The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1902-02-28

In one direction than the Brooklyn was
In the other and was in plain sight
OF course Admiral Sampson was pres
ent and in command. / received no
signals from the Brooklyn, and would
not have noticed her at all had it not
been for the fact that when the other
vessels closed in she made what has
sence been called "the loop" so that
my attention was attracted by not
seeing the Texas, because she stopped,
and by not seeing the Brooklyn be-
cause she went to seward, away from
the Spanish vessels. fY
''The question of command is in this
case nominal and technical. Admiral
SIMPSONS ship, the New York, was
seen at the outset of the fight from all
the ships except the Brooklyn. Four
of these five ship captains have testified
that they regard him as present and in
comeand. He signalled ''close in" to
the fleet as soon as the first Spanish
ship appeared, but his signal was not
seen by any American vessel. He was
actually under fire from forts and HIN
self fred a couple of shots at the close
of the action with the torpedo boats,
in addition to signaling the Indiana
just at the close of the action. But
during the action not single order
from him was received by any of the
ships that were actively engaged.
CAPTAINS WON THE FIGHT.
SIN short, the question as to which of
the two men, Admiral Sampson or Adj
miral Schley, was at the time in com
mand, is of merely nominal character.
Technically, Sampson commanded the
fleet, and Schley, as usual, the western
division. The actual fact, the impor-
tant fact, is that after the battle was
joined not "a helm was shifted, not a
gun was fired, not pound of steam
was put on the engine room aboard any
ship actively engaged in obedience to
the order of either Sampson or Schley,
save on their own two vessels. - was
captains fight.
Therefore, the credit to which each
of the two is entitled rests on matters
apart from the claim of nominal COM
mand over the squadron; for, SO far as
the actual fight was concerned, neither
one nor the other in fact exercised any
command. Sampson was hardly more
than technically in the fight. His real
claim for credit rests upon his work as
commander-in-c chief; upon the excel
lence of the blockade: upon the pre-
paredness of the squadron; upon the
arrangement of the ships headed in a
semicircle around the harbor; and the
standing orders in accordance with
which they instantly moved to the at
tack of the Spaniards when the latter
appeared. For all these things the
credit is his.
LOOP" THE ONE BLUNDER.
Admiral Schley is rightly entitled-as
is Captain Cool1-to the credit of what
the Brooklyn did in the fight. On the
whole, She did we'll; but | agree with
the unanimous finding of the three adj
mirals who composed the court of in
quiry as to the ''loop." 1t seriously
married the Brooklyn's otherwise excel
lent record, being in fact the one grave
mistake made by any American ship
that day.
M'KINLEY WAS RIGHT.
Under such circumstances it seems to
me that the recommendations of Presi-
dent Mckinley were eminently proper
and, that SO far as Admirals Sampson
and Schley were concerned, it would
have been unjust for him to have made
other recommendations.
Personally, | feel that in view of
Captain Clarl1's long voyage in the
Oregon and the condition in which he
brought her to the scene of service, as
well as the way in which he actually
managed her before and during the
fight, it would have been well to have
given him the same advancement that
was given Wainwright.
"But waving this it is evident that
Wainwright was entitled to receive
more than any of the other commanders;
and that it was just to Admiral Samp-
son that he should receive a greater ad-
vance in numbers than Admiral Schley
there was nothing done in the battle
that warranted any unusual reward
for either. In short, as regards Adj
mirals Sampson and Schley, find that
President Mckinley did substantial
justice, and that 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 | most heartily
concur There is no excuse whatever
from either side for any further agita-
ton of this unhappy controversy. To
keep it alive would merely do damage
to the navy and to the country.
'THEODORE ROOSEVELT"