Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-09-11

practically means that one of the most
remarkable achievements IN naval an
nuals is to be dissected by a jury o
experts, all the mistakes made brought
to light, and condemnation OF c n u.e
bestowed according as the experts who
are to judge the case find 1t deserved.
The war is in effect, TO be fought over,
and the searchlight of publicity n
expert knowledge turned upon the min
utest detail of the greatest naval cam
paign of modern times.
And, then. there are the possibilities
of the outcome of the case. Where he
campaign under investigation terIni-
mated so gloriouslg. 1t Is strange that
anybody should apprehen1 punitive
measures against any omcer partlcl-
pating: yet courts-martial are not i'm
probable as the result OF the investi-
CATION about to be made. In addition
to the actual incidents of the war,
there is to be investigated the great
controversy which. II is to be hoped,
will BE- settled by this court, During
this cCn t;eversy MANY Off eers have
sat- AID dcne things on b0tl sides OF
the case for which they are blamesble
dJd lo1 nilih IL 40 o1pCNtS'F
will hold them to account. This 1t
may do under the sweeping nature of
the preeept issued to 1t and under the
order of the Secretary of the Navy that
1t recommend to the department what
further steps are necessary.
While all of these things are posi-
BILE under the precept, it Is not expect
ed that the court will go into the de-
tails Of the conduct of other -oflcers
than Acmial Schley-that is, others
will not be made the subject of special
Investigation. The precept. in the
main. deals only with Admiral Schley;
the court itself is convened In compli-
ance with his explicit request. Ten
specifications, covering every action
of Admiral Schley from the time the
Flying Squadron left Key West until
the battle of July Bird had been fought
and won. are set forth in the precept.
Regarding each of these specifications
the court is required to make the most
searching Investigation, and its time
will be occupied principally in getting
at the facts bearing upon each. But
as other officers are brought before the
court. and their testimony develops
that they did certain things which were
proper or improper, the court will be
compelled to take coenizance OF their
conduct and include its finding rela-
tive to them in the report which 1t
must make to the Navy Department.
Justice VIII be Done mt Last.
From this it will be seen that, be-
ginning Tomorrow, the nation will for
several weeks, certainly not less than
eight, be required to pay attention to
this investigation. Even should the
time named prove shorter than is re-
auired for a full inquiry into this
cause it will not be unreasonable. The
main events which will come before 1t
for consideration occurred more than
three years ago. The controversy
which it is expected to settle has wag-
ed uninterruptedly for more than three
years, so that should even three
months be required for it's final set
Element the time will not be excessive;
nor will it be wasted, for many consld-
erations demand that this controversy
be settled and disposed of forever.
Chief among these considerations is
the fact that, although three years and
more have elapsed since the battle OF
July 5, no officer who participated in
that glorious victory has been reward
ed for the work he did that day. What
Announcements there may have been in
the rank of those officers have result
ed from purely natural causes; the
services rendered in the annihilation
of Spain as a sea power and in the de-
struction Of the last vestige Of her