Evening star., 1901-11-06

s>tnish admiral came out with his flag
nSlng gaily att his mastheads that Sun
day day morning M d. and before o'clock of that
| uay saw his ships on the beach, burning,
ploWing up and all destroyed. He came op
poarn the American ship without shoes for
ms 1eet' or hat for his head, and a pair of
drawers and undershirt. Decisive ac-
tion! Was there anything that was more
decisive than that?
| This is doubt" he went on from one
END to the other. There is nothing posi-
tive ABOUT It.. Then follow injunctions about
coai. but they cut no ice whatever. No
| ooubt the commodore could have gone
somewhere for coal. but do not believe it
| Was ever contempla ted that he should have
| gone off 125 miles for it. So there is nothing
positive or mandatory in that Harvard dis
| datch'
| Commodore SchIey's Response.
Then he took up Commodore Schley's
| dispatch forwarded by the Harvard, and
defended the position taken by the commo-
| oore IN that message. He then referred to
the sentence in which the commodore in
| formed the department that he had been
unable to obey orders, earnestly as all have
| Striven.''
| If subordinate informs us that he is
| unable to obey orders we do not charge him
| with disobedience We may censure him
Tor bad judgment" he continued but for
| nothlng more serious. Failure under such
circumstances is not always disobedience
We can all look back and see how we could
nave done differently. Now 1 say that
| commodore Schley never had any orders,
IT was merely a suggestion as)~o what he
| should do He was to find out if that squad
| ron was there and to see that it did not
leave without decisive action. Even If
| true that the commodore committed gross
| errors of judgment-w do not admit
| but even If true, he had no motive but to
do his whole duty. as from the beginning
| ne had always done it,-no more, no less"
The Engagement of May 81
Concluding his remarks for the day. Capt.
| Parker said:
! That brings us to discussion of the So
| called reconnaissance, which think can be
summed up in very few words. We have
had the information of all the gentlemen
who were clothed with no responsibility in
| the case that they could, and they would,
etc Well, perhaps they would, undoubt-
| ediy they could have gone in, the whole of
them' and risked the ships, and been called
fools for their pains. They might have
come out successful, they might have done
| something to the Colon which was not
done. They might have sunk her. l do not
| think that is In the least probable There
| Is one little incident about the matter We
| are permitted to go up to the 1St of June
| and we see by the log of the Colon that
! she was there until l0:35. At I o clock in
| the morning the commander-in-ch chief Ad-
| nlral sampson, came there, and the Colon
| was pointed out to him. and there she lay
| for four hours and a half without a gun
| DelIS HFeU at her. not fallItinP
body for this
The exercise of the slightest Judgment"
the speaker said. when the clock struck l.
Times up" said Admiral Dewey and
Wthout giving the captain an opportunity
to conclude the sentence. the court ad-
journed.
Capt. Parker Resumes.
Captain Parker began his argument this
morning as soon as the court opened with
the statement that he did not think 1t nee
essary to discuss the evidence relating to
the blockade. This, he said, was for the
| plain reason that the learned counsel " no
| had preceded him abandoned all contention
! regarding it and that it was perfectly clear
| from all the evidence given to the court,
which evidence was very voluminouS on
| both sides that the blockade was effective
| and was continued during the night time
at distance closer than in the daytime.
| as the ships never went farther away at
| night than during the day.
Now. the reconnaissance" continued
Captain Parker Il won't discuss that; the
| facts are clear enough 1t IS shown con-
| cluslvely that the admiral went in On that
| day to fire at the Colon and to develop the
condition and position of the batteries. He
| did both. He was wise in doing SO and he
| had most ample precedent for that move.
| say as professional man, naval pro-
| fessonal man, that he would have been
| foolhardy in the highest degree # ne had
| gone in there and risked his ships for the
VI
other purpose without knowing tae condi-
| ton of the batteries"
| Captain Parker referred to Admiral Far
| ragut in his operations before New Orleans
and Mobile in this connection, and said
| that he had the history of that campaign,
| which perhaps 1t would be very interesting
| to read to the court. He did not Go so,
however. Then, addressing Admiral Dewey.
Mr.. President. you will remember how
| for several days the ships under your COM
mand remained at Mers bay waiting for
the American consul at Manila to give you
| information. You had purpose enough to
| destroy the Spanish fleet but you were
| wise. Admiral Schley wise, not to
go in blindfolded And SO think we may
| dismiss that matter here. Admiral Schley
| awaited better time, when the certainty
of the destruction of the Colon was sure.
| When she came out he took Of her.
Now, We have spoken about the block
| ade.' continued Captain Parker. lat both
| Cienfuegos and Santiago. Admiral Schley
has stated that he so placed his fleet that
the enemy could come out. He did not
| want them to stay in. In this he was like
| Lord Nelson. You familiar with the
| history of that campaign and will remem-
| Der that he did not keep his fleet in sight
| even, but took them clear out Of the way.
| He said, truly, that the way to destroy a
| fleet was to get 1t out on the open sea.
| it was only in that way that he could prop
| erly do his duty.
| The Story of the Battle.
| Now we come lastly to the battle. 1 do
| not know that there is any necessity for
me to say word about that battle. But
there is one description of 1t that has never
appeared in the public print until this in
auiry began. and that is the report of the
| commanding officer of the Vixen. She was
| a converted yacht, ready to cope with tor
pedo boats. ask this court to read care
| fully the story of that battle as told by
| the officers of the Vixen. They have as
! sured the court upon their solemn oaths
| that their statements are absolutely true,
and they are statements made on that day
| without bias or favor. They had no un-
| friendly feeling toward anybody and no
| desire to serve anybody. They put down
| what they saw. If this court would have
| the story of that battle they will find it in
| the record of the Vixen.
| There is one instance of that battle in
regard to which there has been some con-
| troversy and that Is the so-called loop as
| to the wisdom and propriety of which the
| court Is. better able to judge than 1 am.
| But say without hesitation from what 1
| have been able to learn in regard to this
| testimony and what l have been able to
| learn from the past records. that was the
| wisest movement that could have been
| made and any court would have condemned
| Commodore Schiey if he had used the star