Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-11-17
POET PROPHESIED
DEWEY'S GLORY
Rollicking Verses of Farewell
Twenty Years Ago Tonight
Forecast Commodore's Re-
turn as Admiral
BY HERBERT JOHNSTON /,

rative OF the eve of Waterloo in Belsium's
capital:
Her splendid naval chivsiry. and brsht ..-
The lamps shone o'er bronzed features OF brave
The occasion Of this memorable assem-
blage of sea warriors and seasoned men OF
AFFAIRS was dinner rendered to George
Dewey by his fellow members of the Met
ropolitan Club, OF Washington, d. c. The
date was November II, 1897, twenty years
ago today.
The feast was spread the night before
the late Admiral (then Commodore)
Deweys departure from Washington to take
command Of the Asiatic station and naval
forces Of the United states. This was an
assignment. by the way that some per-
sons presumably versed in Navy Depart
ment affairs viewed with suspicion that
II was designed for the shelving OF
gallant officer who was reputed to have
preference for an Atlantic command
Whether this was true or not is unimpor-
tant after the lapse of two decades and
in the light of what followed the detail
Of the doughty fighter to a Far Eastern
post OF duty. Neither does 1t matter much
whether or not the Commodore, az some
believed, accepted with reluctance the berth
to which he was assigned by the Secre-
tary of the'Navy, John u. Long
No Provision of War
1t may truly he said. however, on the
strength Of contemporary accounts OF the
event. that II Dewey had any regrets and
assumed his new command unwillingly
there was no appearance of such d frame
of mind in the demeanor of the future
hero of Manila Bay or Of resentment on
the part of his comrades assembled on
the night of November II, 1897, 10 wish
him godspeed. The shadow of war II
perhaps it had made its presence known
in the political skies during the latter days
of the second Cleveland Administration and
the early part of McKinleys as result
of the bushwhacking campaign down in
cuba, was hardly larger than mans
hand Intervention by Uncle Sam was not
regarded as probable except by COM
psratvey few "nrebrands" on the floor of
Congress and scattering of Cuban SYM
pathiZers in the southern part of the coun-
try and elsewhere The Washington Gov
ernment itself had held aloof, outwardly
at least from these indignant critics of
Spanish malevolence We were technically
and actually at peace with the Queen Re-
gents Government; the Du Puy de LONE
incident had not come to pass: the Ill
fated battleshp Maine had not been blown
up. had not even started on her peaceful
mission TO Havana harbor.
Therefore II was that Commodore Dewey
and his naval and civilian comrades, as
they sat at the festal board, had no pre-
vision of an epoch making event which Fate
had scheduled for only a few months later
They could not foresee the guest of the
evening, with what the German Emperor
doubtless would have dubbed his ICON
temptibe little squadron" playing the
momentous part that was to make the name
OF Dewey illustrious In naval annals. Little
was 1t suspected that within less than six
kl,t. t1nt t,tsrht t1,. ha.,f ,.t
hall the modest sailor whom his hosts were
honOrng would take his place in the lime
light that illumines the names of Farragut.
his Civil War commander: Of Porter. "of
gunboat renown"; of Decatur, of Balm
bridge of Perry of Lawrence, Of the long
line of worthless dating back to Revolu-
tionary days, when John Paul Jones and
John Barry electrified Europe and the world
with deeds of naval valor, and which
who knows?-may yet cast its brilliant
glow over a Sims and other of our present
day heroes to whom has fallen the praise
worthy task of driving the German pirate
from his lair.
The Dewey dinner gave no hint OF bat
ties magniHcently stern array" 1t was a
night OF good cheer and jollity. Our Uncle
Samuel had not unsheathed his sword in
defense of the oppressed Cubans, had
given no concrete evidence of an intention
to do so. Else when he assigned the Com
modore to the Asiatc station, with an eye
a an objective Of strategic value and naval
importance in the event Of an unpleasant
ness with Spain, he might have equipped
Dewey with a more impressive body OF
fighting ships than the squadron over which
the Commodore hoisted his flag on arrival
at this Far Eastern post
A Poetic Tribute
Was 1t species Of clairvoyance that
prompted one Of Dewey's Metropolitan
cubmates, Archibald Hopkins. clerk Of the
Court of Claims and affectionately known
to his intimates as Archie" to pen these
good-by verses which he read at the dinner
Of twenty years ago?
Fill your glasses full tonight.
The wind is off the shore.
And be II feast or be 1t fight.
Well pledge the Commodore.
On broad PACIFIC seas
AT anchor OF the Isle OF Palm,
Or with the JAPANESE
Ashore. anoat. on deck below.
Or where our bulldogs roar.
To SsGF n,ess friend a. or ,Smmn,a, SreSst foe
We know our honorIl be sustained
Whereer his pennant flies:
Our rights respected and maintained
Whatever power defies.
And when he takes the homeward tack,
We'll hall the day that brinss him back.
And have another jag
How could Archie know. how could he
suspect as he and his fellows pledged the
Commodore" that within few months the
subject of the foregoing hymn Of praise was
going to perform the deed in Manila Bay
that set the world agape with wonder? How
could Hopkins forecast the Won Diedrichs
incident, wherein the insolence Of a Ger
man admiral, doubtless the protagonist Of
the Won Tirpitz Of today, was met and dis
dained by the American naval hero In a
manner that is recalled with especial relish
at this time and which did assuredly "sus-
tain our honor" and maintain our
rights?"
Again. how could the poet of the banquet
board figure 1t out with such accuracy that
the guest to whom he and his comrades said
good-by In rollicking verse would take the
homeward tack beneath the admirais flag
and become so enshrined in his fellow coun-
trymen's hearts that the Gag" forecast in
| the last line of Archies verses took on d.
mensions the size of which still forms the
| subject of "reminiscences to many Philadel-
| phians who visited New York at the time OF
| the Dewey reception?