Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-05-02
America Triumphant.

An American admiral, with six ships
has achieved signal victory over a Span
ish admiral with nine ships of inferior
armament, fighting under the cover of a
powerful fort and this within a harbor far
away from an American base Of supplies
and with the normal odds of war heavily
against the invading force. This is the bat
tie of Manila which will be marked in his
tory as one of the most daring enterprises
ever undertaken. The great distance of the
battls fron: here, the practical Isolation
of the scene, owing to the poverty of tele-
graphic communications and the inability
of the America commander to send dis
patches save with great loss of time. all
tend to heighten the natural interest of the
people in the affair. Enough has now
come from Manila through Spanish and
British sources to show that the American
victory was complete, that the Spanish fleet
was destroyed and that the way to the
capture of Manila as a base of operations
has been opened, if that result has not
already been accomplished.
Admiral ID .wey sailed his vessels into
Manila harbor at night, past the outer
Notifications, through the supposed mazes
of torpedo mines in the channels, up to
the Spanish fleet sheltered under the guns
of a modern fort. Numerically the odds
were heavily against him. But his ships
were somewhat larger. his men We're I'M
doubtedly better trained and their dis
cipiine and efficiency were of the highest.
With him the necessities were plain and
insistent- He must take Manila seek
a home port, thousands of miles away.
All the neutral ports were closed to him
There was naught to do but to attack the
enemy in his stronghold and establish him
self there. His orders were explicit. His
duty was plain. True to the American ira
ditions, he accomplished his mission.
1t cannot be doubted that the American
expectation was that Dewey would win.
The thought of possible defeat for his
ships has never been entertained. Not
withstanding the disadvantages surround
ing his peculiar position, there has been
complete confidence that when the time
came for battle he would crush the Span
fsh forces. The result is summed up in
the dispatch of the British governor of
the Straits Settlement to his government
that the American feet annihilated the
Spanish fleet after two hours of fighting
There is therefore good reason for re-
loicin5 in this country over this victory
the first OF TIE war. 1t does not of course
directly affect the situation in Cuba. Ii
Goes not weaken the Spanish force now in
mat island But it does weaken the Span
lsh prestige and increases that of the
United States. 1t inspires the American
sailors and officers while l. will have an
equally depressing influence upon their an
taSonists. The moral effect of the battle
Of Manila will uuquestionably be far reach
Jig.
Already there are signs of a feeling of
iEtense Indignation at Madrid. the govern
nent falling in for severe scoring The
threat that Madrid may be placed under
martial Law is mighty significant of the
Tears OF the ministry. The defeat at Ma
Mia may mean the overthrow of the gov
e.nmcat. Madrid becomes a news center
oEce more The most momentous events
nay soon happen there.
Meanwhile it is probable that Manila has
been bombarded. The latest advlces are
that after u consultation between Admiral
Dewey and the principal British diplomatic
representative in the city u demand was
made upon the Spanish governor for the
surrender of all munitions of war TO the
ships together with the possession and
control of the cable. This demand was re-
fused. The alternative was bombardment
The silence succeeding this dispatch indi-
Gates ina the cable has been cut and the
presumption is that the bomba rdment is
il progress. The great difference in time
exact course of events. As this paper goes
10 press Manila is awakening TO the dawn
O. Tuesday. A day ana half have passed
there since the destruction of the Spanish
tlee;. Manila may have already fallen.