Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-07-29
A CORRESPONDENTS VIEW OF THE
PHILIPPINE CAPITAL.
AS BADLY BUILT AS CAN BE
A "DISREPUTABLE, ILL-ARRANGED
AND UNSIGHTLY TOWN."
The Defenses of the City Are Anti
auated and Will Not stand Long
Before BOmbardment-Th
Are Very Few Mod
crn Guns.
Copyright. 1888. by the Associated presso

Copyright. 1898 by the Associated Press)
MANILA, June q, VIA HONG KONG.
Rear Admiral Dewey, always courte-
Gus and always cordial to press men. was
good enough to assure this correspondent
that he could go just where he liked. when
he liked and how he liked For the pres
ent, the American commander said. accom-
modations might be found on one of the
American transports at Cavite or, if so de-
sired. the correspondent could go ashore, on
which ever side he chose, and take his
chances with the SpaniardS or rebels. 1t
was. however. one thing to say ''go every
where YOU please" and quite different
matter to say how. Admiral Dewey, with
all his good will, had no information at
his disposal to indicate which place was
| likely to be- best for getting all the news
and communicating to the outside world.
The correspondent finally fixed on Manila
itself, not entirely deprived of mail facil-
tiles, thanks to the courtesy of Admiral
Dewey and the foreign naval authorities.
Moreover Manila was found to be an ex-
citing place to live in Even without bonn
bardment, besieged city must be a center
of excitement. Sooner or later the food
supply must run short. The Spaniards had
declared that they would fight to the last;
and even an overwhelm ng force cannot cap
ture a stubbornly defended town without
severe struggle. Then, what would the
native population do? The native troops
would probably keep up an appearance Of
fighting on the Spanish side SO long as the
Spaniards keep lookout on them and in
the end they would be mostly found on the
other side, actuated chiefly by desire to
save their skins. OF the non-combatant
natives with the Spaniards now. it is i'm
possible to predict anything when the town
falls. if it is to fall. They may at the last
moment take arms on either side; but 1t
seems just as likely that they will maintain
an attitude of calm Indifference and sit still
looking on in mere idle wonder. as the
Chinese did in many villages when invaded
by the japanese in 1894.
Walled Citadel at Manila.
Manila consists of an ancient walled cit
idel, a large struggling business town and a
wide fringe of suburban townships where
the business men have their private res
licences. The "intremuros " quarter con-
tains now only officialdom in its glory, the
government officials. the governor generals
palace, the treasury. the army and navy
headquarters and. more potent than all
others. the head establishments of the
rival religious orders, the cathedral and the
proverbial few remaining bricks with
more imposing and more magnificent than
any other building in Mania.
The citadel was built in the early days
of Spanish colonization. when there were
frequent assaults from all sides, from
the sea by the British and Dutch,
and sometimes by the pirate fleets
of Mohammedan Malays from the South
ern islands; while the natives Of LuZon
have never been quiet for long at time,
and the present is by no means the first
time the city has been threatened from the
surrounding hills.
The old walls, armed with guns as old
would be very well to keep out an enemy
in those days, but of all the scores of guns
l have seen on the walls. doubt if there
is even one which would have been modern
even in Nelson's day. AS ornaments. rel
les of antiquity or picturesque features of
the old city. they are very appropriate,
but as a serious hope Of salvation against
powerful modern fleet they are pitiful
and ridiculous. There are indeed some bet
ter batteries along the sea front. under
the walls. two. 1 think of 10-inch caiber.
and about a dozen smaller, all apparently
modern breechloaders. OF the other guns.
I cannot say much, as the Spaniards are
bitter against the British. and SO suspicious
that it is unsafe to be seen looking much
about.
Citadel Easy of Capture.
But 1t is palpable that even with good
guns there is absolutely no hope of saving
the citadel if Admiral Dewey chooses to
lombard. He has squadron full of guns
that are good up to 5000 yards easily, and
at that range a walled city is a good
enough mark to ensure that every shot
ha her n nd
iards have not more than half dozen
guns that can do anything at 5000 yards.
and they would not have a whole city to
aim at, only six small gray specks, very
easy to miss and not easy to hurt even
when hit.
Courage is fine thing. but to shut up Z,
crowd of women and children inside stone
wall and make the enemy blow the wall
down is not courage. 1t is ghastly, homi-
cidal mania.
The walled city is in the angle of land
at the south of the rivers mouth. Along
the seafront. facing westward, is a narrow
strip of lowland on which reclamation
works were started, some years ago and
left. The idea was to make breakwaters
and fine artificial harbor. The break
waters were begun and extended a little
out. stacks of concrete rocks. iron rails
anu UtIElChS dIu OltleT lllluSS were dCCu-
mulated. several fortunes were made by Of
ficials concerned. and the work is at
standstill.
Along the water front under the old city
wall are several improvised batteries.
with guns that look like six-inch breech-
leaders. Above these, on top of the wall,
are the antiquated objects already men
toned.
Two Strong but Useless Forts.
At one corner of the city, up the river
little, is the Santiago fort of solid mas
onry, with good guns, well able to repel
any enemy trying to enter the river; but
in the absence of any such attack the fort
seems to be rather wasted. of hardly any
use for general defense purposes. At the
other end of the city. the southwest cor
ner, is another fort which commands the
whole bay and the landward approaches as
we'll, and this is supplemented by the Ture-
ia battery, little way along the shore
frcm the city wall, with two powerful guns.
apparently or 10-inch, which fired on the
American ships ineffectually until Admiral
Dewey sent word that If they fired on him
again he would have no option but to pro-
ceed with bombardment. The threat suf-
feed to silence the SpaniardS then. Why,