New-York tribune., 1899-07-14
FACTS WHICH CREATED DUTY.

at rho outbreak of war Admiral Dewey
"shor,d havc been ordered at once to Cuba,
"whcre he was needed. There would theh ha'e
been no pretext for costly responsibility ABOUT
"thc Pbiljpp,nes" This proposition, long ago
advanced. has lately been renewed. Inc igno-
r.nce which II discloses shows how the minds
NJ mon mov he darkened by failure to observe
facts Of high Importance AT the outbreak vi
the war there was Spanish fleet In the racine
For the defence of American commerce IN tha'
oceon and on the entire Pacific Coast there was
nothing but the feet commanded by Dewey. If
the Snonish vessels once euded him and slipped
away on the high seas there was no telling what
damage to American commerce might be dohe'
nor what mort from Alaska TO Southern Califor-
nio might be bombarded. Dewey was there
fore ordered 10 seek and destroy that Spanish
fleet as the only way to protect National rights
and interests.
He found and destroyed the feet in Manila
Bay But that act gave the United States all
the possession and sovereignty which war could
give IN one OF the most important ports OF the
whole Eastern world. Its value was Mt once
shown by the fact that If he had then been or
dcred TO Cuba he could not have gone without
using Manila Bay for coaling and reftting. In
observance Of neutrality obligations. Great Brit
ain and other Powers had required his depart
ure from Hong Kong and other ports. He could
find no refuge at any of them. and was forced TO
hold Manila B3y as his own base long enough to
obtain supplies 1t was still possible for Spain to
send fleet to Asiatc waters, and one did In fact
enter the Suez Canal. At Manila an American
feet was in the best possible position TO guard
against any such raid upon Pacific commerce or
the Pacific Coast Defence OF all such interests
required the presence Of Deweys fleet some
where in Asiatc waters. and no other port was
open to It except the one taken from Spain--the
best Of all in location.
Manila was place of business AZ which many
Americans and many thousand subjects OF other
Powers had property, families and large pusi'
ness interests. To hold the port without taking
possession Of the city would have exposed them
all to ncalculable losses and sufcrings for
which the United States would have been re-
sponsible. It was clear and imperative duty
TO substitute American for Spanish rule IN the
city. because order could in no other way ne
established. Operations Of insurgents threat
cned the Spanish fleet being destroyed to cause
at Manila scenes Of horror which no clvilized
Power could take the responsibility OF permit
ting and destruction of property which would
have involved the United States in heavy loss.
These are only few of the many details when
showed Admiral Dewey and the President that
occupation Of Manila without needless delay was
an imperative duty 1t was accomplished Win
out serious resistance from Spaniards or narm
to noncombatants so soon as an adequate force
could be sent tbither, and from that day meas
ure Of order and good government never before
known in that city has been realized.
But by this time peace had been virtually
reached, although months OF negotiation fol-
lowed and other months of delay before ratifca-
ton of the treaty That delay was the actual
cause Of all the trouble that has since occurred.
1t Is not strange that any one. uneasly con-
scious of share in responsibility for this,
should labor to drive all the facts out OF his
mind in order to find for himself some pretence
of excuse.