beach of the bay, burning blown up and all destroyed. He came on board the American ship without shoes for his feet or hat for his head, wearing only a pair of drawers and an undershirt. Decisive action? Was there anything that was more decisive than that?"
 {, ssThere is doubt" he went on. "from one end to the other. There IS nothing positive about 1t. Then follow injunctions about coal. but they cut no ice whatever. No doubt the Commodore could have gone somewhere for coal, but I do not believe 1t was ever contemplated that he should have gone off l25 miles for it. So there is nothing positive or mandatory in that Harvard dispatch"
 Used His Best Judgment.
 Then he took up Commodore Schley's fiispatch forwarded by the Harvard, and defended the position taken by the Com moder in that message. He then reIer- red to the sentence in which the Com inodore informed the department that he had been unable to obey orders, earnestly as all have striven.
 "If a subordinate informs us that he is unable to obey orders, we.. do not charge him with disobedience. We may censure him for bad judgment" he con tinued, but for nothing more serious. Failure under such circumstances IS not always disobedience. say that Com modore Schley never had orders. It was merely suggestion as to what ne shoulu do, He was to find out If that squadron was there and to see that 1t did not leave without a decisive action. Even 1T true that the Commodore committed gross errors of judgment, which l do not ad- init, but even if true, he had no motive but to do his whole duty as from the beginning he had always done it-no more, no less.
 Concluding his remarks for the oay' Captain Parker said:
 That brings us to discussion or the so-called reconnaissance, which think can be summed up in very few words. We have had the information of all the gentlemen who were clothed with no responsibility in the case, that they could, and they would etc. Well, per haps they would, undoubtedly they could have gone in, the whole of them and risked the ships and Sbeen called fools for their pains. They might nave come out successful; they might have done something to the Colon which was not done; they might have sunk her. l do not think that is in the least probable. There is one little incident about this matter. We are permitted to go up to the first of June, and we see by the log of the Colon that she was still there. At 2 o'clock in the morning the commander in-chief. Admiral Sampson, came there and the Colon was pointed out to him and there she lay for four hours and half without a gun being fired at her. l am not finding fault with anybody for this' :"
 The court adiourned at this point