The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1899-03-17
ADMIRAL DEWEY IS TO STAY
Will Remain Until He Asks to BE
Relieved.
TWO MORE TOWNS TO Capture

WASHINGTON, March H. Admiral
Dewey will not be relieved at Manila
until he chooses to make application
for such relief. So far, he has not
given any intimation of purpose to
apply for relief in the immediate flu
ture, and from the few declarations
he has let fall the department has
every reason to believe that he does
not contemplate any such action. Con-
seouently there is no foundation for
the story that Admiral Schley or
any other admiral has been Sc
lected to take command of the
Asiatic station So far as the navy
department is concerned the directing
officials are not only willing but anX-
ious that Dewey shall complete his
task, and they deprecate the publica-
ton of such stories as those alleging
that he is to be relieved, as, by reason
Of constant reiteration, the impression
might be conveyed to the admiral that
the department would like to relieve
him. In the case of man of Dewey's
punctilious feeling, the mere sugges-
ton, if he had the slightest reason to
believe it had an official foundation,
would be sufficient to induce him co
apply Immediately for relief, rather
than to embarrass the department. AS
Dewey himself fixed the limitation of
his stay by the length of the task be-
fore him, it may be matter of inter
est to record the belief of many naval
officers that. after all, the end is al
most within sight.
Dewey has established himself in
Manila; he has assisted in the taking
of Iloilo; he has sent forces to Cebu in
connection with the army, also to Ne
gros; the principal forts of the Philip
pines have all been taken over into
American possession in large part
through his cooperation with the
army. There remain only few ports
of Importance, notably Zamboango, on
Mindanao, and perhaps one of the
towns in the Sulu archipelago to be
occupied. Expeditions are now NOV.
ing in these directions, apd that
branch of the work will soon be closed
up.
There will remain only two more
phases of the campaign to require
Dewey's assistance. First, and near
at hand, the driving off of the Tagals
under Aguinaldo near Manila. With
Lawton landing at Manila with his
achievements, and the other rein
forcements expected soon, General
Otis movement in force is near at
hand The navy will aid in this.
Ships can be placed in the proper po-
sitions on the shores of the bay OF Ma
Mia to command the country for
miles, and by cooperation with the
army through the agency of the signal
corps the insurgents can be shelled
out of the jungles many miles inland
by the warships.
The next and last feature of Dewey's
task will be the establishment of a
close blockade to prevent munitions of
war or supplies from reaching the in
surgents, providing there are insur-
gents remaining after Otis and Lawton
have made their forward move. When
this has been done, when there is
nothing further in the way of fighting
for the warships to do, it is believed
that then Dewey's task probably will
be regarded as finished by himself, and
it will be time for the Navy depart
ment to consider the question of a sue
cessor to the command of the Asiatic
station.