Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1902-07-03
m ADDITION 10 HISTORY.
Admiral Dewey Makes a State
ment Before the Senate Com
mittee On the Philippines
HIS RELATIONS WITH GEN. AGUlhALDO.
The Admiral Declares that When
Manila Surrendered 1t Was in
of n Definite Under
standing He Had With the Span
ish Governor General.

Washington, June 27.-Admiral
Dewey made a statement before the
senate committee on the Philippines
Thursday concerning the early opera
lions at Manila, when he was in COM
nand of the American naval force in
Philippine waters. The admirals
statement made an important addi-
ton to the history of the surrender
Of the city of Manila. This consisted
IF a positive statement by the adj
miral to the effect that the city had
been surrendered to him at the time
that the Spanish feet was sunk. and
that when the city did surrender it
was in pursuance to a definite I'M
derstanding between him and the
Spanish governor general.
The admiral was questioned by
Senator Lodge. He said he had first
heard from A~guinaldo and his friends
about April /, 1898, a month before
the battle in Manila bay, when it be-
came certain that there was to be
war.
81 then heard that there We're a
number of Filipinos who desired to
accompany the feet to Manila he
continued. "All of them were young
and earnest. l did not attach much
Importance to them or to what they
said. The day before we left Hong
Kong | received a telegram from
Consul-General Pratt, located at
Singapore, saying that A~guinaldo
was at Singapore, and would join me
at Hong Kong. l replied, All right;
tell him to come aboard but l at
tached so little Importance to the
message that I sailed without Agui
naldo and before he arrived. There
were then many promises as to wha'
the Filipinos would do, but l did moi
depend upon them. Consul Williams
assured me that, upon our arrival ant
the firing of the first gun, 10000 Fill
pinos would rise. None did rise, an(
/ frequently ioked him on this point
Admiral Dewey said the Spanish
governor wanted to surrender the
city to him after the destruction o
the feet, and that he dewey woult
have accepted the formal surrende.
if he had 5000 troops to garrison tn
city. He told about A%guinaldo's ar
rival. saying that he put him ashor'
and told him to organize his PEG
pie. Aguinaldo came back discour
aged, and wanted to go to Japan, bu
the admiral told him to continue hi
efforts.
Admiral Dewey said e~mphaticall,
that he never had recognized Agui
naldo's government, nor did he salut
Aguinaldo's flag.
The admiral said he had never Civ
en- the Philippine republic the slight
est recognition; that he had nc au
thority to do so, and did not conside
it an organized government. He salt
the Spaniards were fearful of thu
Filipinos entering Manila, and there
fore surrendered to him in advance
He said there was 10 need for TIL
loss of a man in the capture of TIL
city. No gun would have been fire.
but for the desire of the governor
who said his honor demanded that
few shots be fired, $50 I had to fir
and kill a few people," said the at
miral, but the Spaniards did not fire
because he Dewey had warned ther
not to do so.
The admiral said he never receive
a letter from Consul Pratt tellin
him he must cooperate with Agui
naldo. He added that Pratt wrote
number of foolish letters about tina
time.
Admiral Dewey said he had writtel
the navy department that the FIJI
pinos were more capable of self-goN
eminent than the Cubans, but he sa,
that congress contemplated giving il
dependence to Cuba, and he kne,
that the American people had it'll
information concerning the Filipino.