The Independent. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1895-1905, 1898-05-18
LEARNING THE TRUTH.

Been Led to Believe the Manila
Harbor Impregnable.
MADRID, May Referring to the
increased censorship and the eau.
tions issued by General Daban with
reference to the publication OF news,
REFRESHING the transmission even OF
editorials from the Madrid journals,
e Nacional exclaims:
What is taking place in the tele
graphic service is truly scandalous.
So far as provincial correspond ents
are concerned, the Black Cabinet
has seldom worked so thoroughly as
at the present moment, when it de-
ponds upon a Minister who calls
himself a Liberal. This irritation
is sharply provoked by the Govern
ment's suppressons as to tho battle
at Manila"
Commenting upon it Ell Nacional,
which is the organ OF the Weylorite
party, says: Yesterday, when the
first intelligence arrived, nothing
better occurred to Admiral Bermejo
Minister Of Marine) than to send to
all the newspapers comparative
statistics of the two contending
squadrons. BY this comparison he
sought to direct public attention to
the i'm meuse superiority OF squad
ron Of ironclads over a squadron Of
wooden vessels, dried by the heat
in those ATTITUDES.
Spain undoubtedly sees therein
the heroism OF our marines, but abe
also and above all sees the nefariuus
crime Of the Government. 1t is I'M
fair to blame the enemy for pos
sessing forces superior to ours, but
what is worthy Of being blamed with
all possible vehemence is this in
famous Government, which allowed
our inferiority without neutralizipg
it by some means OF preparations"
With reference to the catastrophe
Ell Nscional continues: "a good
battery off Corrsgidor Island with
great reaectors and guns capable OF
sweeping the seas for miles around
would have kept the American
out of the bay. In
CorreRidor there were only few
wretched guns taken from warships
a few days ago. This is the truth.
Our sailors have been basely de-
livered over to the grapeshot OF the
Yankees, a fate nobler and moro
worthy Of respect than those bans-
full Minis, ers who brought about the
first victory and its first victims"
Ell Heraldo de Madrid says: at
was no caprice OF the fortunes of
war. From the very FIRST cannon
shot our fragile ships were at the
mercy OF the formidable hostile
squadron. They we're condemned
to fall, one after another, under the
fire OF the American batteries,
powerless to strike, and were de-
Tended only by the valor in the
breasts OF their sailors. What has
been gained by the illusion that
Manila was fortified? What has
been gained by the intimation that
the broad and beautiful bay on whose
bosom the Spanish fleet persisted
had been rendered inaccessible2
What use was made OF the Island Of
Corregidor! What was done with
it's guns? Where were the torpe-
does? Where were those defensive
preparations concerning which we
were requested to keep silent?"
Ell Heraldo, referring further on
to the extent of the disaster, says:
ave cannot define it. The Govern
ment has not defined it for the in
formation of the country, and al
though the greater portion Of yes
terday's cabinet council was devoted
to the subject the Government has
refused to issue even note, leaving
US in ignorance respecting its views
ON this fateful event. There is
nothing rash in the suspicion that
the Governments attitude in this
matter is a desire 10 hide part of