Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-07-30

dt the spanish Cdpllal ANNOUNCING
the surrender of Manila to Admir-
al Dewey.
Washington, July 29.-The war
department would not be surprised
to learn that by this time Manila
has surrendered to the American
military and naval force gathered
on the shores of Manila Bay and
off Cavite. However, there is no
Official confirmation Of the report
that was printed this morning to
that effect.
The United States government is
in a position, it is believed, to re-
ceive news Of so important an
event sooner than the Spanish au-
thorities at Madrid. Being hem
med in on all sides, Captain Gen
eral August would not be able to
communicate with Hong Kong, the
nearest cable station, without
passing his message through the
United States lines and securing
permission for its transmission by
boat to Hong Kong. And even if
boat bearing such a message had
arrived at Hong Kong, it is only a
fair superstition that the news CT
the fall of Manila would be COM
municated at that point to the
world at large by means Of the ca
BILE, instead OF being confined to
the Madrid government.
Consequently, it is believed that
this announcement of the fall of
Manila is an assumption, perhaps
on the strongest basis, for 1t may
be that the Spanish government,
having sent permission to Augusti
tto0-surrender, concludes that he has
Zone SO. 49,
1t was known to be the DISPOSE
Son of the Spanish authorities at
etanila to surrender to the Ameri-
sxn cs.ces instead of to the insur-
gents when the town must fall. 1t
is tolerably certain that Admiral
Dewey might have received the sur
render at any time within the past
six weeks had he been disposed to
exert the slightest pressure in that
direction. Indeed, in one of his
dispatches he made the blunt state
ment that he could take Manila in
twenty-four hours if he desired.
The reason he did not desire to do
so was undoubtedly because of a
reluctance on his part to entrust
the destines of the great city to the
insurgents under Aguinaldo who,
at first tractable, had begun to
show signs of impatience under re-
straint. Dewey realized that he
was held morally responsible by the
civilized world for the protection
of the people of Manila against eX-
cesses at the hands of the insur-
gents. There was also the strong
est reasons why he should not by
failure to care for the interest Of
foreign residents in the town, open
the door to intervention of any of
the neutral naval commanders who
had been lying in the harbor jeal-
ously watching for their opportun-
ity. Therefore, it became neces-
sary for the admiral to maintain
the statu quo until a sufficient mill
tary force arrived to enable him
to receive the surrender of the town
and to occupy and protect it. This
has been done with some difficulty.
as will be revealed in the end when
all of the correspondence is pub
lished, for it has been almost i'm
possible to keep the insurgents
out of the town and their efforts to
effect an entrance have redoubled
as they learned Of the approach of
the American forces and saw dawn
ing upon them the possibility of
an American occupation of the town
that should exclude them from Ma
Mia precisely as Shafter excluded
Garcia's Cubans from Santiago.
Now, however, Dewey undoubtedly
has with him a sufficient military
force to warrant him in accepting
the surrender of Manila. 1t is said
at the War Department that at
least three of the six military ex-
petitions that have been dispatch
ed to the Philippines from San
Francisco are now at Manila, af-
fording an army Of between ten
and fifteen thousand men. backed
up by Dewey's ships and sailors.
Suspicious interest attaches to
published statement in one of the
Spanish semi-official organs to the
effect that August has been shorn
of jurisdiction over the Philippines
beyond Manila and its immediate
environment, the Captain General
cy of the Philippine group being
transferred to the command OF
the Vi-caya's islands. It Is Just