The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1913-08-20
J0TTINGS OF
WORLD JOURNEY
Review Tourists Tell Of Manila Bay
and Recount Dewey's Activities
-Spaniards' "13" Warships
MANILA IS NOW A GREAT CITY
Sunday Is the Big Day There and the
Cock Pits Are Always Alive
With Spectators Then.

1t surely was fine to slip into Ma
Mia bay out of the rough sea. At
night we went in but not with the
anxiety OF Admiral Dewey, although
according to some English friends on
our boat, Dewey had no occasion to
be troubled in any way, for said one
to another, "That Dewey victory was
nothing. He had only few old tubs
to 20 up against" Well, he filled
them for washing day, only they
do not wash in tubs out in the Phil
ippines. They scorn the tub if they
can find rock on which to pound the
garments to shreds. Such sight is
familiar in all the countries of the
far east, although Indian differs some
what in that the men do large part
of the washing and as they pound,
they call upon their gods to hear and
assist. Then after washing the clothes
are spread out on the ground to dry
SoAAASD
good of washing at all.
But let US see, we were talking
about Dewey and the night he slipped
into Manila bay with all his lights
extinguished so as to save expense to
the government.
Now the world was saying, "You
watch that fine Spanish fleet clean
the waters of the American gun
boats" OF course no one suspected
Admiral Dewey would be 50 foolish as
to try and cross the mines into Ma
Mia bay nor engage fleet twice the
size of his own, but Dewey did not
know any better than to just stick his
nose into that quiet water to see what
was going on. So on that night he
slipped in between Corrigedor and
Carrabao and then between ElFraile
and the main land with only six
cruisers. Yes, that is all, and inside
was the Spanish commander with
thirteen war ships waiting for him.
But there was the difficulty. Had
they cut the number of their fighting
vessels down to twelve, or added an
other, making fourteen, there might
have been some show. But thirteen!
No man could win with such num-
Der and Spain ought to have realized
that in the first place. You see the
victory was not because of any SUI
perior knowledge on Dewey's part,
even though he had been in the serv,
ice nearly forty years, but because
of that unlucky number.
The nations, of course, did not know
about that until after the battle, sc
they were declaring that no fleet
could pass over the mines guarding
Manila bay, and live, and that in the
open sea the Americans would surely
lose out because the Spanish fee
was larger and stronger than the
American, and the Spaniards borr
seamen and fighters.
When it was over and Dewey haC
presented Spain with the biggest sub
marine navy in the world, the folk:
began to say other things ''to mum
erOus to mention"
Now it is true Dewey did make {
mistake. The night he came sailing
into the bay he should have stopped
long enough to have hailed the Span
ish commander who was on the bridge
of the lighthouse at Corrigedor, the
safest place he could find, so scared
he did not know who he was or wha
he was doing. Now, Dewey should
have hailed this good brother anc
said: See here, old fellow, lets make
this interesting. You touch off one
of the mines under the last boat that
comes over and send few hundred
men skyward. l will proceed, the
warning already having been given
to engage the enemy, and after see
ing to it that most of the men on both
sides are killed, your admiral and my
self will make terms and the world
will say: "The greatest naval con
flict of the 10Th century" Yes
Dewey, you made a mistake, for the
general was there and if he could not
"for scare" have answered, the Fill
Pine lighthouse keeper, who stood by
his side and is still there, could have
answered for him. And the mines
were there and the Spanish command
er was looking your way and wonder
ing if you would have sense enough
not to fire at lighthouse. No, you
just pushed right on and in the morn
ing engaged the fleet, and after you
had made it all one sided you did an
other thing that nations under such
circumstances do not do. You sent
word to the home government, 81 have
destroyed the Spanish fleet in Ma
Mia bay and am now caring for