The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1901-09-06
hves for this maneuver are ascribed

tlves for this maneuver are ascribed
to Schley.
Schley explained this maneuver by
stating that he wished to avoid being
rammed by the approaching Maria
Teresa, and also that he did not wish
TO blanket the fire of his other ships
prominent officer, Lieutenant Com
mander Hodgson, who was on the
bridge at the time, is accredited with
having asked Schley when the order
to port the helm was given, "You mean
starboard"' No. mean port" Schley
Is said to have replied. But we will
run down the Texas" the officer is al
legged to have demonstrated. Let the
Texas look out for herself is the re-
Joinder said to have been made by
Schley. In a recent interview Lieu
tenant Commander Hodgson is alleged
to have remarked: ITO my personal
knowledge the helm was kept hard
aport during the whole time of turn
ing the loop until eased up to parallel
the course of the Nizcaya, then about
$500 yards away on the starboard
bow. AS the Brooklyn's tactical
diameter is only about COO yards. she
therefore could not have run farther
than GOO yards to the southwark"
In his annual report for 1898 the sec
retary of the navy says: "Since my
last annual report the navy has for the
first time since its rehabilitation been
put to the supreme test of war Years
of patient, persistent training and de-
velopment had brought it to point Of
high efficiency which resulted in the
unparalleled victories at Manila and
Santiago-victorieS which have given
the names of our naval commanders
worldwide fame and added an addi-
tional page to the glorious naval his
tory of our country" There was no
blot on the record the secretary OBJ
served, and in concluding his report he
said: THE department feels, in con-
templating the vast amount of work
necessary to the successful operations
of the navy during the last year (lS9S),
that the country as we'll as the service
has cause for congratulations in the
results which have followed and which
have been SO generally approved, and
in the further fact that no personal
feeling has arisen to mar the glorious
victories and magnificent work of the
service"
In the concluding clause, unfortu-
nately, the secretary was, to state it
mildly, rather premature in alluding to
the good feeling which was supposed
to prevail among those most prom-
nently engaged in the naval service off
the coast of Cuba. 1t is not necessary
to so back to the beginning of the con-
troversy recently precipitated by the
publication of a book rejecting upon
the conduct of Rear Admiral Schley in
the movements off Santiago, and par
ticularly of his action in the battle in
which Cervera's squadron was de
stroyed. The naval court of inquiry
will determine those matters and will
doubtless settle the discussion as to all
points at issue.
1t will be recalled that soon after
naval operations We're over friends of
the present rear admirals. Sampson and
Schley, urged their respective claims
to promotion with a great deal Of
warmth. and that action upon the ad-
vancement not only of the parties most
prominent, but Of their brother officers
entitled to promotion for bravery and
excellent service was delayed in conSe-
quence. 1t is not necessary to more
than allude to the deep feeling which
has since developed. the events are so
recent and so well known Neither
Sampson nor Schley had taken official
cognlZance of reports and even charges
against their characters, and nearly
three years elapsed before such action
WAS taken. When however. in the
third volume of Maclay's History of
the Navy" passages occurred rejecting
severely upon Rear Admiral Schlcy's
conduct, he felt impelled TO seek vim.
dication in the following letter to the
secretary cf the navy:
GREAT NECK. n. Y. July 90. 1901
Sr-Withn the last few days series of press
comments have been sent to from various parts
of the country Of a book entitled "The History OF
the Navy" written by one Edgar Stanton Macay.
From these reviews it appears that this edition is
4 thiri volume OF the said history, extended to in
clude the war with Spain, which the first two
volumes did not contain, and were in use as text.
books at the Naval academy