The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1899-03-02
DEWEY WANTS THE OREGON. !.

UEWEI WANIS lHE UNEuUN.
The Admiral May n ant the Big war Ship
for the Moral Easct Il VIII Have
r On the riiipiaes.
wAsHrNeroN, Feb. %. S.---Secretsry
Long took to the cabinet meeting FRI
day morning two cipher cableersms
from Adm. Dewey, dated Friday morn
ing. The following are translations:
MANIA. Feb. "a SECRETARY Of the
Navy: For politicai reasons, Oregon
should be sent It once. sSs'
IS (Signed). 'DEwEr."
manila. Feb. s&--Yotktown ar
rived. Charleston end Petrol cruising
around the Philippine islands. AZ
fairs more quiet. = DEWEY"
WASHINGTON, Feb. 25.-The cable
gram from Adm. Dewey asking for the
Oregon was received with surprise by
the officials here. No one knew, or at
least would acknowledge that he
knew, of the political reasons which
the admiral says demand the imme-
diate presence of the peerless battle
ship. The cablegram was taken to the
cabinet board and fully discussed there.
The admiral, it is said, possibly feels
thet the moral erect Of the presence Of
the big ship upon the insurgents them
selves, and particularly upon that large
element. among the Filipinos that is
believed to be restrained with diff
Guilty from joining fortunes with Aguin-
aldo. with whom their sympathies lie,
would be good. But there is an un-
derlying doubt whether or not the adj
miral may not be keenly sighting .
gathering cloud in the east and il
looking to prevention of any possible
intervention or interference by Euro
| pean powers in the struggle now in
progress in the neighborhood of Ma
| nila. It Is believed that in the big
fires much property Of foreign resi-
dents and business concerns was de-
stroyed. That these Ares were caused
by the insurgents can not be denied,
| and it may be, that some Of the for
eign naval commanders In the east
are disposed to seize upon the prstext
that their interests demand protection,
! which we can not afford them, to make
. landing or do something obnoxious
to the United States and likely to en-
courage the insurgents. With such a
strong naval force rs would be afford.
ed by the reinforcement of Dewey's
feet by the Oregon there could not be
any sound reason, nor even a plausible
reason for any such action on the part
Of third parties
tits said here that up to this moment
there has been no intimatiop Of q pur
pose on the part of any foreign gov
ernment to file any claims for pecuni'
airy remuneration for the property Of
their citizens. destroyed in the fires
and fighting at either MaLila o,
Iloilo. Just what disposition would
be made of any such claims i.
not indicated here, though there
is ground for the belief that if i
can be shown that our naval and mil
itary and naval officers practiced thu
precautions required by internationa
law in the matter of giving due notice
to foreigners of any action in the wa.
of bombardment that might injur'
their property, and otherwise did ev
erything that could be done to protec
the foreign interests equally with ou
own, then there is little foundation TO-
a sound claim for damages.
The Oregon arrived at Honolulu OF
the 5th inst. according to the tele
graphic report that came to the nav,
department Friday morning. No men
tion was made of her being in need o
repairs as is stated in the press dis
patches. 1t is not known either VIII,
the battle ship arrived at Honolulu
week before the Scirsdia and tn
Iris, which started out with her iron
San Francisco. The two tenders wer
supposed to attend the Oregon, to he'll
her out with tow in case she raj
short of coal, or was otherwise in dis
tress. Probably one Of the boats brok
down and the other was left to TAX
her in tow. while the Oregon pushed o.
to Honolulu. r'
Assuming that the battle ship reall.
needed ten days repairs, she shoul
have started away from Honolulu o.
her long run to Manila on the 18th in
stant. Allowing for detention on &C
count Of coaling at Guam or some 9th
er point between Honolulu and Ma
nila, II 10 estimated that the Oregol
will reach Manila about the 10th Q
March. traz .aar li