Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1898-09-02
was going on. Won Diedrichs did not II
v1cE-AnM1KAL voS n1Epn1cus.

was going on. Won Diedrichs did not like
1t. Dewey sent word that he regretted
the necessity Of such work, but he was
compelled to keep informed of what went
on in the bay at night. He intimated that
the Germans were acting as If they
thought that they were ~blockading Manila
instead of the Americans.
1t is quite within his right as the block
ader to do this, but Won Diedrichs pro-
tested. The German admiral twisted
Dewey's contention and construed it Us q
claim Of the right Of search.
Dewey Willing to Fight.
Matters kept getting worse. German
launches were stopped and sent to their
ships. Permission to move in the night
time wal refused on some occasions, and
finally Admiral Dewey took occasion to
say to the German flag lieutenant that
certain things meant war and the Ger
mans were approaching dangerously near
them. Then he added in substance that
IL the Germans wanted war they could
have 1t now or ut any other time, here or
at any other place.
In reply to this Won Diedrichs took a
pacificatory tone and disavowed any in
tention Of violating proper usages or the
American admiral's blockade regulations.
Then came the Subig bay incident. The
insurgents were attacking Isla de Grandc.
They had captured II steamer from the
Spanish and they sent her down to Subig
with men. She came back one afternoon
and reported to Dewey that the cruiser
Irene had prevented her from attacking
Grande Island and had forced her to haul
down her insurgent flag and raise a white
one.
Dewey sent the Raleigh and Concord
there at once. They went in and cleared
for action at S:16 the next morning, ready
for what might come, German or other
wise. As they went in on one side Of
| the island, the Irene came out on the
other al full steam. The two American
ships took the island with 623 prisoners,
nearly all Spanish soldiers. and 600 rifles,
with an immense quantity Of ammunition.
When the Irene came back the McCul-
loch spoke, but did not stop her. This
brought a protest from both sides. Won
Diedrichs objected to the hauling up of
his ships. Dewey declared that the Ger
mans were lending aid and comfort to our
enemies, thereby making themselves open
" Spain's allies. He sent a message to
| the German admiral, the substance of
which was:
"Is there peace or war between our
countries? II there is war l wan to know
It. II there is peace l want you to change
your course. The way to nuke war is to
clear up ship and so ut it."
Won Diedrichs replied with an apology
and then as IL ~repenting he wrote to Ad-
miral Dewey a note in which he miscon-
strued Dewey's contention about right to
speak incoming ships, and said he would
lay the matter before commanders-in-
chief now in the harbor. Since then
| Dewey has heard nothing from him, but
he has heard what happened when Won
Diedrichs called on Capt. Chichester of
the Immortalite, the senior officer of the
English squadron. The Englishman
showed the German his instructions. by
which he was ordered to do what Dewey
had been contending that the Germans
should do. There was not much ground
left for Won Diedrichs after that.