The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-04-28
DIRECT FOR MANILA.
Commodore Dewey's Fleet Finally
Leaves Hong Kong. sung
SHIPS ARE IN BATTLE ARRAY.
The Commodore Will Demand the Capitu-
lation of Manila and Then Attempt to
Capture the Spanish Fleet, Which Is
Greatly Inferior TO Our Own.

Greatly Inferior to Our Own.
London, April 2S.-The Hong Kont
correspondent of The Times says
1.-THE American fleet. headed by thu
flagship Olympia, sailed at 2 O'Clock
yesterday afternoon direct for Manila
The British cruiser Immartalite will
follow the American squadron
The Hong Kong correspondent OF
The Daily Mail says: United States
Consul General Williams, after spend
ing the evening ashore with United
States Consul Wildman, accompanied
the American squadron. Thirty In.
surgent leaders here wanted to &C.
company 1t. but Chief Aguinaldo goes
as their representative. He will take
charge Of the insurgent forces at Man.
lila. Admiral Dewey has issved strict
orders that no barbarous or inhuman
acts are to be perpetrated by the in
surgants.
THE primary object 10 the capture OF
the Spanish fleet, which Admiral Dew
ey thinks more important than cap
turing Manila. He Is determined to
prevent preying upon American ves-
sells. Reaching Manila he will demand
Its capitulation within half an hour of
his arrival. His men are in the best
spirits and excellent health. There
have been nine assertions, including
six Cinnamon. one Italian and one Ger
man. during the fleets stay at Hong
Kong. Every precaution has been
made The ships are cleaned and
nj cd Pnr hat
opinion is that the fight in these waters
will result in an easy victory for
America. Her ships carry 1922 guns, as
against 96 or thereabouts in the Span
ish fleet.
"The cooperation of the American
fleet with the rebels has been kept a
strict secret The latter await the ar
rival of the fleet. when Manila must
soon succumb. Its defenses are in
wretched state. The Americans in the
Philippines are anxious to see British
rule established there, and the pro-
posal has been favorably received here.
The Manila press, on the contrary, says
there Is great enthusiasm among the
population for Spain, and that an OBJ
stinate resistance will be offered to the
Americans, but the papers qualify this
bold allegation by referring to the
phegmatic character of the natives,
which prevents any excited expression
Of opinion"
These journals say. too. that the
treason Of few hundred or a few
thousand Of the rebels does not affect
the virtue of the race, and they
haughtily add that the Philippines will
prove worthy of Spain.
1.-The governor of the Philippines has
issued several proclamations. One re-
quired all able bodied Spaniards to en-
roll themselves for military service and
accords permission to foreigners to Join.
Exemption is granted to all American
citizens. One extraordinary proclama-
tion has excited great distrust here. 1t
asserts that the American people are
composed Of all social excrescences,
who have exhausted our patience and
provoked war with their perfdious
Vaccinations, their acts of treachery
and their outrages against the law of
nations and international conventional
1.-THE proclamation proceeds to say:
"A squadron manned by foreigners, pos
sessing neither instruction nor disci-
pline, comes to this archipelago with
the rufflanly intention Of robbing US of
all that means life, honor and liberty.
The aggressors shall not profane the
tombs of your fathers. They shall not
crafty their lustful passions at the
cost of your wives and daughters. They
shall not cover you with dishonor or
appropriate the property your industry
has accumulated as a provision for
your old age. They shall not perpe-
trate any of the crimes inspired by
their wickedness and covetousness, be-
cause your valor and patriotism will
suffice to punish this miserable people
which. claiming to be civilized and cul-
tivated, have exterminatea the unhap-
py natives of North America, instead
Of bringing to them the light of civiliza-
ton and of progress"