The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-05-07
NO DISASTER is FEARED
DEWEY MAY HAVE MET WITH
FIERCE RESISTANCE.
WHICH WOULD OCCASION THE DELAY
SIMPSONS Movements also are Unknown to
the Public. Germany is Strictly Neu-
trail Foreign Intervention is
not Contemplated.


Washington, ID. c.. May 6-Aftcr an
| other day of waiting in the Navy and
State Departments the doors again were
closed in the evening, without word
from Commodore Dewey or any other
reliable source us to what happened at
| Manila after the cable broke. During
the course of the day there were rumors
| that the cable communication had been
| restored, but these were soon found to
be baseless and the excitement subsided.
One comfort the officials take i'll the sit
uation, although it is of u negative char
acter. is that the lack of communication
is probable evidence that the Spaniards
| mt least are not in control at Manila, else
they would speedily communicate that
| fact to the rest of the world through the
cable. If the delay means anything, it is
believed not TO be more serious than that
Commodore Dewey has been delayed III
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 siencing of the
forts at Cavite, the seizure of Corriga-
dor Island, the capture of Manila and
finally the restoration of cable communi-
cation. If he has been delayed beyond
Tuesday or Wednesday in carrying out
| this extensive program il is not at all sun
| prising that he has not been heard from
| through dispatch boat. The State De
partment is in close touch with Consul
| Wildham. at Hong Kong. who is eXpec-
ted to supply the earliest possible news
from the Philippines The only message
received from the Consul to-day was one
informing the department tnat four fami-
lies of refugees in the Philippines had pc
| titi0ncd for admission to the United
States citizenship, something manifestly
impossible for the Consul to grant UNI
der the naturalization laws. 1t is barely
possible that the first news to come
may be through British sources mas
much as all British cable subventions
contain Il clause giving thc British gov
ernmcnt the 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 within
the next three days. Therefore it is
quite certain that the rumOr which origi-
mated in London to the effect that Samp-
son has undertaken campaign in the
Canaries is dismissed without attraction
attention at the hands of the officials,
since it would be manifestly impossible
for the Admiral to arrive at the Canarics
within so short a space of time as three
days. Again the monitors i'll his fleet
could not carry coal enough TO make the
passage. Moreover, the Naval Strategy
II q.
contemplated strategic moves. A leading
diplomatic official said there was no rea-
son why foreign nations should be given
advance information of an attack on the
Canaries. Since the United States was
conducting a war. it had right. he said.
to choose it's own points of attack with
out keeping other governments advised
of it's purposes.
The London report that the cOntinen-
tai powers were seeking to have Eng-
land Join them in Intervention also was
lacking in verification i'll official and di-
plomatic quarters here. The State De
partment has received no suggestions
of such Intervention and does not believe
it is contemplated. The foreign repre-
sentatives here. including those of Great
Britain. France. Germany, and Russia.
meet these reports with specific denials
and declare that Intervention is not
being discussed in any way at the pres
ent time.
The utterance of Emperor William be-
fore the Reichstag to-day confirmed what
the German officials here have mann
tained from the first, namely, that Ger
many would observe strict neutrality
even though no decree was issued
The German Embassy has been rein
forced by the arrival of Captain Lieuten
ant Won Rebeur. of the Imperial German
Navy who becomes Naval Attache of the
Embassy here.
ANXIETY FOR DEWEY.
London. May 7-AnXiety over the alb
sence of news from Commodore Dewey |
was clearly reflected in the lObbics OF
the House of Commons last evening, |
where the general subject of conyersa- |
tion was the uncertainty rs to Manil&. |
Sinister speculations were indulged, and
il was pointed out that there were trad |
inc steamers under the British flag III
Manila Bay on Sunday. AS apparently |
none of them left after the naval bat
tIe. it looks as though they apprehend
danger in passing out by Corrigador
Island
They can hardly be awaiting cargoes
If the town has been bombarded, while
tbere would be plenty of foreigners i'll
that event anxious to embark.
1t is not believed that Commodore
Dewey has met with disaster, but il is
the universal opinion that he has en-
countered unexpected resistance and is :