The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-07-24
ADMIRAL SCHLEY TO ACT.
WILL DEMAND INQUIRY INTO THE
CHARGES AGAINST HIM.

stateme ent Given Under His Own Sigma.
ture-WilI Also Bring n Civil Action
Against Historian Mac,ay-Now Pre-.
pairing to Take This Course-ProbabI'
That Admiral Dewey VIII Head the
Court which Will Consist of but
Three Members.
Washington, July 23.-The Washing
ton Post last night telegraphed 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"
To-day the Post received the follow
ing telegram:
Great Neck l.. l., July %, 1901.
editor Washington Post:
II believe the first step should be an
investigation of all matter by court,
then civil action afterwards. l am
preparing to take this course.
(Signed wv. S. Schley."
The Post in the morning, as result
of extensive inqu5&ies based upon the
admirars dispatch, will say in part:
Admiral Schley proposes to ask an
investigation at the hands of a naval
court of Inquiry and then to sue His
torian Maclay for libel
His action is the sequel to the devel-
on I11rir bn ct Wv
the entire country has been stirred by
the publication Of F. S. Maclay's His
tory of the United States Navy, in
which publication Schley is said to have
run away in caitiff fight and is in ad-
dition denounced as a coward, cur and
traitor.
The Schley court of inquiry will un-
doubtedly be one of the most celebrated
cases in the naval or military history
Of the country. The high rank of the
officers involved in the controversy and
the intense public feeling which has
been aroused will combine to give 10
the investigation a dramatic interest.
Nothing has occurred in Washington
for many years that will compare with
It,
"The appointment of the court of in
quiry is expected to be made by Secre-
tary Long, though it would be In the
power of the president to make the Sc
lections If he chose. This Is hardly like
ly to occur, however.
admiral Schleys letter asking for
the appointment of the court will be
addressed to Secretary Long, who is
his immediate chief. To address the
communication to the president ignor-
ing Secretary Long, would not only be
a breach Of naval etiquette, would be
totally at variance with Schley's care
full observance of punctilious proceed
ure. The court, therefore, will be
named by Secretary Long, unless he
shall prefer to refer the matter to the
president.
"Mr. Long has already stated that If
Admiral Schley requested a court Of
inquiry he would grant the request.
While he has not made any statement
as to it's personnel, there is every rea-
son to believe that he favors Admiral
Dewey and Rear Admirals Ramsey and
Benham, the two latter being now upon
the retired list. The name of Admiral
walker has been suggested, but it is
known that he has expressed views up |
On the Sampson-Schley controversy in |
antagonism to Schley and his appoint |
nent would, therefore, be questioned. |
It is said that Dewey, Ramsey and |
Benham have always carefully avoided |
giving an opinion as to the merits of |
he controversy. All these officers are
'esidents of Washington, although tenn
oorarily out of the city to escape the
heat, and could be quickly summoned |
o take their places around the table of
he court.
"These names are mentioned because
hat number is specified in the naval
equations for courts of inquiry. There
8 a possibility that Admiral Dewey
night ask to be excused, as he would
lave right to do, but it is also moral
v certain that in this event he would
,e specifically detailed by the secre-
ary for service on the board. This
would make his attendance imperative.
secretary Long has, from the moment
hat court of inquiry was suggested.
avored the appointment of Admiral
Dewey, believing that his appointment
would give the highest character to the
ourt, and that any decision which it
night reach would be accepted by the
american people.
admiral Ramsey was for eight years
t the head of the bureau of naviga-
ion.
admiral Benham came into promi-
ence in 1894 during the brief revolution
gainst President Fonseca, of Brazil |
he Brazilian navy, under Admirals
Iello and Dagama, had revolted and
)agama, in command of the Brazilian | /,
hips in the harbor of Rio de Janeiro, j.,
ad declared a blockade. Admiral Ben
am was in the harbor with an Ameri-
an fleet consisting of the New York, !,
harleston, Detroit, Newark and San
francisco. All the European naval
had quietly submitted to
agama's offensive orders, the German
,mmander even failing to resent the I
CELEBRATE firing upon the German flag. I
ut Admiral Benham sent word to Da- c
anna that the American flag must be
,spected, ana that any merchantmen {
wing the Stars and Stripes would land s
hen and where her captain pleased. p
he Brazilian admiral def1ed the Amer
an Thereupon Benham notified him Il
lat American ships would be conveyed I
to the harbor, and then he ordered | h
s fleet cleared for action, while the p
etroit with shotted guns, conveyed | v
e bark Amy to her wharf. Dagama
ed upon the bark, and the next mo- .
ent a solid shot was put into the Ira II
mao. Dagama's flagship. That ended | L