Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1899-09-29
THE ADMIRAL TALKS
New York Paper Secures an Inter-
view with the Hero.
HIS IMPRESSION OF AGUINALDo.
Thinks He Is the Tool of People who
Keep In the Bac<ground-Snys
War Should be Easily Ended
NoDesire to Enter Politics.

New York, Sept. 27.-The Evening
Post prints an interview with Admiral
Dewey. Speaking of Aguinaldo and his
generals, the admiral said:
"These fellows are queer lot They
were simply servants and stablemen, and
Aguinaldo was a junior clerk in the navy
yard. He is pretty smart fellow. know
him pretty well. In fact, we were great
friends, and are, for the matter of fact but
he has not the brains. There are people be-
hind him, some of them lawyers and able
fellows, who make tool of Aguinaldo.
thought that this thing in the Philippines
would be over long before this as 1t should
have been. can't imagine how they have
stood out until now OF course, there was
the rainy season, and l suppose little was
done. One great trouble out there has
been that Gen. Otis has tried to do too
much. told him so. He wants to be gen.
eral, governor, judge and everything else.
to have hold of all the irons. No man can
do this. This is the great trouble. 1t is
enough for man to do one thing, to be one
thing, but when a man tries to do every
thing and to be everything 1t is easy to inn
agine the result.
Should BE Easily Ended.
'The fight in the Philippines should be
easily ended. The people had been so badly
treated for such a length of time by the
is the great difficulty in dealing with them.
Where we have met them and they have
been in such contact with US as to learn
that we mean to treat them we'll; where
they have seen that we mean what we say,
there is no trouble. They stand by us all
the time. All Of them will learn this in
time. They will get from under the in
fuence of Aguinaldo, or rather those people
who are behind Aguinaldo, who, as said
before, is a mere tool
Not Fit for Self-GOvernment.
do think the Filipinos are fit for self
government? Well no; not just now. They
probably will be in little time. They are
very queer people-a very queer mixture.
Many of them are quite civilized and good
people, but 1 do not think they are fit for
self-government just yet. But when say
that, I must add at the same time that II
Is my candid opinion that they are more
fitted for it than the Cubans; that they are
a better people than the Cubans in every
way. I do wish, however, that the whole
little the Filipinos will take kindly to u.s.
Not n Politician.
It was suggested to the admiral that the
democratic slate had been settled with Adj
miral Dewey for the presidency and Gen.
Wheeler for the vice presidency.
We'll" said the admiral, I'VE should
make pretty mess of it. Gen. Wheeler, OF
litical school, but then he is a West Point.
err. I had forgotten that. He would want
to run everything as he would a regiment
and, of course, would make a splendid mess
of it. You cannot run government as you
would a regiment"
well, admiral" suggested the reporter.
1T would not be such change from the
ship Olympia to the ship of state"
Yes" said the admiral, sit would be a
very great change. / am not politician.
am sailor. My training has been all that
way. ] am at home on board my ship.
know my business, or at least should know
it, and / do not want to mix up in the af-
fairs of government am perfectly salts
fed to live and die simple sailor, who tried
to do his duty. 1 am not politician.
cannot make speech even. I wish could
but have to be content with my lot"
Someone said just then to the admira
that his son was reported to have made g
statement to the effect that his father was
dyed-in-the-wool republican.
The admiral laughed outright, and turn.
ing around, pointed to piece of wood lay
ing on the deck some yards away, at the
same time saying: my son knows as much
about what my politics are as that piece OF
stick"
The admiral would not say word about
the alleged interference of the German
Admiral Diederich, at Manila