The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1902-02-13
WHO WON THE BATTLE?
WHO COMMANDED THE FLEET AT SANTI-
AGO?-SCHIEY OR SAMPSON?
Three Ways Open to the President
The Public Demand the Decision In
Favor of Schley.

Special from Commercial Associated 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 with
in q 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 Presi
dent to decide the APPEAL
l. He may send the case back to the
Navy Department, as having the sole
Jurisdiction, and make no other CON-
ments
2. He may declare the appeal regular
and also indorse the final action Of Secre-
tary Long.
3 He<lnay declare the appeal regular
and indOrse some of the findings of the
majority of the court and Gifts president
Admiral Dewey.
The fact that the President has accept
ed the appeal makes it reasonably Ger
tain that the conclusions arrived at by
Secretary Long and the Navy Depart
inent are not conclusive.
1t germs to be the Presidents duty to
settle the controversy once and for all,
80 that Congress will not find it necessary
to take action on the numerous bills
now before it, and which are held in
abeyance, pending the White House de-
cisiOn
The President has already decided that
the court had ample Jurisdiction and
power to pass on the question OF alb
solute command. The Navy Depart
ment has always strenuousiy denied
| this
1t seems the President is opening u
way to concur with Admiral Dewey, who
| maintained What the Navy Department
| denied, and who did iii fact pass on the
| question of command.
Ii this was Il suggestion from the
| White House, it is generally conceded
the President Was paving the way to
concur with Admiral Dewey, who had
maintained what the Navy Depart ment
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-essrn
| tails, which the court magnified into high
crimes and misd-mpanOrs, but that us to
the essentials of who was actually il
command, who won the great victory
| who issued the orders for the actual con
flict, etc, the President will sustain the
broad and non-partisan propositions lalC
down by Admiral Dewey.
The President was once Assistant Sec
rotary Of the Navy and ia awar. Of thu
inner workings in the bureau and army
Offices which led to the ''Schlry cnntro
vrrsy.3 He WAS on the Board ni STRAIT
| egy, aud remembers, perhaps. 4 greh1
many things which are generally sup
posed to be forgotten.
1t may be further stated that the
President is again reading Georg.
Graham's great Schley and San
tiago He has once before expressed
his opinion regarding it iii the following
words: Mr.. Graham's story ia the bes
account | have heard or read Of the nava
fighting during the war, 1t needed JUS
as much courage to go about taking
photographs as it did to work tn
| guns
The book published by the W. B. Conkey
Company, of Chicago, contains nsarl,
800 pages of facts and fifty photographs
taken during the fight by Graham, tn
War Correspondent, which will give ever!
patriotic citizen the opportunity tojudg
the controversy on its merits.
We have read the BOOKLETS worth {
dollar and fifty cents-yeS, more thar
that, because it is the only truthful ant
authentic account of the battle Of San
| tiagO.