St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1898-10-26
DEWEY AND THE GERMANS.
How He Brought the Europeans to Their Senses

Lieut.. Beach oil the cruiser Baltimore
in Dewey's squadron at Manila writes,
under date OF July 80, in private letter
to New York friend the following inter-
esting description OF how the admiral
treated the Germans and Austrians there
when they neglected the usual courtesies
and regulations:
The Germans are here in force, and we
are not friendly with them; our relations
might even be called strained, They
openly sympathize and fraternize with
the Spaniards, and are constantly doing
things which the laws of international
courtesy would dub impolite. For in
stance, this is blockaded port, and the
foreign war ships are here by permission
and courtesy OF Admiral Dewey. A Ger
man gunboat came steaming in last
week by our fleet, taking no notice of US.
She was spoken to, and answered not,
but steamed on. She then had solid
shot dropped under her bow, which was
an intimation that the next would be
put into her-a high-handed proceeding,
of course. She stopped then, and got
permission to go into the German
anchorage. You may imagine that
the German admiral was furious. That
night he sent an officer to see Dewey,
who would not receive him, sending
word to inform the German admiral to
choose the daytime to transact business.
He 1.-THE officer) came over next day, and
got short treatment from Dewey, who
sent word to the German admiral that
every war ship that came in and did not
bo ,,c,,a1 rfa mould
be similarly treated. He also sent list
of acts OF German ships which he said
must be stopped--such as running about
the harbor at night without lights, max
ing peculiar signals with searchlights to
shore, etc. A short time after this
small Austrian corvette, gunboat OF
perhaps 1900 tons, came in, went by the
feet, went to foreign war ship anchor
age, saluted the Spanish, French, Eng
lish, laps, etc., and then anchored for
comfortable stay. He was not molested
for couple of hours, when QUIZ admira}
sent over a lieutenant, asking why the
salute to the American flag was omitted,
also the usual and necessary formali-
ties and courtesies due to blockading
squadron. The Austrian captain cOldly
said it would have been announcement,
and thought this closed the converse
ton. But Dewey's lieutenant said:
admiral Dewey requires you to come
out to the American fleet (three nales
away and salute this American flag"
Wbereupon the Austrian asked that his
compliments be given to Admiral Dewey,
with the message that he could not conn
ply with his request as his ship was
anchored, engines secured, fires out, etc.
WhereupoD the Austrian was informed
that, UNLESS he came out to our fleet and
saluted before morning., be would be
towed out Of the haybor that same
morning, and would be fopcibly pre-
vented from entering agaau. Harsh
words, but he deserved them.
There was a hurried consultation with
the German admiral and then the latter
hurried over to see the senior British Off
GER, Capt. Chichester, and told the cir
cumstances, and asked what woph the
British ships do in case he (the Germany
fired upon the Americans. Capt. Chi
chester said that he was SORRY, bot his
instructions forbade him to disclose
them. Then he added that he could d.
rect the German admiral to gentleman
present, who knew and might tell him.
The German was much gratiked, and
asked tor the name and address Of the
gentleman referred to. Admiral Dewey,
on board the Olympia" replied Chiches-
ter, thereby making the Dutchman very
( sick.
/ The English officers here are warmly
friendly to, us. They openly say that
| when we start to take Manila, II the Ger
mans attempt to bother us, the English
ships will surely fire upoU the former.
So you can see how strained are our re-
lations with the Dutch, and, naturally,
we want the Monterey with US, as her big
guns would be most comtOutiDg to have
ready for use.