The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1902-01-24
SCHLEY'S APPEAL
DELIVERED.

President Roosevelt was presented on
Tuesday with the written appeal of Rear
Admiral Winfield S Sch'ey, prepared by
his counsel, Attorney General lsidor Ray
ncr. of MARYLAND. The AdmiraIs appeal
is an exhaustive review of the proceed
ings and findings of the Court of Inquiry,
with an argument in favor of the admls-
sion of certain testimony which, it is
claimed, did not receive due weight by
| the court.
The President declined to make public
the nature of the appeal, and Admiral
Schley would have rendered himself sub
iect to court martial for violation of the
naval regulations@had he authorized its
publication without the Presidents sane
ton. The case is now fully before the
President, who will not take any action
upon the appeal until he has given the al
gument close attention and has referred
to Attorney General knoN the points of
law involved for decision.
The extent to which the President will
investigate the circumstances of the Samp-
son Schley controversy, the accusations
made by Maclay, and the nature Of the
testimony taken by the court. as well as
the weight given it by the board of which
Admiral Dewey was president, will proba-
bly, surprise those who had believed he
would not reopen the case.
1t is stated on excellent authority that
the President will handle the case in his
characteristic. manner, being unint1uenced
by the findings of the court or the action
of Secretary Long, and will announce his
decision as a result of his own personal
investigation, examination and study of
the case in every essential particular. In
pursuing this course the President has IN
formed Secretary Long that no reflection
is intended upon the Navy Department,
and that he will deal with the appeal as
though the case had never reached the
stage of court of inquiry or received at
tention from any of the executive depart
ments.
While it is known that the President is
probably inclined toward the Sampson
side of the controversy, it is recognized
that in allowing Admiral Schley to APP
peal after the Navy Department had dis
posed of the case he has shown desire to
act independently of all past action on
this matter and to settle finally as far as
the executive and administrative branches
of the Government are concerned, the
rights and wrongs in the pending contro-
versy.
1t is claimed that the President is nfiu
enced by no political motives and has
solely in view desire to grant to Adj
miral Schley every right he is entitled to
under naval regulations. A decision may
be delayed in view of the enormous
amount of work the President has before
him. He does not intend to act hastily.
In the argument presented Mr.. Rayner
amplifies that presented to Secretary
Long before final action was taken on the
courts findings, but in addition he goes
to great length into citations of law bear
ing on certain features of the testimony,
in an attempt to prove that the court fail
ed to give Admiral Schiey the benefit of
testimony which he claims was strongly
in his favor The argument lays special
stress upon the fact, as alleged, that Adj
miral Schley's most important witnesses
gave testimony which the court clearly
failed to consider, and accepted only the
statements of those whose testimony tend
ed to combat that of Cook and Clark.