The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-02-21
Considers Manila Bay
Narrative as Biased
and Unfair.
THINKS 1T ATTACK
ON NAVAL RECORD
Won Diederichs Decides to Break
Silence of Fifteen Years and
Make Open Statement Gov
ering Every Point in Re
ported Clash Between
Heads of Fleets.

Especial Cable to The Times -Dispatch.l
Berlin. February 2o.--Angered at
what he considers n biased and unfair
attack on his professional record. Ad
miral Won Diederichs has decided to
break the silence he has maintained for
fifteen years, and make an open reply
to Admiral Dewey's assertions.
The statement he is preparing will
be detailed and comprehensive. and
will cover every point in Dewey's mar
rativc, including both the alleged vio-
lations of neutrality and the personal
clashes between the heads of the Ger
man and American fleets. 1t will bo
made public at the the earliest possible
moment. probably in few days.
Although published as personal
statement, it will have n decidedly of
ficial character and authority. for 1t
will be submitted before publication
to the Imperial Admiralty, to the head
OF the Kaiser's naval cabinet, Ad-
iniral Won Mueller. and. presumably,
TO the Kaiser personally. a rough
draft of the document has already been
sent to the Foreign Office for criti-
cism and possible revision
Reply In Preparation.
The reasons prompting the admiral
to come out in public defense were
made known to-day. when the imperial
naval officer admitted that reply from
his pen was In preparation. There is
official authority for the statement
that Admiral Won Diederichs, In taking
this radical step, Is acting not only
with the full knowledge and approval,
but with the actual encouragement OF
high officials OF both naval and civil
| government.
hn
lication first came to the attention of
the Imperial government there was a
long consultation in high quarters, 1t
is understood, as TO the advisability
of taking some sort of official action,
either In the form of an open state
ment from the admiralty, or through
informal and friendly but explicit
| representations to Washington. 1t
was finally decided that the best way
to get an authentic German version
OF the Manila episode before the
American people and at the Same time
demonstrate Gcrmany's wish not to let
an old historical dispute cloud it's cor
dial relations with the United States,
was to allow reply to como from Won
Diederichs personally.
While the text of the statement Is
being carefully kept secret, It Is
understood that it will deal cxhaus-
lively with the International legal
situation developing in Manila Bay.
and seek to prove that the blame for
whatever mistakes may have been
committed there rests not with the
Germans. but with Dewey for his
failure to proclaim and maintain q
proper blockade.
No Official Action.
! The government" said high
naval official to-day. docs not con-
| slider this matter where official action
Is either desirable or necessary. The
| friction between Dewey and Won Died
erichs arose in the course OF an incl
dent long closed. and was without po-
| litical Significance. Won Diederichs as
the German official most directly con-
cerned and most familiar with the
facts. can safely be trusted to state
the German side of the case and dem
onstrate the entire correctness Of the
conduct OF the German fleet. Deweys
utterances have undoubtedly created
good deal Of astonishment here. For
an official of his high position pub
licly to criticise officials Of foreign
power is simply incomprehensible to
| uS.
In, the German navy such thing
position to give the affair official sig
niiacaSnee; mn however; p Won Diederich's re-
Meanwhile. Admiral Won Diederichs
is staying at Baden Baden. a tele-
gram sent to him to-day remained un-
answered His son. also a naval off
Ger. residing In Berlin, said his faith
| er had heretofore persistently refused
to, enter public discussion of the Ma
| nila incident; but In view of the speci-
| hc character of the assertions now
made, he felt called upon to speak.
To Avoid Unplcasantics.
There is manifest disposition In
| official circles to avoid anything which
| might give an unpleasant tinge to the
discussion of the Dewey articles.
The, parliamentary inquiry; which
| luston to the matter In the Relchstag
last evening, was wholly ignored by the
! newspapers closest TO the government.
Deputy Heckscher, OF Hamburg.
speaking in the Reichstag to-day, said
1t was Impossible that the cordial re-
lattons between the two countries
should be In any way affected by such
an incident. Certain other members,
however. were undoubtedly inclined to
resent DeWey's statement Whether
Won Tirpitz's casual reference to the
matter will have the intended effect OF
sidetracting formal Interpolation with
debate in the open house Is n question.
At the Foreign Ohice 1t was stated
that no official notice IS being taken
of the Dewey publications, although
there is n distinct possibility Tint Ain
bassador Won Bcrnstorff may take some
wholly informal action at Washington.