The San Francisco call., 1898-05-12
THE VICTORY OF MANILA BAY

| n MEXICAN fighters have always been noted 1 / \ for the keenness and courage of their nitla- l tive. A British officer who watched the storming of Chapultepec and the entry of Scott s little army into the capital of Mexico said that in self reliance courage and initiative it had no equal in military history. That final action of war with Mexico was commemorated forever General Scott levied fine upon the City of Mexico which was used in founding the Soldiers Home at Georgetown, in the District of Columbia, which is to this republic what the Hotel des Invalides IS to France.
 It shelters the spent and homeless soldier in his old age and perpetuates the memory of gallant action on a foreign soil.
 The American faculty of initiative has just been i lustrated again in the victory of Manila Bay Dewey, nearly 7ooo miles away from his base of supplies. with zooo men under his command the deck under foot and sky overhead sailed into fortified port and, moving between the fire of land batteries and that of the enenlys fleet, poured hot broadsides into both until the fleet destroyed and the batteries were silenced. The action in Caesars military career which stands most prominently in front in the his tory of his campaigns his initiative when engaged in the siege of walled city in Gaul. With all of his force occupied with the enemy protected in his front by strong and high wals he suddenly at tackled in the rear by superior force that had marched raise the siege he faced the new dan ger sally from the city would attack his rear. h. stantly he ordered new formation by making his army face both ways. The siege went on and at the time the battle in the open fields was fought and the walls were preached at the moment tho army of relief surrendered These land tactics never reproduced on the water until Dewey fought the land batteries on one side and the fleet of Montijo the other and destroyed both
 Though the gallant action 1000 miles away its purpose was the defense of San Francisco. II
 
 our coasts and possibly this city might have been put under tribute In no part of the world was news of the battle more anxiously awaited than here and no- where did the flags ripple in the breeze with higher thrill than when every hayard shook its bunting out in celebration of delivery from danger and in honor of the victory of Manila Bay.
 That victory should have lasting memorial here. In this seaport city, where the wealth and commerce of our Pacific Coast have teir highest and most per manent expression there should be kept in everlast ing memory this battle at the antipodes, fought and won for
 On the Spanish fleet guns and armor enough to build such a monument as will forever honor the American navy and the commander and men who have placed our self-reliant spirit and flashing ntia tive in advance of the world.
 Let the transport ships which sail for the scene of this action in the far Philippines be directed to bring back to San Francisco such guns and other permanent material as may be desirable trophies from the Spanish fleet, to be wrought into monu- ment that will tell forever the story of Deweys vic