The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-07-30
MAY HAVE EALLEN.

|
The War Department. Wouidn'tbe Sur
pFIsod 10 Hear that Waniia has Surrhn.
dsFod-AGuInaldo Getting the sWellOd
d-Chptain,G General AUGRUti shorn
oE JaFlsdleiIoh over l'hlllpplnsa Ont-
aide Of AIanilA-A Trick Of spain.
WASHINGTON, D. G., July 2S.-The
war department would not be surprised
to learn that bV this time Manila has
surrendered to the combined American
military and naval force gathered on
the shores Of the Manila bay and on
cayite. However. there 10 no odicial
confirmation Of the report that was
printed this morning to that effect,
The United States government Is IN a
position, It IS believed, to receive news
Of 80 important an event sooner than
the Spanish authorities at Madrid. Be-
ing hemmed in on all sides, Captain
August would not be able to commu-
utcate with Hong Kong. the nearest ca
bio station, without passing his mes
sage through the United States lines
and securing permission for its tranS-
mission by boat to Hong Kong. And
even Il a boat bearing such q message
had arrived at Hong Kong II Is only
fair supposition that the news OF the
fall Of Manila would be communicated
at that point to the world at large by
means OF the cable. instead OF being
confined TO the Madrid government.
Consequently, It Is believed that this
announcement OF the fail Of Manila IS
an assumption, perhaps on the strong'
est basis for It may be that the Spanish
government having sent permission to
August to surrender, concludes that he
has done so.
It was known to be the disposition Of
the Spanish authorities at Manila TO
surrender to the American forceB IN
stead of to the insurgents when the
town must fall. 1t Is tolerably certain
that Admiral Dewey could havereceiVed
the surrender at any time within the
past six weeks had he been disposed 90
exert the slightest pressure In that di-
rection.
Aeulnaldo Getting Gay.
Indeed, in. one OF his dispatches he
made the blunt statement that he could
take Manila in twenty hours Il he de-
sired. The reason he did not desire to
do so was undoubtedly because Of q re-
Iuctance on his part to entrust the des-
tinies OF the great city to the insurgents
uuder Agulnaldo, who, ct first tract
able, had begun to show signs OF Inn
patience under restraint. Dewey rea-
llzed that he was held morally RESPONSE
BILE By the civilized world for the pro-
lection OF the people Of Manila against
excuses at the hands of the insurgents.
There was also the strongest reasons
why he should not by failure to care
for the interests OF foreign residents in
the town, open the door to Intervention
OF any OF the neutral naval commando
ers who had been lying in the harbor
jealousy watching for their opportu-
nifty. Therefore, Il became necessary for
the admiral to maintain the statu quo
until sufficient military force arrived 70
enable him to receiSe me sdrT Tentel1g q
the town and to occupy and protect u.
This has been done with some diticultp:
as will DO revealed in the end when all
OF the correspondence Is published, for
Il has been almost impossible to keep
the insurgents out Of the town and
their efforts to effect an entrance have
redoubled as they learned OF the APP
proach OF the American forces and saw
dawning upon them the possibility OF
an American occupation OF the town
that should exclude them from Manila
precisely as Shafter excluded Garcias
Cubans from Santiago. Now, however,
Dewey undoubtedly has with him q suf-
lclent military force to warrant him in
/ accepting the surrender or ManiM It
| ia said at the war department that at
least three OF the six military 1xpedl-
tions that have been dispatched to the
Philippines from San Francisco are now
at Manila, a@ording an army NJ between
| ten and fifteen thousand men. backed
up bV Dewey's ships and sailors.
One Of SpAiu'S Tricks.
Suspicious interest attaches to a pub
llshed statement In one OF the Spanish
seml-ofiiclaI organs to the effect that
August mas been shorn OF Jurisdiction
over the Philippines beyond Manila and
its immediate environment, the captain
| general Of the Philippines group being
transferred 10 the compander Of the
Vizc9ya's islands. II is Just possible
that there Is an important connection
between these two items OF news, one
the surrender Of ATnniia and the other
| AuEusti's replacement, both coming
| from Spanish sources. As to the latter,
It was frankly stated in the Spanish dis
patch that the purpose was to prevent
Augustl from surrenderlng the entire
Philippine group 80 that It Is concelv-
able that having now arranged the mat
ter 50 as to protect their Interests in the
remaining Islands so far as possible and
having placed themselves in a position TO
deny that the United States government
| had made the conquest OF the Philip
pines, the Spanish ministry may have
directed August to surrender the small
Jurisdiction remaining to him 70 the
United States to prevent It from falling
into the banda OF the insurgents, AS
this matter would have decided bear-
ing on any programme the United States
may outline respecting the acquisition OF
a coalinE station IN the Philippines, or
tho requirement OF the entire group OF
Islands, official reports a. to the exact
state Of affairs are anxiously awaited.
AGUINALD0'S GOVERNMENT.
| - ,,,,,, 80.