Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1898-05-13
WASHINGTON LETTER.

Dewey Made Rear Admiral. Thanked by
Congress. His Wonderful victory.
Troops For Manila. Work of Congress.
Hawaiian Annexation. Magnitude of The
Philippine Islands.
WASHINGTON, d. G. May 9, 1895.
President McKinley's recommen.
dation for Congressional action in
honor of Commodore Dewey's great
vlctory-in many respects the
greatest in annals of naval warfare
was promptly acted upon. Chair
man Boutelle, of the House naval
Committee, has reported a Joint
resolution of thanks to Commodore
Dewey and a bill creating a rear
admiral ia the navy. The latter
VIII enable the President to promote
commodore Dewey, and Immediate
ly upon receipt of his official report
OF the battle of Manila harbor. sec
retary Long, in the name of tbe
President, cabled to Commodore
Dewey promoting him to Acting Adj
mlral, and rendering him the thanks
OF himself and of the people for his
great achievement.
The more the official report of
Commodore Dewey is studied the
more wonderful his victory appears.
lie entered Manila harbor, projected
by mines, heavy shore batteries
a heet of eleven ships. mountin9
about one hundred gunsand carving
about 1000 men, and DESTROYING
all eleven of the Ships and captnred
all the batteries. And the most
wonderful part of this wonderful exV
plolt was that not single man on
an American ship was killed and
not a single ship materially injured
and only half dozen were wound
ed. "O"''-
troops are to be sent to garrison
the Philippine islands Just as soon
as the ships to carry them from San
francisco can be got ready. About
10, 600 will go.
News OF an important victory is
nourly expected from Admiral Samp
son S fleet, although it's exact where
abouts is a secret known only TO
oihclals. The general belief is that
1t Is on double errand-to whip
the Spanish fleet if it can be found
ana to capture Poro Rico. The army
Is also likely to move on to Cuba anv
day. ,''' ''"S
Senator Swell's acceptance of the
commission of major general in the
volunteer army, to which he was
nominated and confirmed at the
same time that Gen. Fitzhugh Lee.
and Gen. Joseph Wheeler, Gen. Jas
wilson, and the seven brigadier
generals of the regular army were
is not certain, and will depend upon
the opinion of Attorney General
Griggs, to whom the matter has been
referred, as to whether the com
mission can be accepted without
vacatlng the seat in the Senate now
neId by General Sewell. If it can
not, the Senator will decline the
commission, and the general i'm
preston is that it cannot.
The House has made a record at
this session of which republicans
who have controlled and directed
its course, may well be proud IL
has passed 20S bills that have he
come laws, and about 200 other bills
That are now on the Senate calender.
The war measures-the $50. .0OO. 600
appropriation, the armed intarven-
ton resolution, the declaration of
war, the volunteer army bill, the
bill for reorganizing the regular
army, the war revenue bill. the
bill appropriating $50, 900, 900 for
the expenses of the army, and mi
nor war bills-have probably NOT
taken more than a week of the time
of the House altogether, so prompt
ly have they been disposed of.
The opponents in the Senate of
the annexation of Hawaii having
made it practically certain that the
annexation treaty would fail to re-
celve the necessary two thirds if
pushed to a vote in the Senate. the
machinery for securing annexation
by joint resolution has been put in
motion, and the House committee
on Foreign Relations will this week
favorably report the same, and, if
the opportunity occurs will at once
push it through the House.. Presi-
dent Mckinley would be justified in
taking possession of Hawaii as a
war measure, even if the present
government Of Hawaii had not for
mally rendered the islands to the
U. S., and he may yet do so, but he
much prefers that annexation should
come through the Congressional
action.
Some decidly interesting informa
tion is contained in advance sheets
Of Consular Reports. - issued daily
bythe Bureau Of Foreign Commerce
Of the State Department. For in
stance, that the island of Luzon,
on which the city of Manila, the
scene Of Commodore (since promo
ted to be Admiral) Dewey's great
naval victory, is larger than the
states of New York and Massachu-
setts that the entire area of the
Philippine Islands, now under Old
Glory, is ten per cent greater than
that of the New England States,
New York, New Jersey, Mary
land, and Delaware combined.
Many persons who consider them
selves well informed upon CONNER
cial affairs have been greatly sur
prised to learn that the u. S. has
more trade with the Philippine
Islands than all the rest of the
world combined has. What the
us. will do with these valuable
islands is a question that is already
being much discussed in Washing
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