The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-03-01
Won DIEDERICHS HITS
AT DEWEY IN REPLY
German Declares All Statements
Of Manila Incidents
Are False.
WAR THREAT BY AMERICAN
Admiral Says Dewey Lost Tenn
per and Wanted to
Fight.
WAR THREAT BY AMERICAN

answer TO the statements
made by Admiral Dewey In his autobiog-
raphy. which will be published next week
IN the official Marine Rundschdu, was
made public in the daily press to-day. 1t
is entitled. Personal Comments Upon the
OF Admiral Dewey
Admiral Won Dlederchs emphatically
denies some Of the allegations made by
others, but attributes these statements |
largely to Admiral Dewey's alleged faulty |
memory and misconceptions and perhaps |
to false and biasscd reports which were
made to him.
Beginning with telling how he came to
be ordered 10 Manila. Admiral Won DIE
derichs says he arrived at Corregidor
Island on his flagship Kaiserin Augusta
on June IL. IL found" he says. mo In
d,catons OF a blockade. The entrance so
far as we could determine was not
guarded by warships The American
ships were off Cavlte, twenty-five miles
away.
las we go. near an officer from the
Olympia. the American flagship came
aboard with Admiral Dewey's compll-
m,nts Nothing was said to us OF
blockade
Denies Existence Of Blockade.
Referring to the dispute between HIM
self and Admiral Dewey as 10 whether or
not proper blockade declaration mad
been made. Admiral Won Diederichs says:
"a blockade declaration in accordance
with the sense Of international law. or
communication that a blockade had been
declared. especially an official commune
cation from the American side, direct or
indirect, was not made either to our Con-
sui or TO me"
Admiral Won Diederichs then goes on to
describe the complicated conditions at the
fusion and adds.
"In view OF this I endeavored to avoid
everything which could offend the block
aders so long az the honor Of our flag was
not threatened thereby. Everything that
IA. been written or said in contradiction
OF this has been based on erroneous as
symptoms. misconceptions or calumny. As
for political instructions. ! had none.
The only utterance OF the Foreign ONCE on
the Philippine question which came to my
knowledge was that the Kaiser distinctly
rcpudiated the idea OF German protec-
,orate over the Philippines"
Admiral Won Diederichs draws the con-
illusions from Admiral Dewey's book that
the American Admiral did not make re-
ports to Washington on the German-Amer-
lean incidents at the time and that there
is nothing on record at Washington about
them. As FOR his own actions Admiral
Won Diederlchs says:
MY words or actions TO which any
! service OF official Importance could be at
! tached are IN the records Had Admiral
Dewey done likewise the extraordinary
errors of memory in his version would
probably have been avoided"
"No, Friendly with sp.n,.rd.."
Admiral Won Diederichs repudiates Ad-
mral Deweys implied lack OF knowledge
OF the laws in regard to a blockade on the
part OF the German officers and declares
that such lack Of knowledge was not on
the German side. Admiral Won Diederichs
characterizes the paragraph on page ?6e
OF Admiral Dewey's book to the effect that
the German officers frequently landed AT
| Manila and we're on cordial terms with
the Spanlards as containing almost as
many errors as sentences" He also de-
MES Admiral Dewey's assertion that the
Germans landed men at Mariveles "a
drill.
In regard to the dispute he had will
Admiral Dewey as to whether or not th'
latter had the right to board and search
neutral warships arriving at Manila, Ad
miral Won Diederchs says the AmericaJ
Admiral talked himself into heated anger
He quotes Admiral Dewey as saying;
I'm stop each vessel. whatever he
colors. IL she does not stop I'll fire an'
, that means war, do you know, sir"'
Admiral Won Diederichs continues: "A
, he repeated the phrase III Germany want
war took my leave"
Summarizing what he thinks are Ad
mral Dewey's principal errors Admira
, Won Diederichs denies that he had al
, exchange OF views on international Law
with Admiral Dewey prior to July 10
He denies that he ever considered or spok
of q conference of the senior officers O
, neutral warships. He declares that wha
4 Admiral Dewey alleges Capt Chichester
= the British commander. said is in shar
D contrast to what Capt, Chichester toll
him (Von Diederichs). and therefore GU
, OF respect for the British officer he mus
= assume that the error was made by Ad
miral Dewey.
"Dewey's Version O6ensive."
Referring to another statement by Ad
miral Dewey Admiral Won Diederich
says:
'The cruiser Cormoran was neve
stopped by the McCulloch. II was tn
Irene. The commander of the latter yes
v sci officially reported that not shot wa
: fred at the Irene. This was cOrroborate
A by Lieutenant Commander Pohl. the nav
: cation officer. Neither did the Irene deviat
from her course. Admiral Dewey's versio
of this matter 10 offensive to the Germa
Q officers and must be sharply repudiated.
!, Admiral Won Diederichs credits Admlrs
Dewey with the best of intentions an
attributes the m,sunderstandings to tn
talk of miHled public opinion at Manili
4 together with deliberate attempts to wor
4 up Admiral Dewey against the Germans.
I ALI. east COAST' POINTS BEACHk
= by IN. Y. q FLORIDA SPECIAL"
Ts.ins Daily. isis Bway Tel Mod 81. i4s