The times., 1901-06-16
Pervertinr History.


A new and enlarged edition in three
volumes of Mr. Edgar Stanton Maclay's
History of the Navy has just been
issued by the Appletons. Like the pre-
vious editions. the work is handsomely
bound. but the principal object Mr..
Maclay seems to have in view in adding
a third volume is to prove that William
T. Sampson the Man Behind the Huri-
zon," and net Winfield $. Schloy. the Of
ficcr in command of the American fleet.
wen the Battle of Santiago Were MIR.
MacIay free and unfytt,Ttd il could
hardly happen that he would thus Stultify
himself; hut, remembering that his posi-
tion as text writer for Annapolis would
be ruined il he should dare To stick 70
the eternal verities 10 the detViment of
a department pet. We must exercise
toward him such charity as the circum-
stances permit
Mr.. Maclay devotes a great deal Of
space to an attempt TO show that Admiral
Schley feI short of his duty in tracking
the Spanish squadron which sampson
previously had supposed to be in the mar
Dor Of san Juan. or some other place
IN that part of the Antilles But Samp-
sons ignorance and waste of powder are
not mentioned. while Schley's mistake
concerning the presence OF Ceryera and
his squadron in the harbor of Cienfuegos, /
reported 10 him 10y the skipper Of the
British steamer Adula, is made the most
of. Cervera finally slipped into the har-
bor Of Santiago. ana next we hear OF the
Merrimac incident The conception was
gallant and the young officer who con-
Quoted the operation fully deserves all the
credi, he has gained in consequence. But
there is another phase Of the matter.
which does not apply TO Hobson, but
which might 20 other people. The mseT- /
able old hulk Mergimac, unseaworthy. If /
we can credit the stories Of that time, /
had been bought by the Government at
about four five times her reasonable |
value. Il was highly desirable to several !
persons in Washington and New York I
that she should te put out of evidence. !
and if we know anything about the rec !
ord Of the Spanish war, she was.
Now we arrive at the Battle Of Santiago. !
Mr.. Maclay gives all the laurels of the |
occasion to Sampson. basing them upon
his startling and brilliant battle order
OF June i. 1895 on that occasion Samp-
son. with the NapoIeonic wisdom and sen
tentiousness which characterize him
proclaimed TO his officers and men: If
the enemy tries to escape the ships must
close and engage rs soon as possible and
eadeavor to sink the Spanish vessels or
force them to run ashore" What a glo-
rious strategic concept! 1t reminds Us of
the utterance of another world-conqueror
who said: If John has twenty apples and
Mary fifteen how many steps are there
on the east front Of the Capitol27
CeTvCra was ordered to get out Of the
harbor Of Santiago and make run for
life, and he obeyed his instructions like
the gallant man he was. Mr.. Maclay
scouts the idea that Sampson was not eX-
pecting the rush. Everything that hap
pencd or could have was obvious TO that
greet and gicrio,:s cammander-in-chief.
There could be nothing doing in these wa
tors which would surprise him. So on
the exact date that he had arranged for
Cervera TO come out ne steamed away to |
meet General Shafter behind the horizon,
and in his inexcusable absence Commo-
dore SchIey fought and won one of the
finest battles in naval history 1t was a
battle that viii make the fame Of Schley
rank with that Of Dewey.
While the battle was on Sampson hur-
ried back to the station he never should
have forsaken. and was just in time TO
witness the surrender of the Spanish
feet Then ne rushed to the nearest cable
station and claimed the honcrs.
Il is an unpleasant thing to accuse an
American author whose books are text
books in our naval college Of inslncerity
but Of that Mr.. Maclay IS plainly guilty
He tells US how Sampson tried to secure
the cooperation OF Shafter in attacking
the harbor Of Santiago. The general be-
lief on the contrary is that Shafter ex-
haustcd his el9qUence and patience in en-
deavcring TO induce Sampson 70 help him.
The truth Of the matter may not be
known in detail by the present generation.
General Wheeler knows It. but ne is a
soldier on the retired list. General Breck-
inridge knows it, but is similarly handi-
capped. Ultimately the actual facts VIII
come out. and We do not imagine that
they viii be favorable to the person who,
being absent, still claimed the glory Of
victory. Nor do we like to read the state
ment Of Mr.. Maclay that the emergence
Of Cervera's squadron from the harboT
was seen from the deck Of Simpsons flag
ship, the cruiser New York. The official
evidence in the matter was that when the
fight began the New York was hull down
behind the horizon" That statement.
which never has been refuted and cannot
be. because il is true, dIsposes Of the idea
that Sampson saw the beginning Of the
battle ana signaIed to the squadron un-
der command Of Commodore Schley 10 en-
gage. Signals, even with the aid Of tele-
scopes, are net Of much use at a distance
Of twenty or more miles
Presumably Mr. Maclay is a commercial
writer II so, he is less to blame than
the professional people who dIstort his
tory and contemn truth for the benefit
Of the little cabal in the Navy Depart
ment which has come TO be known rs
the Navigation Bureau ring. But his
History Of the Navy" should not be- a
text book at Annapolis.-tNew York: D.
Appleton & Co. $500