The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-04-22
A STORY OF DEWEY
Tolc by the Captain of the Raleigh
Last Night.

New York, April 22.-Capt. ]. B.
Coghlin and his officers of the United
States cruiser Raleigh were entertained
at the Union League club last night.
The dining room was handsomely dec
GRATED with American and British flags
and ten large tables were weighted with
good things for the returned heroes of
Manila
President Elihu Root presided, and
after a speech of welcome, called for
three cheers for Admiral Dewey. They
were given so that the building seemed
to throb in sympathy. Three cheers
followed for Capt Coghlin. Almost
greater than either were the shouts of
approval when President Root called
for three cheers for the men behind the
guns
Capt. Cogh1in was called upon to
speak. He accepted, he said, all the
good things that have been said about
him and his men as being meant for
Admiral Dewey.
Every day we were with him. he
added, I'VE learned more and more to
love him, and more and more how the
countryS interests were safe in his
hands, and how he could do nothing but
that which would rebound to the coun-
try's credit. Through all those long
weary months of waiting and the most
outrageous nagging that anybody could
suffer, wearing him to the very bone
he held himself up and he held US up
with him.
Then Capt. Coghlin told the following
story of the admiral:
AN officer of our friend, Admiral Won
Diedrlch, came down one day to make
complaint 1t was my pleasure to
step out on the quarterback just as
ne came aboard. 1t was partly by acct
dent and partly by design. 1 heard him
tell the admiral about his complaint
and l heard the admiral reply:
Tell your admiral those ships of his
must stop when 1 say So 1 wish to
make the blockade of this harbor COM
plete.'
The German officer replied: But we
fly the flag
The reply of the admiral was just
like Dewey He said:
=" Those flags can be bought at half a
dollar yard anywhere
There was no fun in that expression
of the admiral He told the officer that
anyone could fly a German flag and
that whole Spanish fleet might come
down on him with German flags up
Then he drew back and stroked his
mustache. He has a great habit of
strokfng his mustache when he gets
mad. He said:
Tell your admiral I am blockading
here. Now note carefully what T saw
and tell your admiral that 1 say it, 1
have been making this blockade as easy
for everybody as L could, but am get
ting tired of the puerile work here. 1t
mas been Of such a character that a
man would not notice it, although chill
dren might fight over it; but the time
has come when it must stop. Tell your
admiral lhat the slightest infractiOn of
any rule will mean but one thing That
will be war. 1t will be so accepted and
resented Immediately. If your people
are ready for war with the United
States they can have it at any time
Il am free to admit that that almost
took my breath away. 1t came so sud
denly. We had expected it all along
but things you have been expecting al
ways come Unexpectedly. AS he left
with a face about this long Indicating
by holding his hands far apart the Ger
man said to me:
L think your admiral does not ex-
actly understands s
Not only does he understand'
told him, but he means what he saws
and you had better look out
After that they did not breathe more
than four times successfully without
asking permission"