The Washington times., 1901-07-09

! a word TO the Government he also mas
the honor OF having told Dewey to cper-
ate particularly against the Spanish fleet,
( 50 that the famous commander knew full
well that he was not 10 fire upon the Ger
man or any other fleet. He also said
capture vessels or destroy" Dewey.
having his choice. captured the vessels in
stead OF destroying them.
Rear Admiral CrowninshieId's state
ment, issued yesterday. is as follows:
'On the forenoon of Sunday April D.
1898, / went over with my son ana his
cousin TO the Arlington Golf Links To see
them play a round OF golf. About the
time they had finished / noticed the Sec
retary Of the Navy and Mrs. Long driv-
up the road passing the golf links, and !
walked over to their carriage and had
short conversation with the Secretary
who informed me that he was going out
into the country to spend the day.
Soon after 1 returned TO my home in
1 Washington, where l was informed that
Lieut. Il H Whittlesey, an officer on duty
in the Bureau Of Navigation, had called 10
see me during my absence with an i'm
pOTtant despatch. a short time after,
Lieutenant Whittlesey again called with
the despatch in question, which was from
Admiral Dewey to the Secretary of the
Navy, stating that the Governor OF Hong
kong had notified him that he must leave
that port with the force under his COM
mand within forty-cight hours.
'Deeming that it was Of the greatest
soon as possible To Admiral Dewey, took
the despatch TO the " hite House and laid
il before the President The President
suggested that the preparing of a reply
should be put of until the Secretary re
turned to the city. but ! urged upon the
President the importance of sending a
despatch to Admiral Dewey. who was un-
1 doubtedly anXi0usly waiting instructions.
L also informed the President that a part
Of day had elapsed since Admiral Dewey
had received the notice from the Governor
of NHHaHnr -.
ment We were talking. already Monday
morning il Hongk0ng
The President then directed me 10 90
and ind Mr. Long. the Secretary of the
Navy. and Judge Day, the Secretary of
State. and bring them to the White
House. procured q cab and drove TO the
Portland, the residence of Seer. tary Long,
where was Informed that he was still alb
sent and was not expected back until later
n the day. ! then d=oVe to the residence
OF Secretary Day, whom I found at home,
and 10 whom / deliv vsred the Presidents
message. Secretary Day got into the car
rage vi. me and We drove 10 the White
House, stopping en- route at the residence
Of Assistant Secretary % State Adee,
where We were informed that the latter
was at the State Department.
Upon arriving at the White House
secretary Day requested that ! should
go to the Navy Department and remain
near the telephone. as he would probably
Send for me in fifteen or twenty min
utes- / proceeded u the Navy Depart
phone message from the White House TO
come there. Upon striving at the White
House ! was shown 20 the western end
of the upper corridor, where the Presi-
dent was sitting with the following per-
sons: Secretary Day, Attorney General
Griggs. Senator Hale. and enc other pos
sibly Secretary Rliss, though ] am not
sure The late Senator Davis joined the
party later
"A discussion of the despatch from
Admiral Dewey and the reply which
l. .,I-g
when ! arrived. ant in which ! took part
for several minutes. The President then
turned 10 Attorney General Griggs and
said: 'Griggs. you write despatch for
Dewey TO proceed 10 Manila and attack
the Spanish naval force assembled there
Nhereupen Attorney General Grlggs
know how 70 write tha5 better than / do;
you 60 and write it. You VIII ind some
blanks IN the Cabinet room.
T. at once. proceeded 10 the Cabinet
room, where ! met Mr.. Hayes, son of
ex-President Hayes. who was visiting at
the White House; he got me some blanks
and a pencil and ! sat down and wrote
the despatch which was snt 10 Admiral
Dewey. Returning 10 the Presidential
party ] handed the despatch J had pre-
pared to Attorney General Grggs, who
after reading IL over. said il was salts
factory and handed il 70 the President
who read II aloud.
The only change that was made in the
despatch as J wrote it was the addition
destroy; the despatch as originally writ
ten by me contained bat one Of these
words, but which one ] do not recall
With this change the President approved
Of the despatch and returned il to me
with the remark that h preferred that 1t
should not be sent until II was seen 10y
the Secretary of the Navy. ] then said
to the President that ] would take the
despatch TO the Navy Department and
have IL put in cipher ready for The Sec
retary's signature upon his return TO the
Il then went over 70 the Navy Depart
ment handed the despatch 20 Lieutenant
Whittlesey and directed him to 90 ahead
ana put IL into cipher and take II 10 the
Portland as soon as the Secretary return
I'd for his signature Lieutenant Whittle-
sey reported 70 me the same evening
that the Secretary had signed the de-
spatch and that II had been sent
Secretary Long said yesterday that his
recollection was that the despatch from
Admiral Dewey saving that he had been
requested TO leave Hongkong by tho Brit
ish Governor there had not been received
until after the famous order 10 proceed
TO the Philippines had been sent - Dewey,
and in support Of this he pointed to the
only message on the subject from Dewey
printed in the volume Of war correspond
ence This message was dated HongkOng,
April % whereas the order for Dewey to
proceed to the Philippines was sent from
Washington on April "A. II was, there
fore. the Secretary's opinion that the or
der 10 Dewey was not called forth by
telegram saying that the American ships
had been ordered TO leave Hongkong.
An examination Of the original files Of
the Navy Department was made after
the Secretary had expressed this opinion
and a despatch from Admiral Dewey,
dated April %. saying he had been noti-
fed 10 leave Hongkong and asking for
instructions, which had been received at
the Navy Department on the morning Of
April p. was found. Through an over
sight it was omitted from the printed
volume Of war dispatches. II was this
despatch 10 which Rear Admiral Crownin-
shield refers IN his statement 1t is given
herewith for the first time.
''Hongkong. april D. 1898.
THE Governor of HougkOng. by direc-
tion of the Secretary OF State for the
Colonies, has notified me that a war be-
tween the United States and Spain exists.
He requests ships TO leave within forty
eight hous. The Instructions Df the de-
paTtment are requested in regard 10.
ssDEyKE EY -