Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1901-07-31

hands out hot roast to Edgar Stan
ton Maclay, who made the vicious as
sault on Admiral Schloy. Mr. Ben
jamins communication appears. in the
New York Independent and is as fol-
lows:
In April 1898, when the war began,
Rear Admiral Schley had served in
the navy for nearly AZ years, and had
passeo through every grade from mid
shipman to commodore,
Also, in April, 1898, when the war
began, there had been published in
two volumes a so-called History of
the United States Navy" by Edgar
Stanton Maclay. The title was mis-
nomer, for the book is not a history
of the navy in any proper sense of the
term, but naval history of the Unit
ed States. The author does not ap-
pear to have been a naval officer nor
to have received naval training; and,
in fact, he frankly relies for technical
assistance upon a naval lieutenant. He
shows practically no knowledge of
the traditions, personnel and inner
life o. the service, and only the most
meager information concerning the
causes and influences affecting its de-
velopment and growth. He compiled.
however a narrative of its battles
and principal voyages, extending up
to the close of the civil war, with
brief addition relative to the new
navy. The book had no claim to be
called literature, in which respect it
differed from Fennimore Cooper's
History of the Navy" published in
about 1889; but, as it covered per-
iou Of over half a century following
Coopers time, it served a purpose as
handy compendium of naval facts
for present popular reference. Hav-
ing besides the negative merit of be-
ing sufficient colorless and didactic, it
was thought adapted for use as a text
book; and thus, despite the total alb
sence of historical perspective or pro-
portion which characterizes it, it be-
came included in the curriculum of
tied States naval academy. This has
given it certain prominence over
other histories, covering a similar
field, and mas led to the claim that it
is the standard officially y-crowned his
tory of the navy.
A third volume of this. work has
just appeared, Which out of its total
of 430 pages devotes some 400 to an
account of the naval operations of the
Spanish war. AS nearly every COM
Blatant of note in that conflict fought
his battle DER again in the magazines,
and as journalists and trained writer's
galore have described it in books of
all sorts and sizes, it is not clear al
first sight why still another contem-
porary record was needed, for certain
ly it seems that history could not be
written at this proximity to the ac-
tual events, and contemporary ac-
count compiled at second hand by
participant could hardly rival in
interest the stories Of the living ac-
tors.
BASED ON "OFFICIAL REPORTS"
The author, however, thinks differ
emily. He bases his narrative "solid-
ly on official reports" says that near
ly every commanding officer concern
ed has read and corrected proof sheets
dealing with actions in which each
figured" that this has delayed the
volume full II months, but the writ
er feels more than compensated for
his failure to produce. timely work
in the satisfaction of securing accur-
acy," and finally "desires to empha-
size the fact that this is pre-eminent-
ly living history of the navy"
1t may fairly be considered that this
means that the author has endeavoT-
ed to bring to his task all the dlscri-
mination, judicial calmness, sense OF
responsibility and effort toward ac-
curacy which is incumbent on the his
torian who deals with the reputation
of other men for the instruction and
enlightenment of posterity. We,
therefore, turn with interest to his
presumably impartial discussion of
the conduct of Rear Admiral Schley.
AS is well known the principal oc-
curences in which that officer took
part and which form the main basis
for disnnte are threo in number: first.