The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-01
DEWEY THREATENED WAR WITH GERMANY, DECLARES ADMIRAL V0n Diedrichs Replies to Statements in Manila
 Ep0side DECLARES DEWEY UNDULY SUSPICIOUS American Admiral Worked Himself Into Passion Thinking Ger
 many Was Hindering
 the Blockade

Berlln, February 2S.-A dmiral von Died 1ichs replied in print today to quoted statements made by Admiral Dewey re- garding the exciting incidents between the American and German naval com manders in Manila bay during the Span ish-American war The reply of Il ,0oC words is published in the official Marine Rundschau.
 It contains the report of the visit made to Admiral Dewey on July 10, 1898, by the then flag Lieutenant Won Hintz, who is DOW German minister to Mexico.
 It is indicated from ihs report that Admiral Dewey threatened the Germans with war if they did not cease their in- reference with the blockade regulations, and if they refused to permit the Ameri- cans to make the inquiries necessary to establish the identity of neutral war ships
 Says Dewey Was Nervous
 Von Diedrichs says
 Admiral Dewey gradually talked him. self into a passion He said:
 "'Why l shall stop every vessel, what ever may be her colors. And if she does not stop I shall fire at her. And that means war, do you l,r, 2. chat, sir?' VJhen the phrase, If Ger,aany wants war, etc., occurred again l took my leave.
 ''I was under the impression that this in itself trivial incident as it were, put a match 10 a mas sof explosives, which long had been accommodating in Admiral Dewey's mind from suspicion, rumor and newspaper articles.
 The remainder of Admiral Von Died richs statement is virtually a repetition in amplified form of the interview he gave the Associated Press a few days ago.
 Admiral Won Diedrichs makes the com ment that Admiral Dewey must have known d declaration Of war did not de- Iend on either admiral. He attributes Admiral Dewey's conduct toward Flag aLieutenant Non Hintz to nervousness aIsing from the weight of responsibility testing on him as commander of the blockading fleet and from the rumors reaching him in regard to the falsity of the Germans.
 The German admiral took up promptly Admiral Dcv Ny's assertion that it was his right ah,. duty to communicate with all vessels entering the port of Manila and to make such inquiries as were neces- sary to establish their identity. Admiral Dewey had declared that the showing of colors by the vessels was inadequate since the display of false colors was a common ruse in war.
 The correspondence between Admiral
 Dewey, Admiral Von Diedrichs and Ad- miral .hichester of the British fleet is re- produced textualy. On July H. 1898 the German admiral denied Admiral Dewey s
 right of visitation and sent copies of
 his letter to all the foreign commanders in order to ascertain their views Ac- cording to the German commander the
 French, Austrian, Japanese and British commanders shared his opinion although Admiral Chichester required some per
 suasion and endeavored to demonstrate
 that Admiral Dcwey's pretensions were
 justified.
 Ends Correspondence
 The letter of July F, from Admiral Vor
 Diedrichs to Admiral Dewey, which ends the correspondence. shows that the two commanders were substantially in accord in regard to the procedure in connection with warships arriving at Manila The variance of opinion was chiefly as to the interpretation of the word Inquiries which the German admiral interpreted as an investigation to establish the truth oi the neutral commanders word. In his letter Admiral Won Diedrichs accepts Admiral Deweys disavowal of the claim to the right of visiting neutral warships and accepts his pretention of right to enter into communication with ships com. ing into Manila bay. This was to bt done by signal, ,hailing o. the exchang. board neutral warships.
 Admiral Von Diedrichs sent the cruise, kalserin Augusta to meet the Cormoran which was expected to reach Manila ant
 to inform her of the situation. The tw, vessels, according to a letter from a Ger. man petty officer, came up the bay cleared for action, but the Americans did not attempt to demand their identification This incident, says Admiral Von Died 1 erichs, cleared him of the suspicion O. yielding hairs breadth to Admira Dewey's demands. He had not ordered the vessels to clear for action, he said Afterwards Friendly l The relations between the German an, American admirals were afterward nor, | friendly. Finally, on July 3l, the text O | the German-American agreement mad | in Washington reached him, accordin, | to which the names of German warship | must be communicated through diplomats | channels before their arrival in the block | aded harbor. Afterward it was necessar,
 to signal only the name of the ship upol passing the blockade
 1 In summing up the matter Admiral Vol Dedrichs says:
 | Admiral Chichester expressed the opin
 ion that Admiral Dewey had bean mad suspicious of the Germans by outside in | fuences-namely, Manila gossip-but nor or less malicious reports coming from tn l shore cannot explain an incident li1 | that descNbed by Flag Lieutenant Vo, | Hintz which is exceptional in the inter course of representatives of modern civ | iized nations. ''I repeatedly asked myself how sucl | ugly misunderstanding could arise be tween the openly well intentioned Ad miIal Dewey--who was always trying l.
 moderate the rieors of the blockade fo | those innocently suffering-and me. wh was always sincerely endeavoring to mee | all the wishes of the commander of tn
 blockadng fleet up to the limit which tn ] honor of the flag sets. l can see onl, the following explanation:
 i ''The misguided population of Manila re peatedly expressed with southern exag geraton unjustifiable hope of Germa ! assistance and thereby awakened wid | suspicion of Germany's intentions. | Many newspapers. particularly the
 English ones on the east Chinese coast
 devoted themselves zealously to nuitur | ing this suspicion
 1 Admiral Dewey with an insufficien 1 force, was confronted with the doubl task of holding down defeated enem ! and preventing the rebels from attackin | this enemy without attracting their hos 1 tility. Under the pressure of heavy re sponsibiity his mistrust grew to anxiou l jealousy when by chain oe unfortunat events several German ships under a | officer Of higher rank than his own ar ' rived in Manila.
 'I regard it as certain omilater pres 1 reports and other sources thft malicou l trouble makers famed this Suspicion am l it was even related that Admiral Dewe