Omaha daily bee., 1899-01-24
ECHOES OF THE WAR.

war news during the hot days OF early sum
mer will recall one report that excited pub
lie enthusiasm. 1t was dispatch alleged
to have been received at the state depart
ment from Ambassador Hay in London an
nouncing that the city OF Manila had sur
rendered to Admiral Dewey. This was in
the middle of June. fully two months before
the actual surrender OF the city. Now comes
an explanation of that dispatch. vouched for
by the Washington Post, and the story is an
instructive exposition OF a fake and a fskir.
Among the correspondents and assistants
who loitered in the hall of the State depart
ment waiting. Mlcawberlike, for something
to turn up, was one whom the private op
orator of the department regarded as fa-
milar with the Morse alphabet so that he
was able to determine the purport of dis
patches by the sound of the instrument.
The operator determined to trap him. Open
ing one of the loops with his key and using
the armature Of his relay as a transmitter,
the night operator began calling "S. D."
IS. d." and signing "W.," which to any
one understanding telegraphy. but unable to
see what he was doing, indicated that the
Washington main office had message for
the State department. The wire being
open, the current passed only from relay to
sounder, with no more connection with the
wire itself than II the operator had merely
tapped on the table with his finger tips.
But the sound as it reached the corridor was
exactly the same as II the wire had been
intact and wv" was really calling IS. D."
After moment or two the operator pre-
tended to break the signals and answered Il.
I. s. d." meaning that the operator at the
State department was ready to receive mes
sages.
Then the operator got in his fine work by
sending, or rather by pretending to receive,
cablegram from Ambassador Hay TO Secre-
tary Day, announcing the fall Of Manila.
The newspaper man In the corridor, who
was also a telegrapher, took the bait with
out question and rushed off to the telegraph
office to send the great news to his EN-
ployers. With only the eight words OF the
fictitious cablegram as a basis, he built a
story Of nearly two columns He told of the
excitement that the news of Dewey's capture
Of Manila had caused among the officials
in Washington and described how the men,
bers of the cabinet rushed to the executive
mansion to confer with the president. He
even furnished the opinions Of high OFF,
cials" as to the manner in which Dewey had
effected the capture. 1t happened that the
newspaper had system by which it ex-
changed and sold news and the wonderful
story Of the fall Of Manila went, therefore,
to all other newspapers connected with that
system.
On the morning that this momentous in
telligence was published, all the correspond
ents who had received sharp reprimands
from their managing editors rushed to the
State department to find out why such i'm
portant news should have been given to
some newspapers and not to them. Secre-
tary Day appeared to be astonished at the
impetuosity of the beaten newspaper men,
and when he declared that he had not re-
ceived any such cablegram, the correspond
ents laughed ironically and said to them
selves and to each other that the secretary
Of state had diplomatic reasons for wishing
to suppress the news as well as a desire
to conceal the fact that there was "leak'
In his department. So the more impetuous
among them who had been beaten rushed
to the telegraph Offices and loaded the wires
with dispatches confirming the report OF the
fall of Manila and giving additional de
tails" said to have been furnished by off,
cals high in authority" This added
some hundreds to the newspapers which had
made the original announcement Of Ma
nila's fall. Other correspondents hurried to
the White house, thinking that, perhaps,
the cablegram might have been received by
the president instead of by the secretary
of state. but Mr.. Mckinley solemny de-
clared that he knew nothing about it. Ca
Diagrams OF inquiry were then flashed to
Ambassador Hay in London, who replied
that he had not sent any such message.
Then followed period of peculiar condl-
tions. Half the newspapers Of the country
were declaring that Manila had fallen and
that the administration was endeavoring to
cover up what might have been a diplo.
matte bunder and the other half-the sup
posedly beaten half-was shouting Fake!
Fake!" The real story OF the fall Of Ma
nila did not come until two months later.
The feeling between the regulars and the
volunteers has reached the nurseries, and
even the cradles, in Washington. The small
daughter of a certain regular army officer
in Washington Is a great favorite In the
circle in which her mother moves. The lat
ter seldom comes home from a visit or a
reception without bringing messages to the
little one from her friends and admirers,
until she has come to expect them, and her
regular inquiry is: "Did anybody ask for
me?"
The morning after the diplomatic recep-
ton at the White house the child inquired
Of her mother: "Did you see the presiden,
last night?"
YES"
Did he ask about me?"
"No"
Then he must be volunteer" remarked
Miss Military, in most scornful tones
-----