The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-05-20
DISPATCH FROM DEWEY iI''i
.0ommunioati with Manila BAY
j . Restored. Il
SITUATION UNCHANGED
10 Hoisting Gums from sunken Span.
7- q ish ships-Maintainin9 =
Strict Blockade. *#@>5

Washington, D. G., May 1.-THE fol.
lowing telegram was received by Secre.
tary Long late this afternoon, showins
that cable communication between Honr
Kong and Manila has been restored: :,
Hong Kong, May 12.-Secretary of the
Navy: There IS little change in the stu.
alton since my last telegram. 1 am trans.
ferring to transports steel breech-loadine
rifles from sunken Spanish men-of-war
also stores from arsenal in my possession
I am maintaining strict blockade. Add
Argos to list of destroyed. Ell Correo
probably Ell Cano. DEWEY.
Hong Kong, May 12.--(6 .. m, Green
wich time.)-The British second class
gunboat Linnet has arrived here, with
news from the Philippine islands. She
left Manila on Monday last and reports
that the insurgents arc uncomfortable
The whole country, it appears, is in .
state Of anarchy and ar,Admiral Dewey
is pOWeriess to restore order.
The officers of the Linnet add that ever
if Spanish rule is abolished it will require
large force. with special training, tc
restore order in the interior. In the mean
time, the Spaniards in Manila refuse tc
submit and Admiral Dewey is unwilling
to lombard the town. He hopes to starvt
the place into submission, but the Span
iards are confident of being able to hole
supplies for 25,OOO regular troops and
thousands of volunteers, beyond the range
of the United States warships, and they
are defying the Americans in the hopes OF
European intervention.
The German warships, one French war
ship and a. warship of Japan are now al
Manila. A Russian vessel is expected
there shortly.
A strong anti British feeling exists
among the populace at Manila and the
people are desperate and starving.
Herald from Hong Kong says: A ru
NOR has been cabled here that 5000
American troops were assembling at Sar
Francisco for service in Manila.
A gentleman familiar with the situation
in the Philippines, who says that the
United States could not do more useless
thing than to send a small force of troops
there, said in an interview:
1.-THE plague is rampant at Canton, anG
growing in virulence at Hong Kong
where more Europeans have been attacked
this year than ever before. The Manila
climate will be the death of more thar
half of those sent out there inside of foul
months.
Besides, they will be of little use. Five
thousand troops are not enough to take the
field against the Spaniards if the latter
are able to fight at all, and if the Span
iards are overwhelmed by the insurgents
the American soldiers are not needed tc
do garrison work.
''That number would be absurdly made
quate if the United States had the idea OF
occupying the Philippines permanently
No troops should be sent there until au
tumn, when not less than $4,000 men
should be landed at Manila. Unacclimat
ed recruits will die like flies during the
summer"
Washington, D. c., May 12.-Gen
Wesley Merritt, commanding the depart.
ment of the East, with headquarters at
New York, was at the war department to.
day in consultation with Secretary Alger
regarding the proposition to assign him
to the command of the expedition to
Manila, and on arriving there to estab-
llsh military government with himself
at the head. The general this morning
said the matter had not yet been definite
~ determined, and would not be until be
had had an opportunity to talk with the
President. Gen. Merritt is known to be
anxious for an active command, and is
believed to look upon his proposed as
Segment with great favor. The war de-
partment has Informed him that it pro-
poses TO- send an adequate force which
viii enab bic him to hold the islands be-
yOnd all peradventure, and which win
amount to between 10000 and 1900
men. These, the general thinks, might
be sent in two expeditions, although he
does not believe the first one will get off
for q week.