New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-09-20
ADMIRAL DEWEY.
n TIMELY BIOGRAPHY BY Ex-MlNlsrhF
BARRETT

ADMIRAL, GEORGE DEWEY. A Sketch OF On m
Man. BY John Barrett y-o,b liluss' '''''
pp xii 279 Harper x brotherS'
~ Rsrrett reInqushed his post as Minister
% Siam in May. 1898. ana proceeoeu - -.
=. =, mar in the Far East. He went from
Hong Kong 10 Manila as a speciai wal
ondert for several American newspapers
.prS..ao,, ,bo s,,est Of the Admiral" he says
~on hoard different vessels o. his squadron io'
49,, ,oontbs Il was my privilege 10 meet
him frequently during this protracted perio'
80 o,.1 avery dav in times Of special excite
,. All the incidents. personal and puohc'
A.. oore under Mr. Rarretts notice durllls
49,. .,roa he entered carefully in his noteoooN-
~. ,~asent volume is made up Of his Jot'lhsS'
..,.h data from other sources sufficient 10 give
49,, ,-or, something Of the character Oh "
,,xorbv Facts relating to the Admira
..o,,,h and family are reegated 10 the ld.e'
cban+ers but this IS as II should ne slii07
obief value OF our authors observa'ons "'U.0
naturally lie in those passages dealing WIFI
tors on which he speak with personal
,boritv. Thus we find nothing more 'e'eS''"e
n his narrative than those statements coi''''
,ne points in the Admirals experience at Na'''@
which have been frequently discussed "l'r o
his own version being clearly understood W.
,.ss for example. the question Of Admlrai
1oawav,s relations with Aguinaldo Mr.. baIie''
saws.
j., rss nv privilege 10 listen TO him describe
what had passed between himset ana 'n,.ia,
surgent leader so hope that J. am nioreoyer
IN sneak with some authority h"I'oN ;.,,
ta1Led over the same points several uHle9 -, -
ARlIinaldo himself first al Hong ho1s, III y,
1895 later at Cavite and Baker ana ni'"'' a"
The first point that / would bring out slronsn
Is that Dewey never, by SPOKEN pt 49,
1vord urged AguinaldO 10 90 10 the fhllii ~
md did not even invite him Stcvhu NV ~
,,eeior for him and his associates 10 e ~
Ca1ite on the McCulloch was cnly secuIcu ~
~ ear,.st repres tatious Of thos" VINO ldNUIrN
his gojn. and was not suggested ny be~D5,
Third there We're no other means ny W. VIZ.
agninaido could reach Cavite. as no mercnanl
ehjps were then leaving Hong honE' alu . maie
could enter Manila Ray "lthou' Ine AD'',, ,l,,
rarrniesion Therefore Admiral Dewey sHnPE
allowed Ae1linaldo a. friend who Wah'e1 10
night "A common enemy 10 tak' passage -" ,n
United states dispatch boat McCuuoch. fou. 'l'
7 heard Ensign Caldwell say. on the night o'l"'e
H. NfcCulloch sailed ~ the residence of ColSul
General Widman. and In the latter presence
that the Admiral was not particularly uTsiIVIs
49, Tho F-ifinin0 leaders should come 70 CaNl1e,
Ian, that . they were anxious 10 do so on thel
own responsibility. and the Consul 'TehcldI
thought wise. ne would permit them 10 come
on the McCulloch. Mr.. Wldman heHtN'u ''"
ecienfiouelv that he was acting for the best ana
advised Caldwell 10 take them. CadWeH al nIat
demurred but finally agreed The next morning
accompanied him and the Consul Genera,
vi iio the Filipino leaders were picked up IN Inc
bav from different boats in which they mao
smucgled themselves off from shore 10 dNolu
the notice Of the British 0flodls. tfth AdlillIdi
Dewey received Aguinaldo ON the Olympia after
ms arrival only i'm an informal way. and never
hv act or communication. then or ldter. forHdi!
recogniz or regarded Aguinaldo as an ANY,
even giving him specifically 10 understand tAat
neither he nor the American Government couid
make him any promises rs 10 privileges OF
rights sixth. the only direct assurances ulal
Agunaldo may ever have received as 10 ms
future status were given - him in singapore
and Hong Kong by agencies which Dewey 0ld
not control Ii may have been possible, and ~
Is even probable that Aguinald0 thought these
agencies were authorized 10 speak and were re-
sponsible and sufficient. but he himself however
knew we'll the day he boarded the McCulloch
that the Admiral, the chief and only repre-
sentative Of the United States in the Philippines
had not on his or the Governments part directly
or Indirectly asked him TO come 10 Cavite. or
promised him anything In event he did
come and that. therefore, he had no hold on
Dewey or on the United states Government
through Dewey.
Mr. Barrett lays great stress upon the diplo-
matte gifts Of his hero. and cites several Incl
dents 10 demonstrate this Captain Sir Edward
Chichester Of the British ship Immortalite. said
10 him in Hong Kong: Your Admiral accom-
ylished by tact frmness and good Judgment in
Manila Bay what many naval men would have
thought only possible by war Dewey is nat
ural fighter, but true fighter that he Is. he pre-
fers TO win a peaceful victory. lie is a great
man" In illustration Mr. Barrett rectes the
story Of the German steam launch that i'm spite
Of the rules of war attempted to approach the
Olympia after dark j appears that German
collier had come late into the harbOr. and Ad-
rniral Won Diederichs wished 10 get permission
that night for IL 70 join his squadron. AS the
boat neared the Olympia it was hailed. hut no
reply was vouchsafed. The hail was repeated,
and stiI 10 answer came by this time the Ad-
rniral was looking out into the darkness and after
moments investigation he called 10 the officer
81 the deck why don't you fire? Ii doesn't
stop" shot was fired and tho boat came on
unframed Fire again and fire 10 hitv' OK
claimed the Admiral. and the second ball aimed
just as The scarchlicht revealed the German
Co'ors ON tho intruder. splashed within three
fee ~ the boat Then she stopped a launch
was sont. and escorted the German to the Olyrn-
pia. where an excited staff officer Of Admiral
Won DIcderchs explained his nocturnal indiscre-
lion According 10 one Of the officers present
the American Adwirars comments we're As FOL
lows
DO Won appreciate what you have done DO
YOU know that such a rash act on your part s
aeains' all the rules " war. and might even have
been the cause Of serious trouble between your
country and mine? suppose that shot had killed
you and sunk your launch the effect might
have been 90 have brought on misunderstanding
and conflict II would have been very easy
for ii Spanish boat meaning us harm To have
put up German flag and sunk the Olympia
- We did not stop II in time. There IS no ex-
cuse for such careiessness. You should under
stand the rules of war IN a matter Of this kind
Please present my compliments 70 your Ad-
niral and ask him 10 direct his officers n he
more careful I'm the future.
The interview growing ont Of the Irene Incl
dent has been reported SO frequently but IN
50 many different ways that We may quote in
tact the version given 10 Mr.. Barrett by one p
the officers Of the Olympia who heard the con-
versauon between Admiral Dewey and the flag