The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-01-19
BECAUSE OF THE MAINE
Fighting Bob Evans Says, We
Fought and Whipped
Spain.

New York, Jan. 19.-The Yonkers
board of trade held it's fourth annual
dinner at the Hollywood Inn last night
1t was a war banquet. The principal
speakers were Captains Robley D.
Evans and H. c. Taylor, who COM
manded the Iowa and Indiana during
the war; Col. Charles S. Diehl, assist
ant general manager of the Associated
Press, who was in general charge of
that associations war news service in
and around Cuba, and prominent local
men, who also spoke on war topics.
President F. K. Martin of the board
of trade presided.
The first toast, 1.-THE Officers and Men
of the United States Navy" was re-
sponded to by Captain Evans, who, in
the course of his speech, said that long
before war was declared every man in
the navy felt that war existed The
Spanish had blown up ship for us,
and, deny 1T who might, way down in
our hearts we fought and whipped the
Spanish because they blew up the
Maine.
Captain Taylor said the coasts must
be protected and our interests outside
of home waters looked after. Some
where on the south coast of Cuba the
| country would have to locate a naval
base fitted for big events The war
had a great bearing on the construction
oS the canal from ocean to ocean. The
canal would have to be built as a, COM
mercial and naval necessity and when
built it must be guarded for the world
by the United States. The war had
opened the field for US and il would be
our own fault if we did not take ad-
vantage of what we had gained. The
Philippines had been won for US by Ad-
D1iral Dewey and the speaker had every
confidence that the government would
do what was right and wise We had
reached out, and our future naval base
would not be the coast of California
1t had been a brisk war and every man
in the navy felt satisfied because that
which had to be done was done quickly
and done well.
GETTING THE NEWS.
Col. Diehl, in responding to the toast
The Newspaper Fleet in the War;
told of the work of getting the news
from the front. He said that while the
war strategists were scrutinizing the
maps at Washington the news gather
ers were compelled to give equal study
as to how the news of possible events
growing out Of the war with Spain was
to be covered.
Maps were prepared showing the lines
of cable communication in the West
Indies. The difficulties presented at the
outset were really very great. 1t was
known that the cable communication
with Cuba would be cut off and the
news managers would be forced to con-
trive a new method. Dispatch boats
had never before been used for such
purposes. The difficulties that would be
experienced while cruising with the
naval vessels also presented themselves
The innovation was tried and aside
| from this one man was put on each of
eminent There were fifteen dispatch
boats cruising from Santiago to ia
ma1ca and Hayti. No matter what the
weather, the boats left regularly every
night This service commanded the ad-
miration Of the naval officers who recog-
nized the dangers and difficulties that
the men on the dispatch boats had to
meet and resulted in furnishing the
newspapers of the world with the latest
news. By the dispatch boats supplies
and ice were also taken to the sick Be
sides having men aboard the hagships
New York and Brooklyn, five dispatch
boats had to be chartered by his as
ISOLATION and upwards of a million dol
lars had been spent to get the news to
the papers.
CALLED TO ORDER.
Colonel Diehl told of the incidents of
the trips. The newspaper boats had
been allowed to go with the fleets hut
their commanders were in Ignorance of
naval rules and were frequently called
to order by naval captains like Evans
and Taylor.
The most effective method of calling
such commanders to order was solid
shot just ahead The flag indicating that
a boat was a newspaper craft was red
and at a little distance looked like the
Spanish emblem. That flag brought
many shells whistling over the craft of
the newspapers.
Colonel Diehl told of the death of
Correspondent Lyman, who was in
charge of the work at Siboney and who
died there through devotion to DUTY.
Hon. G. Hilton Scribner responded TO
Results of the War and Territorial Ex-
pansion."
Francis A. WinsIow responded to
Home Influences of the Spanish War"
CIR TNU,TIn