The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-02-21

mendations for promotion for the vari-
Gus officers connected with the Santi-
ago squadron basing these recommen-
dations upon his estimate of the cred
it to which the officers were respec-
lively entitled.
What l have to decide, therefore.
is whether or not President Mckinley
did an injustice in the matter. This
necessarily involves a comparison of
the actions of the different command
ers engaged. The exhaustive official
reports OF the action leave little to
be brought out anew, but as the ques-
ton of Admiral SIMPSONS right to
be considered in chief command which
was determined in his favor by Pres
ident Mckinley and later by the court
of claims, has never hitherto been Of
ficially raised, | deemed it best to Sc
cure statements of the commanders OF
the five ships (other than the Brook
Ign and New York, the fagships of the
two admirals) which were actively en-
gagged in the fight. The question of
command is in this case nominal and
technical. The actual fact, the i'm
portant fact, is that after the battle
was Joined not a helm was shifted,
not a gun was fired. not a pound Of
steam was put on in the engine room
aboard any ship actively engaged, in
obedience to the order of either Samp-
son or Schley, save on their own two
vessels. 1t was a captains fight.
Therefore, the credit to which each
Of the two is entitled rests on mat
tiers apart from the claim of nominal
command over the squadron; for so
far as the actual fight was concerned
neither one nor the other in fact eX-
ercised any command.
Sampson a hardly more than
technically in the fight. His real
claim for credit rests upon his work
as commandments; upon the eX-
cellence of the blockade; upon the
preparedness of the squadron; upon
the arrangement Of the ships headon
in a semi-circle around the harbor;
and the standing orders in accordance
with which they instantly moved to
the attack of the Spaniards when the
latter appeared. For all these things
the credit is his.
Admiral Schley is rightly entitled,
as is Captain Cook, to the credit of
what the Brooklyn did in the fight.
On the whole, she did we'll; but |
agree with the unanimous findings of
the three admirals who composed the
court of inquiry as to the loop it
seriously married the Brooklyn's other
wise excellent record, being, in fact,
Il grave mistake made by any
American ship that day.
| think it just to Admiral Sampson
hat he should receive a greater adj
vance in numbers than Admiral
Schley. There was nothing lone in
the battle that warranted any unusual
for either. In short, as re-
CARDS Admirals Sampson and Schley,
find that President Mckinley did
substantial justice, and hat there
would be no warrant for reversing his
action,
Both Admiral Sampson and Admiral
Schley are now on the retired list. In
concluding their report the members
Of the court of inquiry. Admirals
Dewey. 'Benham and Ramsey. unite
in stating that they recommend that
no further action be had in the matter.
With this recommendation l most
heartily concur. There is no excuse
whatever from either side for any
agitation of this unhappy con-
troversy. To keep it alive would
merely do damage to the navy and to
the country.
(Signed) THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
WOODWARD TRIAL.