The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1902-02-20
WHO WON BATTLE OF sANTIAGO7
The Public Demand the Decision in Favor
of Schlsy.

The Public Demand the Decision in Favor
of Schlsy.
What is President Roosevelt going to
do with the Schley appeal? Admiral
Schley is slowly vending his way to
Washington, will probably be there
within week or ten days, and it seems
to be the general opinion that the pres
ident will render his decision when the
rear-admiral returns from his western
tour.
There are three ways open to the
president to decide the appeal.
l. He may send the case back to the
navy department, as having the sole
jurisdiction, and make no other COM
ment,
2. He may declare the appeal regu-
lar and also indorse the final action of
Secretary Long.
3. He may declare the appeal regu-
lar and indorse some of the findings Of
the majority of the court and of its
president, Admiral Dewey.
The fact that the president has ac-
cepted the appeal makes it reasonably
certain that the conclusions arrived at
bySecretary Long and the navy depart.
ment are not conclusive.
II seems to be the presidents duty to
settle the controversy once and fer all,
so that congress will not find it neces-
sary to take action on the numerous
bills now before it, and which are held
in allegiance, pending the white house
decision.
The president has already decided
that the court had ample jurisdiction
and power to pass on the question of
absolute command. The navy depart
ment has always strenuously denied
this.
1t seems the president is opening a
way to concur with Admiral Dewey,
who maintained what the navy depart
ment denied, and who did in fact pass
on the question of command.
If this was suggestion from the
white house, it is generally conceded
the president was paving the way to
concur with Amiral Dewey, who had
maintained what the navy department
denied, and who did, in fact, pass on
the question of command.
There is therefore warrant for the be-
lief that the president may agree with
the majority of the court in non essen
tials, which the court magnifed into
high crimes and misdemeanors, but
that as to the essentials of who was ac
tually in command, who won the grea'
victory, who issued the orders for the
actual conflict, etc, the president vii
sustain the board and non partisan
propositions laid down by Admira
Dewey.
The president was once assistant sec
retary of the navy and is aware of tht
inner workings in the bureau and army
offices which led to the "Schley contro
versy." lie was on the board of strate
gy, and remembers, perhaps, grea
many things which are generally sup
posed to be forgotten.
Itmay be further stated that the pre-
sident is again reading George Ora
hams great book" "Schley and Santi
ago." He has once before expresse,
his opinion regarding it in the follow
ing words: "Mr. Graham's story is th
best account have heard or read of th
naval fighting during the war. 1t need
J ed just as much courage to go abou
taking photographs as it did to wor
the guns"
The book published by the W. B
Conkey Company, of Chicago, contain
nearly 500 pages of facts and fifty pho
tographs taken during the fight by Grs
3 ham. the war correspondent, which vii
give every patriotic citizen the oppol
l tunity to judge the controversy on il
0 merits.
We have read the book-it's worth
9 dollar and fifty cents-yes, more tha
that, because it is the only truthful All
authentic account of the battle of Sal
. tiago. Commercial Associated Press.
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