The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1918-05-03
Washington Letter.
BATTLE OF MANILA BAY 20
YEARS AGO

reSpoHuence) Twenty years ago TO
day Admiral Dewey consummated the
task assigned him by Theodore Roose
velt, "to seek the enemy fleet and de-
stroy it," Before that historic event
all the world had been spelling the
name of the principal port in the Phil
ippines Manila" AS soon as Official
reports of the battle had been pub.
lished, the world learned that it hat
been in error, and the people of this
country took great delight in declaring
that dewey knocked IL out of Ma.
nila."
Many thought at the time, and per.
haps still think, that after Dewey had
accomplished the task assigned, he
should have sailed away, leaving the
Philippines to their fate, and avoiding
what later came to be known as "The
white mans burden" But Dewey
didn't. He wasn't the "sail away
kind He stuck around that vicinity
and subsequent events have fully dem
onstrated his wisdom as a statesman
as well as his courage and skill as a
III oI ilS
1t will be remembered that soon af-
ter Dewey took possession of Manila
Bay, German fleet came quietly in
fleet superior in strength to that
which Dewey commanded. 1t was un-
der the command of Admiral Won
Diedrichs. Dewey made a courteous
inquiry as to the reason why fleet
superior to his own had come upon the
scene, and the German admiral replied
that he was there "by order of the
Kaiser" With continued courtesy,
Dewey informed Won Diedrichs that if
Germany was seeking war, she could
have it.
In accordance with his rights under
international law, and in order to pro-
tect the interests of the United States,
Dewey established certain port regula-
tions, particularly with a view to en-
forcing the blockade. He assigned
each visiting ship to a particular an
chorage. One of Won Diedrichs' sub
ordinates was careless or insolent in
observing the regulations and was no
titled by Dewey that he would fire upon
the first vessel of whatever nationality
that disobeyed the rules. He did, in
fact, fire across the bow of a ship
moving into forbidden waters. There
was no further trouble and as soon as
he could do so without seeming to have
been driven out, Won Diedrichs steam
ed away.
There has been an important disclo-
sure since that time, in connection
with the visit of the German fleet. It
seems that Germany had long coveted
the Philippines, and, when war broke
out between Spain and the United
States, closed bargain for the pur-
chase of the Islands, having first con-
vinced Spain that she would probably
lose them anyway. Won Diedrichs'
mission was to take possession and
assume the position of Governor-G Cen
eral. Having a superior naval force
and armed with paper title to the Is
lands, the German admiral would very
likely have secured possession of the
whole Philippine archipelago if he had
been dealing with man of procrasti-
mating or pacifist inclinations. Dewey
did no watchful waiting nor was he
too proud to fight. He promptly sent
an ultimatum, and as a consequence
had no fighting to do. Won Diedrichs
knew his man.
At this distance of time and under
present circumstances, we can more
fully appreciate the value of Dewey's
services in sticking to the Philippines
after he captured them, and in stand
ing by his rights in Manila Bay. Had
the Philippines been German pos
session from 1898 to 1914, Germany
would have developed in that period a
naval force sufficient to operate from
Manila Bay as rendezvous. The
story of the present war, prolonged
as it has been in the face of many ad-
vantages against Germany, might
have been ended in Germany's favor.
A perspective Of 20 years gives to
the figure of Admiral Dewey larger
and more conspicuous place in the
panorama of American history.
What is known as the Railbow Di-
vision, composed of 81 industries, is a
Government grouping made for the
assignment of subscription quotas to
the Liberty Loan. Of that number SO
are engaged in the manufacture of
commodities in which the Democratic
party in 1913 bid most earnestly for
foreign competition by passing the
present near-free-trade tariff law. A
0th-tobacco-was given protection
because it was Southern product. In
that year Mr.. Wilson and Mr.. McAdoo
and Mr.. Redfield, and all those now be-
seeching these industries to come
across, were squirting Congress to the
enactment of law which in 10 months
Of free action so paralyzed business
that it took nearly two years of colos-
sal war traffic to restore prosperity to
the country. Representatives of these
industries stood before the Congress
sional Committees praying that no act
should be passed which would break
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