Jasper County Democrat, Volume 4, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 February 1902 — VERDICT WILL STAND [ARTICLE]

VERDICT WILL STAND

PRESIDENT GIVES OUT DECISION , ON SCHLEY APPEAL. Honor for Santiago Victory, He Says, Rests Equally on the Commanders in the Action—The Loop Is Styled as a Grave Mistake.

President Roosevelt decides against Admiral Schley. His reply to that officer’s appeal from the verdict of the court of inquiry was made public Wednesday night, and the decision is adverse to Admiral Schley in every important particular. For the first time Admiral Sampson is officially and categorically declared to have been in command at the battle of Santiago. The President holds that while Sampson’s command was “technical and nominal,” Commodore Schley did not assume command and the command was in no way passed to him by reason of Sampson’s distance from the scene of the actual fighting. Therefore Sampson must stand in history as the responsible commander. As to the question of credit for the battle, independent of the question of technical command, the President holds that Sampson must have first credit because of his excellent blockade and his responsibility. Sampson commanded the fleet and Schley the western division. But in the President’s opinion neither is entitled to credit for meritorious or important service in the battle itself. "The actual fact, the important fact,” says the President, “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 Sampson or Schley, save on their own two vessels. It was a captains’ fight.

Verdict Is Sustained. President Roosevelt sustains the verdict of the court of inquiry, which he declares was unanimous in its findings on all important points. This leaves the censure unanimously passed by the court standing of full force upon the records. While the President does not upset the verdict of the court in any particular, he points out that all of Schley’s alleged derelictions while in command of the flying squadron were in effect condoned by his superiors at the time. Thus dismissing this part of the case, he passes on to the battle. He points out that the questions of command in the battle aud of credit for part in the battle were not raised before the court, but were ruled out unanimously. “The majority of the court acted with entire propriety in not expressing any opinion on these points.” But Admiral Dewey having raised this new question, though it was not investigated by the court of which he was president, and Schley having made it the chief subject of his appeal, the President devoted most of his memorandum to h, with the result as already stated. Hence Admiral Schley has lost ground as a result of his appeal to the President. The court decided unanimously against him on other questions, and the President permits their decision to stand. Dewey was for him on this-question of command, the other two admirals being silent, and public opinion was very largely inclined to follow Dewey. Now the President definitely decides against Dewey. Thus a new question, not considered by a majority of the court, is now settled by the eommander-iu-ehief of the military forces of the nation, and settled unfavorably to the contentions of Admiral Schley.

Loop Was a Blunder. The most sensational paragraph of the President’s memorandum is that in which he refers to the famous loop of the Brooklyn during the battle. It contains a plain intimation that in the President’s opinion Commodore Schley was at that moment afraid to run closer to the enemy. He significantly holds Schley's conduct at this juncture in contrast with that of Wainwright. The President's language is as follows: “Admiral Schley is rightly entitled —as Is Captain Cook—to the credit of what the Brooklyn did in the tight. On the whole, she did well: but I agree with the unanimous finding of the three-ad-mirals who composed the court of inquiry as to the ‘loop.’ It seriously marred the Brooklyn's otherwise excellent record, being in fact the one grave mistake made by any American ship that day. Had the Brooklyn turned to the westward, that is, in the same direction that the Spanish ships were going, instead of iu the contrary direction, she would undoubtedly have been iji more ‘dangerous proximity’ to them. But it would have been more dangerous for them, as well as for her. This kind of danger must not be too nicely weighed by those whose trade it is to dure greatly for the honor of the flag. Moreover, the danger was certainly not as great as that which, in the self-same moment menaced Wainwright’s fragile craft as he drove forward against the foe. It wgs not. in my judgment, as great as the danger to which the Texas was exposed by the turn ns actually made. It certainly caused both the Brooklyn and the Texas materially to lose position compared to the Hoeing Spanish vessels. But after the loop had once been taken Admiral Schley handled the Brooklyn manfully and well.” In one other particular Admiral Schley loses ground ns a result of his appeal to the President. The court of Inquiry passed no judgment upon the character of the night blockade which Schley maintained at Santiago before the arrival of Sampson, and in his appeal the admiral eomplalued because the court had not passed upon that point. The President does pas* upon it, snying most.pointedly that in hig opinion (lie court should have •'condemned the failure to enforce an efficient night blockade.”