Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-05-13
MAY BE CALLED
TO STRICT ACCOUNT.
An Investigation Likely to Be Made Into
the Sending of Cookie Shell Torpedo
Boat Against Protected Forts.

dispatch was sent last Monday ne
could not have received the last or
ders of the department. The nature
of these orders is indicated by the
assignment of two such officers as
Major Generals Merritt and Otis to
command the troops that are to BE-
hurried to the Philippines as ra-
pidly as steam will take them when
the uuartermaster has provisioned
the ships at San Francisco. Gen.
eral Merritt is the senior major gen.
eral in the United States service
after General Miles, and in ordin-
airy cases is entitled to the most i'm
portant commands, so his designa-
ton for this work may be taken as
an evidence Of the Presidents esti-
mate of the Importance Of this ex-
petition.
In all official quarters, the State
Department and diplomatic, the
ports coming from London to the
effect that some CT the continental
powers, particularly Germany and
France, have made protests
against American occupation of the
Philippines, are met with fiat
denial. Theru has been no recent
concerted acson among the con-
tinental powers toward interven-
ton, nor have the representatives
of these powers in Washington
exchanged any views lately touch
ing on Intervention. This state
ment is made in the most specific
manner by French and German
officials. They are beginning to
feel considerable annoyance at
these oft-repeated reports, and they
are inclined to attach some signi-
ficance to the fact that all of them
emanate from London. In at least
one embassy of a continental pow
er, this tendency at London has
received official attention, and the
notice Of the State Department
has been drawn to it during an
official interview. Both the Ger
man and French authorities feel
that their declaration of neutral
ity should be received in good
faith and without the frequent in
timaton that they are about to
intervene to defeat the ends of the
United States. AS showing how
far-fetched such reports are, an
ambassador stated tonight that
intervention along the lines sug-
gested by the cable dispatches
from London would be so clearly
against American interests as to
amount to a casus belli. Being
one of the four ambassadors at
Washington, he is in a position to
state that there was no truth in
the publication at London, cabled
to this country, that the ambas-
sailors have made joint represen-
tation to Secretary Day concern
ing the occupation of the Philip
pines. Judge Day treated the re-
pert as purely fanciful, and dis
missed it by remarking that moth
ing whatever of that kind had oc-
Cured
There is no doubt that Ger
many, France and Great Britain
are sending their warships to the
Philippines, but this is said to be a
natural movement, for the protec-
tion of the citizens and property
CT these countries and not with
any purpose of aggression or Of in
terrupting the plans of the
United States. The French gov
eminent has the cruiser Bruix at
Manila, the British government
has two warships. and Germany
will soon have several ships there.
These are drawn from the power
full squadron which European
powers maintain in Asiatic waters.
The German fleet in these waters
consists of eight ships under Ad-
miral Hoffman, with Prince Henry
as second in command. The Brit
ish feet consists of thirty one ships
under Admiral Sir f. II. Seymour.
The Russians have twenty-five
ships and the French eleven ships
in Asiatic waters. With these for
midable squadrons near the Phil
ippines. il is not subject of sur
prise or apprehension that some of
these ships should be centered at
Manila. when ii is the seat of the
greatest naval engagement of re-
cent years.