Evening star., 1902-02-20
THE SCHLEY APPEAL
Decision Announced by the
President Today.
A CAPTAINS BATTLE
THE LOOP OF THE BROOKLYN IS
CONDEMNED.
Promotions Made by President NC
Kinley Approved and Considered
Justified by Facts.

The following is the text Of the decision
of the President on the appeal made by
Rear Admiral Schley:
WHITE HOUSE, February IS, 1902
I have received the appeal Of Admiral
Schley and the answer thereto from the
Navy Department. l have examined both
with the utmost care, as we'll as the pre-
ceding appeal to the Secretary of the Navy
l have read through all. the testimony
taken before the court and the statements
of the counsel for Admra1s Sampson and
Schley; have examined all the official re-
ports of every kind In reference to the San
tiago naval campaign. copies of the log
books and signal books and the testimony
before the Court of Claims, and have also
personally had before me the four surviv-
ing captains of the five ships aside from
those of the two admirals which were &C
lively engaged a Santiago.
1t appears that the court of inquiry was
unanimous in it's findings of fact and unan-
mous in it's expressions Of opinion on most
of it's findings of fact. No appeal is made
to me from the verdict of the court on
these points where 1t was unanimous I
have, however. gone carefully over the evil
dence on these points also. l am satisfied
that on the whole the court did substantial
justice. 1t should have specifically con-
night blockade at Santiago while Admiral
Schley was in command On the other
hand, l feel that there is a reasonable
doubt whether he did not move his squad
ron with sufficient expedition from port to
port. The court Is unlL in condemning
Admiral Schley's action on the point where
1t seems to me he most gravely erred; his
'retrograde movement when he abandoned
the blockade, and his disobedience of or
ders and misstatement Of facts in relation
thereto: 1t should be remembered. how
ever. that the majority of these actions
which the court censures occurred five
weeks or more before the fight itself; and
1t certainly seems that If Admiral Schley's
actions were cenSurable he should not have
been left as second In command under Ad
miral Sampson. His offenses were In ef-
feet condoned when he was not called to
account for them. Admiral Sampson after
the fight. in an official letter to the depart
ment alluded for the first time to Admiral
Schley's ''reprehensible conduct" six weeks
previously IL Admiral Schley was guilty
of .reprehensble conduct Of a kind which
called for such notice from Admiral Samp-
son. then Admiral Sampson ought not to
have left him as senior officer Of the block
aiding squadron the Sd of July when he
tSampson) steamed away on his proper err
rand of communication with General Shaf-
ter.
The Point of the Appeal.
We can therefore for our present pur-
poses dismiss consideration Of so much of
the appeal as relates to anything except the
battle. As regards this the point raised In
the appeal is between Admiral Sampson and
Admiral Schley as to which was In COM
mand, and as to which was entitled to the
credit, If either of them was really entitled
TO any unusual and pre-emnent credit by
any special exhibition of genius skill and
courage The court could have considered
both OF these questions, but as a matter of
fact 1t unanimously excluded evidence Of
fered upon them. and through it's president
announced Its refusal to hear Admiral
SIMPSONS side at ALL and in view of such
exclusion the majority of the court acted
with entire propriety in not expressing any
opinion on these points. The matter has
however, been raised by the president Of
the court. Moreover 1T is the point unon
which Admiral Schley in his appeal laws
most stress. and which he especially asks
me 10 consider. l have therefore care
iuiiy investigated this matter also, and
have informed myself upon It from the
best sources of information at INV com
mand. - ~
The appeal OF Admiral schley to me is
not. as TO this the chief point he raises
really an appeal from the decision of the
court OF inquiry. Five-sixths of the anneal
| Is devoted to this question of command
ana credit; that is, to matter which the
court or inquiry did not consider It is in
eHect an appeal from the action OF Presi-
dent Mckinley three years ago when he
sent In the recommendations for promotion
1or the various officers connected with the
|
| dations upon his estimate of the credit tn
which the officers were respectively entitled
What l nave to decide, therefore, Is wheth-
| er or not President Mckinley did Injustice
III .ne matter: Ihis necessarily involves a
comparison of the actions of the different
commanders engaged. The exhaustive Of
nclal reports Of the action leave little to he
brought out anew: but as the question of
Admlras SIMPSONS right to be considered
| IN chief command. which was determined
| IN his favor by President Mckinley, and
| later by the Court of Claims, has never
hitherto been officially raised, I deemed II
pest TO secure statements OF the command
| ers of the five ships (other than the Brook
| lyn and the New York. the fagships Of the
/ two admirals) which were actively engaged
| in the fight. Admiral Philip is dead
| quote extracts from his magazine article
| on the fight, written Immediately after it
| occurred: closing with an extract from his
| letter to the Secretary of the Navy of Feb
ruary q. 1899:
Quotes From Admiral Philip.
| 1t was the blockade that made the bat
/ tie possible. The battle was a direct con-
| sequence of the blockade and upon the
! method and effectiveness Of the blockade
was very largely dependent the issue Of the
/ battle Under orders of Admiral
| Sampson the blockade was conducted with
! a success exempified by the result
When the Spanish admiral at last made his
| dash to escape, we We're ready-ready with
| our men, with our guns. and with our en-
| gines. 1t was only few minutes
| after we had seen the leader OF the advanc-
/ ing squadron that 1t became apparent that
Cervera's plan was to run his ships In col
umn westward in an effort to escape. :
Before he had fairly found himself outside
| the MORO the entire blockading squadron
| Indiana, Oregon. Iowa. Brooklyn and Tex
| as-was pumping shell into him at such q
rate as virtually to decide the issue of the
/