The times., 1899-07-07

two letters which it asserts passed be-
tween Vice Admiral Won Diederich and
Admiral Dewey early in the spring The
letters follow:
In the Indian Ocean.
March Il. 1899
Sir: have the honor to acknowledge the re-
ceipt of your communication of March in
forming me Your Exccency has been promoted
Admiral. While congratuating Your Excellency
| sincerely upon this new token of recognition |
beg You 20 believe your good has given me
the greatest satisfaction. l have the honor 10
be Your Excelieney's obedient servant
DIgDERICH.
Admiral Dewey
Flagship Olympia,
Manila. April 10. 1899.
Dear Admiral Won Diederich: wish to thank
you most heartily for your cordial letter of con-
gratuatons upon my promotion 1t is great
pleasure for me to feel my Advancement is
| source OF satisfaction TO you and | rejoice that
our differences have been of newspaper manufac-
ture. Hoping to have the pleasure of meeting
you again sefore leaving this station, / am, very
| sincerely. AsI DEWEY.
| Vice Admiral yon Diederich.
That such a letter as the one now cred
tied to Admiral Dewey was in existence
has been limited at more than once in the
| German press, but the American public
will peruse 1t with astonishment and in
cTedulity. For throwing aside the many
statements to the same effect made by
the other well-informed and thoroughly
reliable American newspaper correspond
ents at Manila, belief in the alleged diff
fsrences'' between the two admirals fol-
lowing the destruction of the Spanish
/ fleet in Manila Bay rests firmly upon an
article written by Mr.. Joseph L. Stickney,
the special correspondent of the New
York Herald" and published with the full
consent and approval of Admiral Dewey
| in "Harper's Magazine for February,
1899, under she title. with Dewey at
Manila
Mr.. stickney had been an officer in the
Navy. and the esteem in which he was
held by Dewey may be judged from the
fact that he was the bridge OF the
Olympia with the commodore during the
battle OF May l, serving as a special aide.
In the article referred to Mr. Stiekney
writes as follows:
1t would require too much space to repeat all
| the annoyances TO which the Germans lent them
| etANta lhe carry part OF their stay IN
| Manila waters. Their ships came into and went
| from the harbor at all hours of the day and
night. When 4 steamer made her appearance to
! seaYard German vessel would run out to ex-
anime her with great prOmptitude. Alter one
such instance, which occurred at a time when
Vice Admiral Dederich's nag lieutenant was
on board the Olympia, Admiral Dewey said 10
the German officer:
''One might almost think your ships were
biocSading Manila, and not mine
The lieutenant chuckled complacently, as
though he thought it compliment TO the
activity OF his commander-in-chief but he was
wholly unable to comprehend that when Dewey
became so sweeily suave it was good time to
look out Cor squalls.
One night one of the German steam launches
came steaniing toward feet at full speed
She picked up by the searchlights OF or
squadron fully 4 mile away. and was kept in
the focus of thfir rays until she came alongside
Our officers almost universally believed that the
object of her unnecessary and untimely visit was
to discover whether il would be possible for a
Spanish torpedo boat 10 get within range OF
our vessels without being discovered by Us.
Then the Princess Wilhelmina lying off subig
Bay. notihed the insurgents that she would not
permit them TO attack the Spanish troops at that
point. At another time one Of the German ships
tried to sneak into the anchorage off the city of
Manila at night, all her lights being extingushed,
and her course being an unusual one. She was
detected and promptly ''bronGht to- by a shell
across her bows from the United States cruiser
that was Oh picket duty that night.
Our courteous and courtly commodore made no
sign. He waiting until he could put ond
! TO the whole annoyance with one crushing blow.
At last the opportunity came lie learned on un-
questionable authority that one OF the German
vessels had landed provisions in Manila, thereby
violating neutrality. was not present when he
| seat his message to Admiral Won Diederich. and
/ therefore / do not speak from personal knowl-
| edge concerning it; but learned the facts from
1 a perfectly authentic source, follows:
Orderly, tell Mr. Brumly ! would like to
see him." said Admiral Dewey one forenoon.
-
lieutenant made his appearance the quarter
deck. Il wish you 10 take the barge and go
over TO the German flagship. Give Admiral Won
DiedericA my compliments, and say that | wish
10 call his attention TO the fact that the vessels
Of his squadron have shown extraordinary dis
regard OF the usual courtesies OF naval inter
course. and that finally one of them has com
! mitted a gross breach Of neutrality in landing
provisions in Manila, port which l block
ading."
The commodore's voice had been as low and
as sweetly modulated as If he had been sending
Won Diederich an invitation to dinner. When he
had stopped speaking. Brurnby who did not need
| any better indication Of the commodpre's mood
than the unusually formal and gentle manner
Of his chief, turned to 90, making the usual
official saIute, and replying with the customary,
lay, ay. sir
''And, Brumby' continued the commodore his
voice rising and ringing with the intensity OF
feeling that lie felt he had repressed about long
enough ''iell Admiral Diederich that if he
wants fight, he can lave it right now!"
BruDby went with his message and the com.
iYiotore ,paced the quarter-deck in silence for
considerable time, evidently working off some
Of the high pressure that had brought forth hi.
emphatic message to the German admiral The
latter sent back the extraordinary reply that ht
had not known anything about these actions o
his captains and that they would not be re-
! peated. When one considers the rigidity of dis
cipiinc that is supposed to exist in the German
navy. the character OF Admiral Won Diederich'.
apology is all the more incomprehensible
But whatever may have been the new methods
- adopted by Admiral Diedcrich to prevent hi
captains from violating neutrality and showing
, bad manners, they entirely ofcacious. Th0r,
was never the least further need to refer to tht
| possibility Of giving Commodore Dewey the ioi
Of discinlining them.
This will strike most observers as suf-
fciently explicit to justify American be-
lief in the fact that differences did exis
; between Dewey and his German confrere
: That Dewey himself thought so may br
: inferred from the fact that he wa.
E prepared on his own motion, TO TAX,
t the irremediable step which woult
! plunge his country and Germany intt
bloody war. When such differ.
: ences are manufactured" by newspa.
t pers. sea warriors of the Dewey stripe dt
: not make them the basis of an interna,
, tional catastrophe.
: The Stickney narrative. and that par
Of it particularly which contains the Brum
r by incident, has never been denied or dis
r credited by Admiral Dewey or any office
5 under his command. while II was NOR,
D than confirmed by Captain Coughlan in hi
] famous speech in the Union League Club
al ha hntr