The Plymouth Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1878-1901, 1901-07-25
SCHLEY ASKS NAVAL COURT
Secretary Long will be hSkea to
Appoint a Naval Board of Inquiry
in Accordance with the Laws OF
the Service.

result or extensive inquire
says:
Admiral Schley proposes t.
ask an investigation at the hands
of a naval court of inquiry ant
then to sue Historian Maclay TO.
libel.
''His action is the sequel to tn,
developments during the pas
week, when the entire country
has been stirred by the publica
ton of the unexampled abus,
poured out upon him in the thir(
volume of E. S. Maclay's history
of the United States navy, il
which publication Schley is sale
to have run away 'in caitiff flight,
and is, in addition, denounced a:
a coward. a cur and a traitor.
The Schley court of inquiry
will undoubtedly be one of the
most celebrated cases in the nav
al or military history of the
country. The high rank of the
officers involved in the contro
versy and the intense public
feeling which has been aroused
will combine to give to the in
vestigatiOn a dramatic interest
Nothing has occurred IN Wash
.ngton for many years that will
compare with it.
The appointment of the court
of inquiry is expected to be made
by Secretary Long, though il
would be in the power of the
president to make the selections
if he chose. This is hardly like
ly to occur, however.
Admiral Schley's letter ask
ing for the appointment of the
court will be addressed to Secre
tary Long, who is the immediate
chief. To address the commune
cation to the president, ignoring
Secretary Long, would not only
be a breach of naval etiquette.
but would be totally at variance
with Schley's careful observance
of punctilious procedure.
Long has already stated that
if Admiral Schley requested a
court of inquiry he would be
willing to personally select the
court. While he has not made
any statement as to its person
mel, there is every reason to be-
lieve that he favors Admiral
Dewey and Rear Admirals Ram
sey and Renham, the two latter
being now upon the retired list. y
With respect to the matters to
be inquired into by the court of
inquiry the Post says that it
might be difficult to state briefly
the exact questions which will
come before the court, but that
Admiral Schley condensed them
in a letter written to Senator
Hale, chairman of the senate COM
mittee on naval affairs, Feb. Is,
1898. This letter divided the
criticisms of himself into four
heads as follows:
1. The alleged delay off Glen
fuegos. Cuba.
2. The alleged slow progress
toward Santiago de Cuba from
Cienfuegos.
3. The retrograde movements
on the Goth and 9th of May.
This refers to the turning of the
fleet from Santiago toward Key
West
4. The battle of Santiago and
the destruction of Cervera's fleet.
A court of inquiry differs from
a court martial in that 1t has no
power to infict sentence. 1t is
organized simply for the purpose
of Investigating questions of fact,
but it has ample authority to
make the inquiry complete and
exhaustive. The naval regula-
tions say courts of inquiry shall
have power to summon witnesses,
administer oaths, and punish
contempts in the same manner as
courts marital, but they shall
only state facts, and shall not
give their opinion unless express
ly required to do so in the order
for converting"
The Bride Was Dead.
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. July "a
4