The Leon reporter., 1902-02-13
WHO WON BATTLEOF SANTIAGO
WHO COMMANDED THE FLEET?
SCHLEY OR SAMPSON?
THREE WARS OPEN TO THE PRESIDENT.
The public Demand the Decision In Favor
OF SChiey.

The public Demand the Decision In Favor
OF Schiey.
Special from, Commercial Ass'td Press.
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
President 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 20 the !
Navy Department, as having the sole
jurisdiction, and make no other COM
ment.
2. He may declare the appeal regular
and also indorse the final action of Sec
retary Long.
8. He may declare the appeal regular
and indorse some of the findings of the
majority Of the court and of its presi-
dent, Admiral Dewey.
The fact that the president has ac-
cepted the appeal makes it reasonably
certain that the conclusions arrived at
by Secretary Long aud the Navy De-
partment are not conclusive.
1t seems to be the Presidents duty to
settle the controversy once and for all,
so that Congress will not find it neces.
sary to take action on the numerous
bills now before it, and which was 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 paying the way to
concur with Admiral 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 magniiied into
high crimes and msdemeanors, but thai
as to the essentials Of who was actually
who issued the orders for the actua
conflict, ETC., the President will sustain
the broad and non. partisan proposition
laid down by Admiral Dewey.
The President was once Assistan
Secretary of the Navy and is aware G
the inner workings in the bureau an,
army offices which led to the "Schle,
controversy. He was on the board {
strategy, and remembers, perhaps,
great many things which are general
supposed to br forgotten.
1t may ne further stated that th
President is again reading Geora
Graham's great book = ''Schley an
Santiago. lie has once before expires
4 ed his opinion regarding it in the fol loy
! ing words: ''Mr Graham's story is tt
best account have heard or read of II
naval fighting during the war. 1 neede
& just as much courge to 60 about TAXI,
a photographs as it did to wo:k the guns
4 The book published by the w.
: Conkey Company of Chicago contain
2 nearly 500 pages Of facts and fifty ph
y tographs taken during the fight by Cir
4 ham, the War Correspondent, which wi
4 give every patriotic citizen the oppo
A tunity to judge the controversy on i
merits.
2 We have read the book-it's worth
. dollar and fifty cen,s-yes, more tina
that, because 1t is the only truthful an
authentic account of the battle of Sal
tiago.
A Night Alarm.
Worse than an alarm of fire at nigf