Evening star., 1901-11-06

showing that the discretion allowed him
was well placed. AS for himself, he cared
nothing for the gossip of the ward rooms
or the talk of the young officers. Their
talk pales into insignificance," he said, be
side the achievements of Admiral Schey,
whose name will continue to shine brighter
and brighter every day"
The Run to Santiago.
Taking up the question of the progress OF
the flying squadron from Cienfuegos to
Santiago, Capt. Parker said that if the
court would take the trouble to look at the
logs of the various ships the members
would see that there is nothing in that
charge. Il prefer to take what the officers
wrote at the time rather than what they
may say now.
Regarding the state of the weather at
that time, Capt. Parker said: The court
knows that weather is of no consequence
except that it produces a sea. 1t is the
sea We have to deal with. There may not
be even a gentle zephyr blowing across
mother ocean, some political fellow has
described it. and yet there may be a sea
rolling that will make it dangerous for yes
sells to come within quarter of mile OF
each other"
The speaker said that frequently person
would go in a small boat from one ship tc
another in a that it would be exceed
ingly dangerous for two vessels to attempt
to coal in
Capt. Parker claimed that in the passage
from Cienfuegos to Santiago the speed ol
the SloWeSt vessel of the squadron must De
that of the speed of the squadron. 1t would
not have been the common sense idea Ol
the situation. he said, to have abandoned
the Eagle and the collier and make all
| speed for Santiago.
Capt. Parker also commended Commodore
Schley's conduct of the cruise to Santiago.
| He had, said the speaker. acted according
| to the dictates of his best judgment-a
| judgment. which the captain said. was
| better than that of less experienced officers
| an experience which had been gained in
command under circumstances of every
| nature in the arctic, around both capes,
was" Capt. Parker continued, "at least
| likely to be as correct those young ott-
| GERS who, for the first time in their lives,
were given command of small boat"
Meeting the Scouts.
Taking the fleet to the southwark from
| Santiago, May 26. Captain Parker detailed
| the meeting with the scout boats, and said
| that condemnng the commodore for not
| communicating with Captains Jewell and
| Wise was puerla. 'All that Wise had to
do he said. was to signal that he had
| important information and he would nave
| been asked to come on board. 1t is the
| business, the clear duty of any subordinate
| officer to make known to superior any
| information he may have"
In the absence of information by the cap
| tains of the Yale and the Minneapolis,
Captain Parker held that Admiral schley
had right to suppose that Captain SisS-
bee had given all the information to be
| formation conveyed by Captain Sigsbee
| Captain Parker said that officer was '.cu-
| riously blind--not purposely blind. but GU
| riously so. He not only had not been able
| to find out anything about the Colon, but
| when she was there and in plain sight on
| May %. a clear. bright day, when Sigsbee
was off the harbor sketching. he had failed
| to see her This is to me one Of the mys-
! terieS of the campaign"
Admiral SchIey objected to the date of
| the 25th. but Captain Parker maintained
| that he was correct and proved it by the
| Colon's log.
| The RetrORrade Movement.
Continuing he said that with the infor-
nation given, Admiral Schley had acted
wisely in turning back to Key West.
whether he acted wisely and his judgment
was sound is for you gentlemen of the
court to say-not with the information that
| has come since, but with the light that the
! commodore had at the time
| Going back to the cruise from Cienfuegos
| Captain Parker referred to the sending
| away of the Eagle. He said that Commo-
dore Schley had not sent that vessel away
| fl ON choice, because of his great need for
| auxiliary cruisers.
Captain Parker referred to the dispatch
| from the department received by the Har-
| ward at Mole St. Nicholas, May 26 PRO
| ceed at once and inform Schley, and also
| senior officer present Off Santiago de Cuba"
he read from the dispatch. That dispatch
| does not contemplate at all that Commo-
| dore Schley is at Santiago" he continued.
| 1T is to inform Commodore Schley and
| also the commanding officer off Santiago.
So that at that time the department evil
| IDENTIFY did not contemplate that Commo
| dore Schley had arrived at Santiago. and
yet we have heard 1t said he was due there
| on the OATH
Quoting from the dispatch, Captain Par
ker read: THE departments Information
| indicates that the Spanish division is still
| at Santiago" "Is there anything positive
about that?' he asked. IF the department
| had chosen to say that the Spanish SQUAD
/ ron is at Santiago. that would have heen
another thing, but it did not saw 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 it
| was not necessary to impeach anybody's
veracity, but slippery memory after ali
these years Is very unsafe thing to 60
| by" he continued, land the memory Of
four or five persons as to what Captain