Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1901-12-19
DEWEY OVERSTEPPED BOUNDS
Navy Department May Return Report
of schley Court to Have His Opin-
ions Eliminated y Investigation.

Washington, Dec. ll-The action which
SECRETARY Long and til" action which Con-
gross may take on the fcport of the ) llei
court of inquiry, divided, with discussion
Of the action of the court. the talk alb ut
the matter among pubic mon and navy
and army officers. The general eXpcc-
tation is that Secretary Long will approve
the findings of the whole court of inqIi Y,
but viii not approve Admiral dewey ; sup
Elementary report, and that Congress will
not order an investigation of the ma er,
although resolutions providing for it viii
doubtless be introduced next week.
1t was reported Yesterday that SeCre-
AIRY Ions might return the report of the
court of inquiry for the elimination of Ad-
miral Dcwey's statement that Admiral
Schley is entitled to the credit for tie
glorious victory which resulted In the to-
tai destruction of the Spanish ships and
Of the battle of Santiago because it
transcribed the instructions of the pre-
cept. which did not ask for any opinion
on that point. There is no doubt that
ADMIRAL Dewcy's statement is regarded
at the navy department as beyond the
scope Of the courts aurnority, and that
it is not likely to be approved by Secr,ta y
long, but it is not known that the score
tary will send the report back To the court
Secretary Long said at 4 o clock yestcr-
day afternoon, when he LEFT the navy de
lartmcnt. that he had not acted and won d
Il'l w ~ III klllN WIN. l Ndllltl llll4t
To consider what he should 10. He is en-
pected to consult Presicdnt Roosevelt be-
fore acting.
Most of the Republican leaders in Con
-ress, and some of those on the demo-
cratic side, are opposed to any congress
tonal investigation of the matter. They
think it would simply result in majority
and minority reports, and leave it no NOR
settled than it is now. As it is, they think
Admiral Schley's friends should content
themselves with Admiral Dewey's opln-
ion, and that his critics can content them
selves with the general report of the
court, in most of which Admiral Dewey
%conCurred.
Admiral Schley will consult with his
friends this week, and probably after Sec
rotary Long has acted. when the cour.a
to he followed viii be determined. Admiral
SchlN's personal preference is to let tho
matter rest Just whore II is, and if he has
his way there will he no investigation by
Congress. The only thing that he has
thought of doing further is to sue Mr..
MaClay for the attacks in his book, but
this he has not finally determined.
Some of Schley's friends in Congress,
including his strongest advocate on tho
republican side of the Senate, agree with
him that there is nothing To be gained by
asking an investigation by Congress, an
will d~iscountenance any such efforts. 1t
has been suggested by some OF them that
tltN ASK congress TO pass a resolution
cmbodNinE Admiral Dcwey's statement as
to the credit of the victory of Santiago,
and this may be done. The whole mat
ter, SO far us Congress is concerned, be-
You'd the introduction of resolutions this
week, will go over until after the holiday
recess.
There was great surprise in the navy
department over the way in which intclli-
gent newspapers misconstruc the action
of thu court. so MS TO ascribe 10 Admiral
Dewey no opinions other than those eX-
pressed in his supplemental statement.
Under naval practice. as the navy depart
lnent gave out, Admiral Dewey agreed to
all that his colleagues said, except as he
expressly s~ignihcd dissent, His concur
renee is complete on every point regard
ed by the navy department as important
in the preecpt. including the most import
ant in the precept, ''disobedienle of or
ders in the retrograde movement" which
amounted to "reprehensible conduct
The court WAS not asked to decide who
was entitled to the victory at Santiago,
and Its report NAV have been technically
so vitiated by Admiral Dewey's voluntary
opinion on that subject as to make 1t
necessary to return ii for revision, but tho
precept did ask questions ON the other
points which have been categorically an
swercd by Admiral Dewey, as we'll as the
other members of the court.