The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1901-10-07
Special to The Journal.

Special to The Journal.
Chicago, Oct. THE Washington cor
respondent of the Chronicle in referring
to the Schley inquiry says that the at
tempt of the navy department through
Judge Advocate Lemly to raise question
as to the meaning of SIMPSONS use of
the word Santiago" in the Dear Schley"
letter, places the department in an en-
barrassing position in view of the pub
lication of the following message from
Sampson to the secretary Of the navy,
dated Key West, May TO- 1898:
Referring to the department telegram Of
May 1s.-fifty-eight cipher words beginning
verberabam," after considering information
contained therein, have decided in favor of
plan adopted to hold position, Cienfuegos,
with Brooklyn, Massachusetts,, Texas, Iowa,
Marblehead, Castine, Dupont and two auxil-
iary vessels. There are remaining the New
York, Indiana and Monitors for Havana.
There are remaining the New York, Indiana
and Monitors for Havana. These latter are
very inefficient and should not be sent from
base. l have directed Schley to communicate
with auxiliary vessels at Santiago and direct
one Of them to report from Mole or Cape
may IlSu, Lu6n u SdAIldSO dA0 " ASPOAb Ill
ther at Cienfuegos and Havana as they con-
slider best. The plan may be changed when it
becomes certain Spanish feet at Santiago.
This message is a part of Sampson s
report to the department and Is con-
tanned on page 465 of the appendix Of the
bureau of navigation, executive document
No. 2, containing the history of the San
tiago campaign. 1t is hardly probable that
Captain Lemly does not know of its ex-
istence, and 1t is almost inconceivable
that, knowing that Sampson sent such a
dispatch to the secretary Of the navy on
the very day that he wrote the Dear
Schley'' letter. he could have lent him
self to quibble over an obvious fact.
When Was the Erasure Madeg
The foregoing dispatch also calls into
question the time and place Of making
the erasure in the copy of the Dear
Schley'' letter which Lemly offered in
support Of his quibble on Saturday. There
is no reason to doubt that the word 'Cien
fuegos' was the word that was erased,
for two letters, CO.. and IS" comprising
the final syllable Of the word "Cienfue
gos," still show distinctly where the
erasure was attempted. In writing, San
tiago over the erasure, whoever did that
particular job, either failed to note that
the letters &C" and 81 remained or was
of the opinion that the letter would not
be vised close enough to enable some
body else to note them.
The malevolence exhibited by the anti
Schley clique of the navy department
toward the gallant OLD victor Of Santiago
has been so apparent and thinly disguised
that there will doubtless be an immediate
demand for a complete investigation of
the history Of the departments copy Of
the Dear Schley" letter containing the
erasure of the word "Cientuegos" and the
substitution of the word Santiago" there
for since it came into khe hands of the
bureau Of investigation On its face the
episode looks like scandal Of huge di-
mensions.
Admiral Sampson is in Washington, hav-
ing taken possession Of his new home on
New Hampshire avenue. He is accessible
only to a few friends. The admiral sell
dom leaves the house and when he goes
out he is invariably accompanied by some
member Of his family. While his physi-
cal health is understood to be good, he is
not in his normal condition mentally.
Those persons who have seen the admiral
since he came to Washington say 1t is
manifestly impossible for him to go on
the witness stand.