Evening star., 1899-02-11
Baron Won Something's Description
Of the Philippines.
REPRESENTATIVE Of GERMAN ARMY
German Squadron att Manila by
Chance When War Began.
TRIBUTE TO ADMIRAL DEWEY

A distinguished audience assembled at the
Columbian University last evening to hear
Baron A. Feltner Won Sonnenburg, the Of
fetal expert representative of the German
army detailed to accompany the American
forces in the Philippines, speak about Ma
Mia and the Philippines" The meeting was
under the auspices Of the National Geo.
graphic Society, and Professor Alexander
Graham Bell, president of the society, who
occupied the chair, introduced the speaker.
Baron Won Sonnenburg said in part:
IF layman ventures to speak in a
meeting of scientific society it seems to
me always a great risk. Things become
still worse, of course. if that layman is also
a foreigner, a foreigner who cannot master
at all the language of his audience. But the
worst of all may be that this is German
soldier who tries TO lecture in your scien-
tific association about his experiences and
impressions during the blockade of Manila
and the surrender of that town at last to
the glorious American arms.
so cannot help stating beforehand that
/ believe my personal position before such a
learned jury is an extremely weak one, and
/ think / may escape out of this very dam
gerous trap with slight wounds only if 1
audience and jury are gracious and tolerant
enough to kindly give me the benefit of
mitigating circumstances-frst for my bad
English, and second, for venturing to speak
ABOUT Manila, ana last, but least, for nv
being a German officer.
Mr.. President, after pleading for gra-
cious extenuating circumstances before nv
jury must make another statement to YOU
personally. / require you as my accomplice
for all my coming crimes. You must re-
member that on board of the China in the
middle of the Pacific you caused me to
promise to give tonight's lecture before
the learned National Geographic Society of
Washington.
II charge you with three-quarters of the
responsibility if l shah tire the audience of
fair ladies and learned gentlemen with my
plain hut absolutely unofficial true soldier S
talk. For, old tactical officer l could
not help looking out for reinforcements and
strong reserves wherever l can get them,
even in the enemy's headquarters, and so
Will make the best of it.
"Dewey's Splendid Victory,
after Admiral Dewey's splendid victory
at Cavite the neutral powers sent their
ships quickly as possible to Manila bay.
1t was expected that the quiet waters of
the capital of the Philippines would be-
come in the near future the stage of great
military and naval actions, and that many
still doubtful questions in warfare with
modern ships would find there a practical
answer.
1T was only by chance that Germany
had at that time relatively strong squad
ron at hand in the eastern station. The
territory acquired In China only a few
months before had made 1t necessary to
assemble there two cruiserafdivisions, and
as the news of the complete annihilation of
the Spanish fleet became known the ad-
mlral of one of theseI divisions had to go
down from the Chinese andoJapanese seas
to the Philippines.
''rhe division was at that time in the
middle Of drill and training in evolutiens
and shooting, as the tactical unity of a
division, and so it is easily to be under
stood that the division commander would
not wish to divide his squadron: but, on
the contrary, would he glad, of the oppor-
tunity to make use of the trip down to
Mani a for training and evolutionary pur-
| the German government had been given to
assemble a strong squadron at Manila. !
understand that the leader of the division,
who is fully responsible for the finishing
of the training of his men and ships, had
in this regard absolute liberty and free
hand, as it is usual in our navy and army.
But besides these purely technical rea-
sons, 1t was to be considered that hun
dreds of our countrymen who lived outside
of Manila, scattered In the many extended
Phi ippine Islands as traders or planters
or engineers, might be in very dangerous
position. The insurrection of the F'iIipinos
against the Spanish rule had become gen.
eral, and rumors were to be heard that all
the small ports like Iloilo in the different
islands. with sometimes only two or six
or ten cOuntrymen, We're beSieged by the
insurgents and their lives and property in
the greatest danger.
Under these circumstances 1t could be
expected that after the arrival of the
squadron in Manila bay ships had to be
detached and sent to all the small ports
to look after the safety of our countrymen
and the women and children of every ma
tiOn whatever.
1T was to be expected that from five