The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-04-22
THE ADMLRAL'SPR0XlES
The Welcome to Dewey's Nan by
New York's Union League.
MANILA HBR0s DETERMINATION.

His Plain Talk to q German Onlcer;
"If Your People Are Ready For War
with tho United states They Can
Have 1t at Any Time"
New York, April 22.-Captain J. B.
Coghlan and his officers, Of the Uni
ted States cruiser Raleigh, were roy
ally entertained last night at the
Union League club. The dining room
was handsomely decorated with Amer
lean and British flags and ten large
tables were weighted with good things
for the returned heroes Of Manila.
Formalities were largely dispensed with
as much as the occasion permitted and
every officer of the crack little cruiser
was thrice welcomed.
President Elihu Root presided, and
after an eloquent speech Of welcome
called for three cheers for Admiral
Dewey. They were given 80 that the
building seemed to thrQb in sym
patty. Three mighty cheers followed
for Captain Coshlan. Almost greater
than either we're the shouts of ap-
prevail when President Root called for
three cheers for the men behind the
guns" There was q perfect furore of
excitement and enthusiasm, and as it
subsidized in part some one began "The
Star Spangled Banner"
Captain Coghlan was then called
upon to speak. He was given an ova-
ton as he rose. He accepted, and
said all the good things that have been
said about him and his men as being
meant for Admiral Dewey.
Every day We were with him." he
added, I'VE learned more and more to
love him and more and more to know
how the country's interests were safe
in his hands, and how he could do
nothing but that which would rebound
to the country's credit. Through all
those long weary months Of waiting
and the most outrageous nagging that
anybody could suffer, wearing him to
the very bone, he held himself up and
he held us up with him."
Then Captain Coghlan told the fol-
lowing story of his admiral:
IAN officer Of our friend, Admiral
Won Diederlchs, came down one day
to make a complaint. 1t was my pleas
ure to step out on the quarter deck
just as he came aboard. 1t was partly
by accident and partly by design. I
heard him tell the admiral about his
complaint, and I heard the admiral
reply:
"'Tell your admiral those ships Of
"a I wi
to make the blockade of this harbor
complete
1.-THE German officer replied: But
we fly the flag
1.-THE reply of the admiral was just
like Dewey. He said:
"'Those flags can be bought at a
half a dollar yard anywhere
There was no fun in that express
sion of the admiral. He told the Of
ficer that any one could fly German
flag and that whole Spanish feet
might come upon him with German
flags up. Then he drew back and
stroked his mustache. He has great
habit of stroking his mustache when
he gets mad. He said:
".Tell your admiral am block
aiding here. Now note carefully what
I say, and tell your admiral that say
1t. l have been making this blockade
as easy for everybody as I could, but
I am getting tired of the puerile work
here. 1t has been Of such character
that man wouldn't notice it, although
children might fight over it, but the
time has come when it must stop.
Tell your admiral that the slightest
infraction of any rule will mean but
one thing. That will be war. 1t will
be so accepted and resented immedi-
ately. If your people are ready for war
with the United States they can have
it at any time.
II am free to admit that that almost
took my breath away. 1t came so sud-
denly. We had expected it all along,
but things you have been expecting al
ways come Unexpectedly As he left
with face about this long Indicating
by holding his hands far apart the
German said to me:
az think your admiral does not ex-
actly understand
"'Not only does he understand I
told him. but he means what he says,
and you had better look out
After that they did not breathe
more than four times successfully
without asking permission"