The times., 1898-07-05

The Navy Department yesterday re-
'eeived from Admiral Dewey the following
dispatch telling of the arrival of the first
Philippine military expedition:
Cayite July j, via Hong Kong July 4.-Tkree
transports and the Charleston arrived Yesterday
Tie Charleston captured Guaian, one q the La
drune islands on June q No res stance hfouehl
the Spanish officials and the garrison SIX OH eTs
and thirty-feur TO Manila.
On June - Spanish gunboat LeEte came our
Of river Manila and surrendered TO me,
having exhausted ammunition and food IN re-
pelling the attacks Of the insurgents. Had on
board ffty-twO Cficgrs and ninety-four men,
naval and military bENEh-
During the day also the War Depart
ment received from Gen. Anderson a dis
patch confirming this and in addition ask
ing for horses for his operations. He
stated that there are very few horses at
Manila and that it was impossible to Sc
cure enough for his use The remainder
Of his communication was withheld by
the department. 1t is supposed that it
related to the plans for taking Manila
and whether Gen. Anderson deemed it
best to proceed with his operations
against the city Immediately.
Admiral Dewey's dispatch confirms the
account Of the arrival of the expedition
printed in The Times yesterday morning.
1t ztso confirms the story of the intended
caE6e Of the Ladrone Islands printed
extensively in The Times two weeks ago
at the time when the capture actually
occurred.
It is understood at the departments that
the islands are now in the actual pos
session Of the United States.
The Ladrones Were apparently the first
new territory TO be formally taken pos
session OF by the United States in the
war thar is TO add so much TO its flag.
The ceremony Of pulling down the Span
ish colers and hosting the Stars and
Stripes took place on June q, exactly
two months after the beginning Of hos
tilities between the TWO nations.
There is the comment in many quar-
tiers that this act in reality was the ac-
tual beginning Of the new policy Of ter
ritorial expansion. Quietly and without
ostentation. while various people all over
the country Were deciding in their own
minds if al some later time il would be
wei for the nation TO embark on such a
policy, these islands on the other side
Of the globe became United States ter
Fitory
Il was the first time in American his
tory that such thing has occurred,
The new foreign policy Of the United
States Is not a thing Of the future.
The story Of the first Philippine expe-
dition i'm brief is as follows:
Gen. Anderson did not get away from
San Francisco until May .. nearly Z
month after the battle Of Manila The
expedition was composed Of 2,5o0 men
under command Of Brig. Gen. T. II. An,
derson and went on the t-oopships Cits
Of Pekin, Colon and Australia. Tn,
cruiser Charleston. under command o.
Capt. Glass. conveyed the expedition
The troops Of the first expedition are tht
First California Volunteers and the Sec
ond Oregon Volunteers, which went, re
spectively. on the City Of Pekin and Aus
tralia; five troops of Regular Cavalry. z
battalion Of California Volunteer Heavy
Artillery and a detachment of the Sigma
Corps, which went on the Colon.
With The expedition went Naval Con-
st-uctor Copps with Instructions TO re-
pair any damages TO the American ships
and if possible to raise the Spanish ships
There are also with the expedition a
large quantity Of naval supplies and med
icaI stores.
The expedition arrived al Honolulu June
2 seven days out of San Francisco. The
distance is 2,IOO miles in round numbers
and the trip was thus made at the rate
OF about 800 miles day, or somewhat
over ten knots an hour
The expedition left Honolulu on june
4. The distance in the direct line from
Honolulu to the Philippines is 4.S0O miles
BY the way of the Ladrone Islands II is
$3.50 miles. Allowing for the stay Of one
or two days at the Ladrones and for q
speed OF only ten knots an hour. which
the fleet was ordered 10 steam, ii was be.
lieved by officers in the Navy and War
Departments that Manila would not be
reached before about July l.
The side expedition TO the Ladrones wa.
planned by the Administration very care
fully before the ships left San Francisco
The object Of capturing the Ladrones was
TO reduce the fort in order TO make a safe
coaling station for the Monterey and the
Monadnock and for future expeditions.
The only fort and the chief seaport is at
Umata, on the island of Guajan There
was only a small garrison at the fort
and the only guns were old-style smooth
bores. No resistance was offered.
The governor Of the islands live al
San Juan, few miles away from Umata
on Guajan Island.
The Ladrones comprise five inhabited
islands with a population of about 1000
or l2000
patch directly of the situation in Ma.
Mia. His reference TO the surrender OF
the Spanish gunboat Leyte, however, i:
thought by the Administration to indi.
cate a fairly satisfactory condition OF
things, at least. The scarcity of food and