Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1902-02-22
.COUR is UPHELD.
PRESIDENTS ACTION ON scHLEX
CASE Al CONDEMNATION or
THE ADMIRAL.
SUBSTANTIAL JUSTICE DONE

LOOP Maneuver the Gravest Mis-
take Of the Campaign Retrosade
Movement and Dilatory Action IN.
Scouting condemned-Eattle Of July
8 a Captains Fight, Though samp-
osn was Technically in Command.
washington, Feb. Il. The president
! has made public his reply to the APP
peal Of Admiral Schley from the deci-
Bion OF the court OF Inquiry. He holda
that the court did substantial JUSTICE
and that the decision must stand. The
court, he says, should have specifically
condemned the failure to ensoree an
efficient night blockade at Santiago
while Admiral Schley was in COM
mRnd. On tho ether hand no feela
that there is a reasonable doube
whether Schley did not move his
squadron with sufficient expedition
from port to port. The court is a unit,
he says, in condemning Admiral
Schley's action on the point where it
seems 10 him he most gravely erred44A-
his ''retrogade movement, when ne
abandoned the blockade, and his dis
obedience of orders and misstate-
ment of facts in relation thereto. Con-
tinuing, he says:
1T should be remembered, however,
that the majority of these actions
which the court censures, occurred
i've weeks or more before the fight it.
self; and it certainly seems that if Adj
miral Schley's actions were censura-
BILE, he should not have been left sec
ond in command"
The Question of Command.
The president, as the result of this
condoning of Schley's alleged miscon-
duct, drops all matters in the appeal
down to the battle of July and says
In regard to the question of commands
''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 testi-
fed that they regarded him as present
and in command. 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 the
forts, and himself fired a couple of
shots, at the close of the action with
the torpedo boats.
admiral Schley at the outset of tho
action hoisted the two signals of clear
ship and close in which was simply
carrying out the standing orders Of
Admiral Sampson as to what should
be done if the enemy's ships attempted
to break out of the harbor. Until
after the close Of the first portion Of
the fight at the mouth of the harbor
and until he had made his loop and
the Spanish ships were fleeing to the
westward, not another American ship
noticed a signal from him. When
the western pursuit began the Oregon,
and the Oregon only, noticed and re-
peated one of his signals of command
The Battle a Captains Fight.
'tIn short, the question as to which
Of the two men, Admiral Sampson or
Admiral Schley, was at the time in
command, is of merely nominal char
acter. Technically Sampson COM
manded the fleet, and Sch1ey, as usual,
the western division. The actual fact,
the important fact, is that after the
battle was on not a helm was shift
ed, not a gun was fired not a pound
of steam was put on in the engine
room aboard any ship actively engag-
ed, in obedience to the orders Of either
Sampson or Schley, save on their own
two vessels. 1t 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 nei-
ther one nor the other in fact exer-
cised any command. Sampson was
hardly more than technically in the
fight His claim for credit rests upon
his work as commander-in-chief; upon
the excellence of the blockade; upon
the preparedness of the squadron;
upon the arrangement of the ships
head-on in semi-circle around the
harbor; and the standing orders in ac-
cordance with which they instantly
moved to the attack Of the Spaniards
when the latter appeared. For all
these things the credit is his.
The "Loop" a Grave Mistake.
admiral Schley is rightly entitled
las 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 finding of the
shree admira1s who composed the
court of inquiry as to the loop It
seriously marred the Brooklyn's other.
wise excellent record, being, in fact,
he one grave mistake made by any
American ship that day. Had the
turned to the westward, that
S. in the same direction that the Span
sh ships were going, instead of in the
,ct rary direction, she would undoubt-
sdI have been more dangerous for
hsf as well as for her. This kind of
lai ar must not be too nicely weigh
d those whose trade it is to dare
.ts " for the honor of the flag.
3 president then pays a high trib-
Il D Captain Clark Of the Oregon
s commander Wainwright and con. /,
4 rs as follows:
th Admiral Sampson and Ad-
lifzSt Schley are now on the retired i