The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-09-27
DEWEY TALKS.
AEuinaido Lacks Brains-Is q Mere Tool
Otis Tries to Do Much

Agufnaldo Lacks Brains--Is q Mere Tool
Otis Tries to DO Much.
New York, Sept. 26.--The Evening
Post prints the following interview with
Admiral Dewey:
They are splendid lot" the adj
miral said, speaking of his men, 1.-THE
very pick, the finest in our navy. and
that means the best in the world Be
fore l got to Manila the archbishop
with whom / afterward became very
intimate said that the American sail
ors We're the scum of the earth, a blood
thirsty lot of cutthroats, who would
destroy everything in their path
Later on, when l did get there"
said the admiral with a knowing smile,
the archbishop came on board one day
while I had a battalion at drill, the
very same battalion that will parade
In New York. The archbishop went on
the bridge and watched them closely
knew he was admiring them and l
said to him, Wei, what do you think
of our American Sailors
They are Splendid he said. Il
have seen the men of most navies. but
never anything like these. They are
magnificent. l cannot understand il
such splendid fellows. How does it
happen?'
Well said the admiral, we look
for the best men. We come close to our
men; we treat them better than other
countries do and we pay them better
Then called man and said to him.
HOW much do you get a month? He
saluted and said eighty dollars. sir
The archbishop was astonished You
Know $50 would pay whole shipoad
of Spaniards.
After that the archbishop had
very decent respect for us and became
very friendly. Here I have a picture Of
General Luna, which was given to me
by the archbishop
The admiral then sent an orderly for
the picture of the Philippine general.
who was murdered by order of Aguin-
aldo.' as he said The picture was that
OF a negro in sort of military uni
form. On the back was an Inscription
in Spanish to the archbishop of Ma
Mia, Father Bernardino Mesalado. 1t
was signed by Luna. Admiral Dewey
then said that Luna was the best man
the Filipinos had.
Not Brains Enough
1T was plot to assassinate him."
he said. "A crack swordsman was
placed as sentry. and when Luna APP
peared he simply stabbed him. But
these fellows ALL" said the admiral,
are a queer lot. They We're simply
servants and stablemen and Aguinaldo
was Junior clerk in the navy yard
He is pretty smart fellow. l know
him pretty well. In fact we were great
friends and are for that matter, but he
has not the brains. There are people
behind him, some of them lawyers and
able fellows, who make a tool of Ar,Iin-
aldo. Here. by the way, is a cane which
he presented to me- and the admiral
produced thick black stick carved and
resembling Irish bog oak more than
anything else
II thought" said the admiral, that
this thing in the Philippines would be
O hi x,1.z
beer I cannot imagine how they have
stood out until now. OF course there
was the rainy season, and / suppose
little was done. One great trouble out
there has been that General Otis has
tried to do too much. I told him so.
He wants to be general, governor, judge
and everything else, to have hold of
all the reins. No man can do that.
This is the great trouble. 1t Is enough
Tor man to do one thing, to be one
thing, but when a man tries to do
everything and be everything, it is easy
to imagine the result
THE fight in the Philippines should
be easily ended. The people have been
so badly treated for such a length of
time by the Spaniards that they are dis
trustful. This is the great difficulty in
dealing with them. Where we have met
them and they have been in such con-
tact with us as to learn that we mean
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
fiuence of Aguinaldo. or rather those
people who are behind Aguinaldo, who,
as said before, is a mere tool.
DO l 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
/ do not think they are fit for selfgov-
eminent juxhyet. But when say that
1 must add at the same time that it is
my candid opinion that they are more
fitted for 1t than the Cubans; that they
are a better people than the Cubans in
every way. / wish, however that the
whole business was settled, and I think
that after little the Filipinos will take
kindly to u.s.
1t was suggested to the admiral that
the democratic nominations had been
settled with Admiral Dewey for the
presidency and General Wheeler for the
vice presidency.
We'll" said the admiral, I'VE would
make a pretty mess of it. General
Wheeler, of course. has had some train
ing in the political school, but then he
is a West Pointer. I had forgotten
that He would want to run everything
would make a splendid mess of 1t. You
cannot run a government as you would
regiment"
well admiral" suggested the re-
porter, sit would not be such a change
from the ship Olympia to the ship OF
state
Yes" said the admiral. at would be
a very great change. / am not a poll
tician; l am a sailor. My training has
been all that way. l am at home on
board my ship. / know my business, or
at least should know 1t, and l do not
want to mix up in the affairs of gov
eminent. ! am perfectly satisfied TO
live and die a sailor who tries to do his
duty. l am not a politician. / cannot
make a speech even. l wish l could,
but have to be content with my lot
Some one said just then to the ad-
miral that his son was reported to have
made statement to the effect that MS
father was a Northumberland re-
publican.
The admiral laughed outright and.