The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-26
WASHINGTON ADvICEs.
Dispatches Received from Admire
Dewey and General Otis,

Dispatches Received from Admiral
Dewey and General Otis.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 25.-Admiral Dewey
cabled the Navy Department to-day that he
had sent the gunboat Petrol from Manila
to Cebu. 1t is the purpose of the admiral
to establish the sovereignty of the United
States at the capital of the island, which
is a populous town of $1,000 inhabitants. 1t
is not believed that any serious difficulty
will attend this undertaking, as the insur-
rection never mas obtained any strength in
that quarter. War Department reports say
the island of Cebu is the most important
province of the Visayas group, it's area be-
ing 1900 square miles, and its population
more than half million Under the Span
ish regime the capital was a city of con-
siderable commercial and political impor-
tance. The admiral made no mention of any
thing save the Petrol in this mornings adj
vices, so the officials here are convinced
that nothing of Importance at Manila has
happened over night.
A suggestion that found currency in naval
circles to-day, to account for the admiral's
dispatch relative to tho Oregon yesterday,
was that he had Just received some of the
newspapers of date q month back from the
United States. These conveyed the impress
sion that the department was contemplate
ing canceling the Oregon's orders to Ma
Mia, In view of the then roseate outlook
for an easy settlement of the trouble at
Manila It was therefore with a view to
impressing the department with the fact
that the same necessity existed for the Ore
CONS presence at Manila now, as when he
made his first request for the ship, that in
duced him to cable the department as he did
yesterday. It may be noted in this connec-
tion that should the admiral be confirmed
before the expiration of the present Con-
gless as admiral of the United States navy
he will outrank any of the foreign naval
officers on the Asiatic station. Even the
British navy there is commanded by vice
admiral. The British government, it is said
does not send an officer of the high rank of
admiral to sea at ALL In this view of the
case it would seem only proper that, being
the ranking officer of the entire station.
Dewey should have in the Oregon a ship
second in fighting qualities to no ship that
floats in Asiatic waters.
Apparently the administration is satisfied
that 1t understands exactly what the ad-
miral meant when he used the term ''polit-
ical reasons" in his message of yesterday,
for it was stated positively at the Navy
Department to-day that no inquiry had been
addressed to the admiral on the subject
and that he would not be called on for a
further explanation. This is thought in
some quarters to mean that the interpreta-
tion placed on the phrase by the admins
tration is exactly that conveyed by Secre-
tary Long yesterday-nan1ely, that the big
ship is regarded as necessary to impress the
Filipinos. not only on the Luzon, but those
on other islands of the group, with the
overwhelming power of the United States
navy for it is said at the department that In
the dense ignorance in which these people
live they can be impressed only by personal
observation.
The War Department to-day received the
following from General Otis, at Manila
Condition of affairs quiet: progressing
favorably. Anxiety need not be felt in re-
gard to the situation. VIII send small body
of troops to Cebu where navy took quiet
possession"
In view of the disparity between Admiral
Deweys report of the sailing of the Petrol
from Manila for Cebu and General Otis's
announcement of the surrender of that city
to the naval forces. which had taken "quiet
possession" further inquiry was made by
the Navy Department and it was learned
that Admiral Dewey had been misquoted
and that what he had reported was that
the Petrol had received the surrender of
Cebu.
According to a statement of Colonel Byrd
OF the quartermaster's department. there re-
main at Manila 1000 of the $500 Spanish
troops that were turned over to General
Otis as the result OF the sudden drought at
that place OF the $500 who have returned
to Spain, about half of them were taken
back by the Spanish government. so that
only about 1900 have been repatriated so
far at the expense of the United States
The remaining 2000 expect TO leave Manila
for Spain within the next two weeks