The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-03-01
GREAT DIPLOMATIC STROKE
Shows She Has No Intention
of Aiding Rebels.
M'KINLEY ACCEPTS THE TRUST
Announcement Came At the Close OF
Day of Rumors.
EMPHATIC DENIALs WE'RE GIVEN
To the Report That Dewey Had Sunk
a German Cruiser, But Despite
the Denials the Rumor
Gained Credence.
EMPHATIC DEN1ALs WE'RE GIVEN

Washington, February 2S.-The German
government has set at rest the rumors
of a purpose on its part, directly or indi-
rectly. to embarrass the United States in
the Philippine Islands and has given sig
nal manifestation of its desire to promote
the most cordial relations between Ger
many and the United States by ordering the
withdrawal of all vessels of its navy from
Philippine waters and placing the lives ana
property of its subjects there under the
protection of the United States government.
The action taken is regarded here as mas
ter stroke In diplomacy by which will be
removed all possibility of a clash between
German and American interests in and
about Manila and notice to all the world,
especially to any Americans who enter
tanned any suspicious of sinister designs
by Germany, of the wish and purpose of
the German empire to cultivate the friend
ship of the United States. By it Ger
many at once places the protection of all
her largo interests in the islands almost
completely in our hands.
Day of Sensational Rumors
The announcement of this act of the
German government came at the close of a
day that had been full of sensational ru-
mors of a clash between the Americans
and Germans IN Nldnlla, tne llhdiiS
going SO far as to assert that Admiral
Dewey had fired on and sunk a German
vessel at Manila.
These rumors spread despite the fact that
the cable connecting Manila with the outer
world is in the control of the United States
government so that 1t might be reasonably
expected that it would be the government
to receive the first news of any disaster
or collision at Manila and that at the white
house. war department and navy depart
ment denials were made of the receipt OF
any news tending even in the slightest to
confirm the rumors. Even some OF the
more cautious naval officers were infected
with fear for the moment, for while they
had not the slightest Idea that there had
been any trouble between the American and
German ships, still they realized that there
was always the possibility of an accident
aboard ship that might result disastrousiy.
Fears Set at Rest
These lingering fears in naval circles
were set at rest finally at the close OF the
day by receipt of some dispatches from
Manila, but without mention of any unto
ward incident. Based on this fact, Secre-
tary Long, Secretary Alger, Captain
Crowninshield and General Corbin all took
the responsibility of denying the rumors IN
the strongest terms. Finally, at the close
of the day, and after the official close of
the departments announcements was
made of the reason of the great confidence
the officials had the falsity OF the rumors'
the Statement being authorized that by one
bold stroke Germany had removed all pos
sibility of any clash between hot heads at
Manila. 1t was announced that the Ger
man government had ordered their ships
away from Manila, probably to their new
naval station at Kai Chu on the Chinese
coast. The announcement was coupled
with the statement that the German YES
sells were needed there. This may be the
case for the story has come to washington
that the Chinese have been abusing some
German citizens almost on the shadow OF
the Chinese capital at Tien Tsin. The Ger
mans have come to believe that the only
way to meet such cases is py puni.Ve
measures and as Tien Tsin is at the head
of navigation of Peho just below Peking
It may be the purpose to send some war
ships up the river to convey an idea OF the
German displeasure.
Manifestation of Confidence
The German government followed It's an
nouncement to the state department of
purpose to order it's officials away from
the Philippines with formal application
to the United States government to under
take the protection of all the Germans in
the Philippines, not only in person but in
property. This was regarded as signal
manifestation of confidence that the ad-
ministration felt could not be resisted and
practically formal notice that the Germans
have no Interior purpose In the Philippines
and rather than be subjected to suspicion
on that score had taken the course of
turning over the care of the welfare of
their citizens to the United States govern
ment. The president very promptly ac-
cepted the trust and there will be no Ger
man warships at either Manila or Iloilo to
disturb the relations between the two coun-
tries by forming the base of sensational
and false rumors
1t Is not known here at this moment
Just what German ships were actually In
Philippine waters. The press reports have
mentioned the arrival at Manila of the Ger
man flagship Kaiserin Augusta few days
ago, and II Berlin accounts are accurate
the Is the only representative of the Ger
man navy there, for the Irene sailed away
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