The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-10-16
A Tnttered Precent.

Tattered Preeept.
The developments before the Court Of
Enquiry yesterday were not Of sort
calculated to give much comfort to the
Navigation Bureau ring. and the judge
advocates manner throughout the ses-
sions showed that the evidence given
by Captain Cook. Lieutenant Comman-
der Sears. and Senior Nunez. the Cuban
pilot. had badly ratified the prosecu-
ton. As day after day, the proceed
ings have added cumulative moral
proof of the existence Of a carefully
worked out plan To destroy Admiral
Schley, and TO give the honOTs he
fought for and won in front of SAN
tiago TO Admiral Sampson. a we'll
known clique in the Navy Department
has awakened 10 the conviction that
its corrupt influence and its members
are in mortal danger. The Court Of
Enquiry is no longer merely the forum
in which it had hoped TO consummate
the plot against Admiral Schley. It is
the place where il must make a last
desperate stand and win, or face the
consequences of official exposure and
naval discipline. and perhaps a rigid
and relentless Congressional inVestiga-
ton on top Of that In short. the
clique is coming TO understand that a
change in the Department may be i'm
minent. and that the next Secretary
Of the Navy may institute a searching
investigation Of his own.
The people who manufactured the
modore Schley at Santiago were earn
est but not efficient faIsihers. In their
wild desire 10 hurt the man who laid
a great naval victory al the
feet Of the nation, they failed
TO take account Of the boom
erang-Hke nature Of SANDER. Ac-
cording 70 their contention it was cow
ardly in Commodore SChley TO with
draw from his reconnaissance of the
land batteries without sinking the Co
Ion. his ''retrograde movement for coal
was coWardly. they aver and the loop
Of the Brooklyn viIlainously sO-a "cai-
tiff retreat" as their favorite "histo-
rian" puts it, But irrefutable evidence
before the Court has shown that the
reconnaissance accomplished all that IL
AT the time and engage the Colon un-
der the cross-fre Of the land batteries
would have been in violation Of De
partment Instructions that the sU-caIl-
ed "reUograde movement was allie
begun and abandoned with judgment
ard commendable regard for the ext
gencies Of the hour. and that the loop
was effected not only justihably but as
a measure Of absolute necessity. OF the
personal conduct of Commodore Schley
while commandments OF the Fly
ing Squadron and, later. of the Ameri-
can fleet in the battle with Cervera's
squadron, Captain Cook said Il can
not imagine any conduct in battle more
admira BILE. cool. brave, and enthusiast
tic" Yesterday. Lieutenant COmman-
der Sears testified that he had been
with Commodore Schley under fire five
times, and said
Ills bearing 60 me was a model Cor an Of
fgcrs When under fire Doe was more seli-pa--
se-sed apparently. than al other times BE did
not cviuee the slightest trspidatiau. He was
absolutely calm and was always putting him
self .u exposed positions Many Times have
begged him not to 30 expose himself
In his book on the "Spanish-Ameri-
can War" Russell A. AIgcr asks the
question whether Admiral Sampson
sank the Merrimac at the mouth Of
Santiago HarDOr to keep Cervera in
or Sampson 0ut2" Public opinion
based on the admitted efforts Of the
man behind the horizon to get The
army 10 take the land batteries and
attack the Spanish squadron from Nor
TO Hu and other dominating heights
has decided that question in advance.
The testimony of Nunez. the pilot
shows that Commodore Schley was in
no mind To plug up his opening TO get
al the enemy. ON receiving Nunez on
board the BROOKLYN his first anxiety
was to ascertain the possibility Of tax
ing the Brooklyn into the harbor. He
was dissuaded from doing so only be
cause he was assured that the passage
was mined. and. more important that
the channel was narrow and torJuous
and that the buoys had been removed
from IT, So that there was a practical
certainty Of going hard aground with
large ship
The envious. jealous, and malicious
elements opposed 10 the Victor of san
tiago have made a pitiable spectacle in
the matter Of the cCwardice charge.
Also. they have challenged compari-
sons which otherwise might be Consid-
cred odiOus. During his examination
yesterday. Lieutenant Commander
Sears told the story OF the unusual
smoke and confusion, and the signal
fires in the HarbOr OF Santiago on the
evening Of July 2, and swOre that these
occurrences were promptly reported TO
ADMIRAL Sampson. That officer. as the
country knows, steamed 10 the east
ward on the morning Of July 3. early