The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1902-02-27
President Roosevelt UuphoIds the
Court Of Inquiry.
60MMnND ONLY NOMINAL
oficers of the Battleships Fought Indepen-
deutly without Following signals
All Are Entitled to Credit

case has been made public
The President SAYS:
| have received the appeal of
Admiral Schley and the answer
thereto from the Navy Depart
ment. l have examined both
with the utmost care, as well as
the preceding appeal to the Sec
rotary of the Navy. l have read
through all the testimony taken
before the court and the state
ments of the counsel for Admir-
ais Sampson and Schley; have
examined all the official reports
of every kind in reference to the
Santiago naval campaign, copies
of the Jog books and signal books
and the testimony before the
court of claims, and have also
personally had before me the
four surviving captains of the
five ships. aside from those of
the two Admirals, which were
actively engaged at Santiago.
1t appears that the court of in
quiry was unanimous in its find
ings of fact and unanimous in its
expressions Of opinion on most
of its findings of fact No ap--
peal is made TO me from the ver-
dict of the court on these points
where it was unanimous. l have
however gone carefully over the
evidence on these points also. l
am satisfied that on the whole
the court did substantial justice.
1t should have specifically con-
demned the failure to enforce an
efficient night blockade at Santi-
ago while Admiral Schley was in
command. On the other hand,
| feel that there is a reasonable
doubt whether he did not move
his squadron with sufficient ex-
petition from port to port. The
court is unit in condemning
Admiral Schley's action on the
point where it seems to me he
most gravely erred. his retro
grade movement" when he aban-
doned the blockade. and his DISC
bedience of orders and misstate-
ment of facts in relation thereto.
1t should be remembered, how
ever. that the majority of these
actions which the court censures
occurred five weeks or more be-
fore the light itself. and it GER
tainly seems that if Admiral
Schley's actions were censuruble
he should not have been left as
second in command under Admir-
al Sampson. His offeuses were
in effect condoned when he was
not called to account for them
We can therefore for our pres
ent purposes dismiss considera
ton of so much of the appeal as
relates to anything except the
battle. AS regards this. the point
raised in the appeal is between
Admiral Sampson and Admiral
Schley as to which was in COM
mand, and as to which was en-
titled to the credit, if either of
them was really entitled to any
unusual and pre-eminent credit
by any special exhibition of ge-
MUS, skill, and courage. The
court could have considered both
of these questions, but as mat
ter CT fact it unanimously exclud-
evidence offered upon them, and
through the president announced
its refusal to hear Admiral Samp-
sons side at all, and in view of
such exclusion the majority Of
the court acted with entire pro-
priety in not expressing any
opinion on these points.
The matter has, however, been
raised by tn, resident of the
court. Moreover, it is the point
upon which Admiral Schley in
his appeal lays most stress. and
which he especially asks me to
consider. I have therefore care
fully investigated this matter al
so. and have informed myself
upon it from the best sources OF
information at my command.
The appeal of Admiral Schley
is in effect an appeal from the
action of President McKinly
three years ago, when he sent in