Show BATTLE OP OI MANILA BAY 20 YEARS AGO TWENTY years ago last Wednesday Admiral Dewey the task assigned him by T Theodore eodore Roose Roosevelt 1 velt volt to seek the enemy enemy fleet t and destroy y it Before Defore that historic event all the world had been spellIng spell- spell spellIng spelling Ing the name of the principal port ort In Inthe Inthe inthe the Philippines Ap As soon as official reports of the batt battle e had been published the world learned that it had been in error and the people of or this country took great delight delight delight de de- light In declaring that Dewey nock knock knocked ed L out of Manila Many thought at the time and per perhaps per I haps still think that after atter Dewey had 1 I accomplished the task assigned he lie should have sailed away leaving the Philippines to their t fate le and avoidIng avoiding avoiding avoid avoid- ing what later cane came came to be known as the white mans man's mans man's burden But Dut Dewey didn't lie He wasn't the sail sall away kind He lIe stuck around that vicinity and subsequent events baveI have bave fully rully demonstrated demonstrated his wisdom I as a statesman as as well as his courage and skill as as s a first class fighting lighting ni man tin n It will be remembered that soon after after arter af ar- af- af ter Dewey took possession of Manila flay Day a German fleet came quietly Ina in ina ina a a fleet superior n strength to that which h Dewey commanded It was under the command of Admiral von van von Diedrichs Diedriche Dewey made a courteous inquiry as to the reason why a fleet superior to his own had come upon the scene and the German admiral replied that he was there by order of oC the Kaiser With continued courtesy Dewey ii formed von van Diedrichs Died riche richs that it if Germany was sticking war she could have it I I I In accordance with his rights under taw law and in order to fro jiro- teet the interests of the United States Dewey established certain port regulations regulations regu regu- lations particularly with a aI view I W ol of It ItI e the blockade He Ile assigned assign assign- ed ell each visiting hip i to a a particular anchorage One Ono of von subordinates was war careless or Insolent In IP observing the I aril arch was wail I notified by Dewey that he woul would tire fire upon the first vessel of whatever nationality na ns- that disobeyed the rubs He lie did in fact tact fire across the bow o ol of a ship moving Into forbidden waters w w. w iten There was no further trouble and as ass s soon on as he could do so without seeming seemIng seem seem- Ing ng to have been driven out von van Diedrichs steamed away There has been boen an important disclosure disclosure disclosure dis dis- closure since that time in connection with the visit of or the German fleet leet It seems that Germany had long coveted ho tho Philippines and when war broke out between Spain and anil the United States closed a bargain for tor th the purchase pur- pur chase hase of the Islands having first con- con InceS Spain that she would ly Iy y lose them anyway anyay von van Diedriche mission was to take possession and assume the position Governor Gen of n- n eral ral Having a superior naval force and nd armed with a paper title to the Islands the German admiral would very ery likely have bave secured possession of or the tho whole Philippine archipelago It If he had hod been dealing with a II man manof manof manot of ot procrastinating pr pacifist Inclinations Dewey did no watchful waitIng wait- wait waitIng waiting Ing nor was waa he too proud to fight lie He promptly sent an and as asa asa asa a consequence had bad no fighting to do von Diedrichs know his man At this tola distance of ot time and under under under un un- der present present Jrr ent circumstances we canmore can canmore more ore fully tully appreciate p the value vahe of at Deweys Dewey's services ser lct Jn In sticking sUcking 10 o the Philippines Philippines' after he captured hem and In standing by his rights in Manila Bay Day Had the Philippines beena beens been a s German Gorman possession from 1898 to 1914 Germany would have bave developed deY In that a II naval torce force I eat ent to operate from Manila Day Bay aa as a I ran rendezvous us The story o of at the Uie pr pr sent war prolonged as It has be been n n nIn I In in the face tace of at many advantages advantage s I against against Germany might have been bee n fended ended ended in Germanys Germany's favor A perspective of 20 years gives t to o the figure of at Admiral Dewey a larger large r and more more conspicuous place In the panorama of ot American history |