The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-05-10
THE GERMANS AND CAPTAIN
COGHLAN.

The Berlin ''Vossiche Zeitung" says:
Captain Coghlan's speech is a ridicu
1ous swindle. No one can doubt this
who knows what German marine Off
GERS would have done in the face of
such threats and insults. 1t is to be
hoped that either from the American
or the German authorities an official
report Of what actually occurred at Ma
nilla will be published. That sort of
American speaks through Coghlan in
whose head the easy victory over de-
crepit Spain has created kind of men,
tai disease, and yet the Americans can
pinos. 1t should be demanded that
Coghlan receive sharp punishment.
The Berlin "Kleine Journal says:
Their cheaply won military glory has
got into the head Of the American peo-
PIE. The Coghlan incident has both a
comic and a serious side. No one will
take the postprandial rodomontade Of
the somewhat elevated Captain serious
~. Good champagne, doubly good after
his experiences in the Philippines, must
bear the blame. One can not expect SO
much tact and discretion from the rude
fellows in the American navy as is re-
quired from our marine officers, edu-
Gated in principles of chivalry.
These and similar comments have
been shown to Captain Coghlan. But
the gallant commander stands to his
guns. He insists that the Americans in
Manila Bay were pestered, annoyed and
insulted constantly by the German
naval force and that only the firmness
vented an open conflict that might have
led to war between America and Ger
many Captain Coghlan said the other
day TO a representative of the New
Y ork Herald that while some of the
reports Of what he said at the banquet
Were garbled, he would not say that he
was incorrectly reported, the meaning
however, he adds, was twisted a. little:
What I said was true, however, and I
will repeat it if necessary. I said what
I did about a certain Power because
we felt it out there at Manila. We were
being nagged to death. They We're nag
ging Us, damn them. 1t might have
L.
had enough of it. 1 have read a good
deal in the newspapers about what oc-
Cured at Manila, and not one of them
has placed our gallant Admiral, George
Dewey, in a proper light. We felt the
nagging that was going on constantly.
That is the reason l thought we should
place the Admiral in proper light.
You all understand that the whole of us
grand old Admiral Dewey's anxiety and
felt the responsibility that he and we
were under We felt we were being
belittled in Manila. and we felt the nag
ging keenly The Admiral was a man
who could stand 1T and keep it up a
long time when all of US We're irrftated
almost TO impatience You can irritate
a man until you want to kill him. Well,
when the moment came he stopped
them. and they never moved another
hair I did think ard always will think
that we were that close (snapping his
fingers to killing them. No man in the
whole country was more able or more
ready to uphold the honor of our people
than grand old Admiral Dewey.
So it viii be seen that despite the
threat to cashier or rebuke him, Captain
Coghlan insists that he told the simple
Quoted themselves as to justify belief
that they wished to pick a quarrel with
the men Of the American fleet. While
it may be that they did not expect such
pect to worry officers and men and so
cripple our effectiveness as to afford
pretext for the German Admiral assum-
ing control over the Philippines under
the German flag and the plea of neces-
sity TO protect German interests.
Emperor William and the head of
the German marine have each denied
with emphasis that any orders We're
given or any liberties granted to the
nations representatives at Manila justi-
flying conduct on their part complained
of by Captain Coghlanl and, of course,
they deny also that the German officers
did anything wrong. But it remains
that there was friction: that Dewey
saw it would lead to tragic ends, and
hence he put his foot down firmly and
spoke to the Germans in a way that
conveyed his meaning without excess Of
words, that not until he did so, did the
annoyances and interferences cease. 1t
is more than strange that the German
Government has set on foot no inquiry
into the, matter and also that it has
not even reprinaanded the offending Of
A Il
denial the American people viii accept
the testimony of Captain CoghIan as
safe and correct
The undergraduates lay great
stress upon the term "a new war; in
their assault upon the Government for