The record-union., 1898-05-07
Thought to be Evidence That Span
iardS Have Lost Manila.
The Naval Department Still Mute as TO
the Movements Of Admiral
SIMPSONS War
Ships.

WASHINGTON, May 6.-After an
other day of waiting in the Navy and
State Departments, the doors were
again closed in the evening without a
word from Commodore Dewey or any
other reliable sources as to what hap
pened at Manila after the cable broke.
During the course of the day there were
rumors that the cable communication
had been restored, but these We're soon
seen to be baseless, and the excitement
subsidized
One comfort the officials take in the
situation, although it is a negative
character, is that the lack of communi-
cation is a probable evidence that the
Spaniards at least are not in control
at Manila, else they would speedily
communicate that fact to the world.
If the delay means anything, it is be-
lieved not to be more serious than that
Commodore Dewey has been delayed
in carrying out fully his plans for the
occupation of Manila. In other words,
it may not have been possible for the
Commodore, within the short space of
two days, to effect the destruction of
the Spanish fleet, the silencing of the
forts at Cavite, the seizure of the Cor
regidor Islands, the capture of Manila
and the restoration of cable communi-
cation. If he has been delayed beyond
Tuesday of Wednesday in carrying out
this extensive programme, it is not at
all surprising that he has not been
heard from through dispatch boat.
The State Department is in close
touch with Consul Wildman at Hong
kong, who is expected to supply the
earliest possible news from the Philip
pines The only message received to-
day was one from the Consul that four
families of refugees from the Philip
pines had petitioned for admission to
United States citizenship, something
manifestly impossible for the Consul to
grant under the naturalization laws. 1t
is barely possible that the first news to
come may be through British sources,
inasmuch as all British cable subven-
tions contain a clause giving the Brit
ish Government precedence in the use
of the cable in an emergency.
Respecting Admiral SIMPSONS move
ments, the department is still mute, al
though it is apparent that interesting
news is expected on that subject with
in the next three days. Therefore it is
quite certain that the rumor which
originated in London, to the effect that
Sampson has undertaken campaign
in the Canaries, is dismissed without
attracting attention at the hands of
the officials, since it would be mani
festly impossible for the Admiral to
arrive at the Canaries within so short
a space as three days. Again, the
monitors in his fleet could not carry
coal enough to make the passage.
Moreover, the Naval Strategic Board
is not sending out notification of con-
templated moves. A leading official said
there was no reason why foreign ma
tions should be given information of
an attack upon the Canaries. Since the
United States was conducting a war,
it had the right, he said, to choose its
own points of attack, without Keeping
other Governments advised of its pur-
poses.
The London report that the Cont
mental Powers were seeking to have
England join them in intervention also
was lacking in verification. The State
Department has received no suggestion
of such intervention. The foreign rep
resentatives here, including those of
Great Britain. France. Germany and
Russia, meet these reports with specific
denials. These officials have. been fully
conversant with all previous moves to-
ward intervention, and they doubtless
would be aware if such move was on
foot.
The utterance of Emperor William be-
fore the Reichstag to-day confirmed
what the German officials here have
maintained from the first, that Ger
many would observe strict neutrality,
even though no decree of neutrality was
issued. Russian officials take the same
view as to the purpose of Russia to keep
out of any intervention which would be
irimical to the United States. Tha
French authorities do not consider IN
tervention a live question at present
anG since France issued her decree OF
neutrality the French officials dismiss