The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-05-02
THE Battle OF MANILA BAY.

Y + ESTERDAY the achievements of Admiral
7 Dewey and the forrc under his command were
appropriately and grandly celebrated The
clustered glories with winch the valor, the training
the discipline and the intelligence OF our navy in
vested the national flag hsye been depicted in glow
ing eloquence both in prose and in The pract-
cal aspects OF the destruction OF the Spanish squadron
at Manila Bay now deserve consideration.
The lesson of the battle was that the character Of
naval ENGAGEMENTS has radi cay changed The re-
suit is now largely determn ed by the excellence OF
the materials and the mechanical skill applied the
construction of war vessels by the scientific precision
with which they are handled and by The accurate
use OF the heavy ornaments that have replaced the
lighter guns OF former times The victory at Manila
was a triumphant expression OF American science and
of American training, as we'll a demonstration Of
the superiority OF the blended strains of blood de-
veopcd by our institutions into the composite type
OF American citizenship
Our loss was trhing. The loss OF the enemy was
comparatively 1t is probable that in the naval
battles OF the future this dsproportion will be sub
stantiay maintained. Defeated fleets will be de
stroyed beyond the possibility OF rehabilitation. The
victors ordinarily will be almost unscathed Engage
ments will be short and decisive. One side or the
other will be speedily vanquished Drawn battles
will be unknown. Ships will not unite in the bloody
hand-to-hand struggles OF the past. The ability to
support enormous expenditures will be OF almost as
great consequence as the human factors in naval con-
tests The sacrifice OF life will be insignificant and
while now as ever heroism will find its opportunities
and merit its rewards, the power OF money will be as
ascendant in war as it has become in the piping
times OF peace.
The American people and their ancestors have al
ways possessed maritime genius. It is historically
recorded that in 1870 in a naval battle off the harbor
OF Sluys, the English King Edward Ill with his
forces slew 10000 Frenchmen, and captured 200 YES
sells in one OF which alone 400 dead bodies were
found Our revolutionary struggle had scarcely be-
gun before the Dolphin, the Lexington and the Re
prsal made two circuits OF Ireland and ravaged the
coast The daring and the successes OF Captain John
Paul Jones in British waters are familiar to every
American schooboy On February 6, I778 at the bar
Of the House OF Lords it was shown that during the
war 733 British vessels had been destroyed by Amer
privaeers. Alter our independence had been won
and constitutionally entrenched in our operations
against France within two years and half we cap
tured eghty-four French ships The defeat of In
surgent by the Constellation and the fruitful cruise
OF the Enterprise through the waters OF the West In
dian possessions OF France, even in that early day
attested naval strength. The victory OF COmmo-
dore Perry at the battle OF Lake Erie, which com
PEELED the British to abandon Detroit and the whole
territory OF Michigan still thrills the patriotic youth
of our country The speedy entry OF Captain (after-
ward COMMODORE Sloat into the bay OF Monterey
and the hosting OF the American flag at that point
July p 1916. thwared British strategy on the Pa
cifc. In the Civil War there were repeated exhbi-
tons OF American skill in naval construction and OF
magnificent American gunnery, OF which the duel
between the Kearsarge and the Alabama was splen-
did example
We are essentially maritime people and have lost
none OF our capacity for supremacy the sea It
was not till 1884 that comprehended the necessity
OF the reconstruction OF navy. But in fourteen
years We were enabled, directly indirectly pro-
tect our vast coast line the Atlantic and the Pa
cihc and at inconsiderable sacrifice to pound the
Spanish navy into submission at Manila and at
Santiago.
The battle OF Manila Bay has truly established a
date in history.