Bisbee daily review., 1908-05-02
ADMIRAL DEWEY CONGRATULATED !. ON ANNIVERSARY
Of the Battle of Manila Bay Ten Years Ago Yesterday The Changes It Has Wrought to the Country.
Special to The Review.)

WASHINGTON, D. C.. May LA bushel basket would not begin to hold the letters and messages of felicita- ton and good wishes that poured in upon Admiral George Dewey today on the tenth anniversary of the bat tie of Manila bay. Many of the mes sages were from personal friends. Others came from admirers scattered throughout the country. The unus- ual number of greetings was probably due in large measure to the appeal recently issued by the New York Alumni Association of Lafayette col lege, calling upon municipalities and institutions of learning throughout the United States to observe Dewey Day" by forwarding ga message of love and sympathy to the hero of Manila bay.
 The conflict in Manila bay on May l. 1898, wrought great charge in the career of the United States as a world power. However unforeseen may have been the events which fol- lowed, those in authority in 1898 were by no means unaware of the immedi- ate possibilities of the program which caused Commodore Dewey to hold his ships at Hongkong, where he had as sembled his force of the Asiatic squadron during the latter part of February. It is now well understood that the policy of strengthening and providing these ships with ammuni- ton was urged upon the government by Theodore Roosevelt, then assistant secretary of the navy. In view of the more immediately interesting events close at hand the operations in the Asiatic waters were almost for gotten by the general public.
 Only a languid interest was taken in the report that Commodore Dewey had been ordered by the British gov ernment to leave HoDgkong, although war had not then been formally de clared. When President Mckinley is- sued a proclamation of war Dewey sailed from Hongkong for Mfrs bay, a neighboring harbor. and there pre- pared for his work. The government ordered Dewey to attack and destroy the Spanish fleet. It was not known how dangerous this force might be to American shipping in the Pacific. In any event, the Philippine Islands were Spanish territory, and as such were open to attack as a means of weakening the enemy. Furthermore. Dewey was far from home and needed a harbor for his ships. No better shelter offered than the harbor of Manila.
 When the first news of the engage nent in Manila bay arrived, ten years ago today, after the first wave of national exultation came a feeling of apprehension. For the first time Il
 n a. force had engaged a foreign enemy, and the country wondered as to the cost of the victory. It was hoped that 1t would be light. The early re ports. relating the destruction of the Spanish fleet, indicated such heavy fire that the people dreaded lest the details would bring tid.ngs of heavy sacrifice of life on the victorious side. Commodore Dewey's prompt action in cutting the cable held off all details for days It was not until a week after the battle, on the 7th of May that the astounding news came that not a single life had been lost in the engagement. This remarkable dispar ity of results was perhaps the first revelation to the world of the great superiority not only of the American ships and guns, but of the American gunners as well. A short time later early in July, the demonstration was repeated, off Santiago, when the fleet under Admiral Sampson destroyed the Spanish vessels fleeing from har bor, and with the loss of only a sin gle American seaman.
 Ten years also have wrought a great changes in the fortunes of men who were in command on "Dewe
 Day" Admiral Dewey is now the ac l tive head of the American navy. Oi | the captains, none is now on the ac | tive list. CoghIan of the Raleigh was retired with the rank of rear admira
 and now makes his hom" in New