Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-18
Capital Sidelights

mark places hall0Wed by the memory
Of builders OF the Nation should be
preserved for postefity and the rapidly
increasing number Of travellers should
be religiously directed to them, Repre-
sentative Schuyler. o. Bland adyo-
Gates He Is trying to organize espe-
cially the people of Westmoreland
County (which has been called the
Athens OF Virginia) to form q co.
operative Organization. He pays trib-
ute TO tho leadership OF Mrs. Harry
r. Rust OF Washington in working
out plans for the preservation and
adornn1ent Of Wakefield, feature of
which II to be a replica Of the house
In which George Washington was
born.
"Stratford comes next, I advises Mr..
Bland. IAN association should be
formed for its acquisition whenever
IL may become possible to acquire It..
It Ii holy, and the money for this
work should be obtained. Chantilly
should be identified. marked and made
accessible. Leedstown should be con.
nected with the main highway by a
good road and the public should be
directed how to reach 1t. The site
Of Popes Creek Church should be
located and marked. The Lee burial
plot at Mount Pleasant should be
owned by some memorial or civic
association, 1t should be made aces
Eible by public road. The grave
yard should be beautified and adorned
with trees and shrubs and the grave
OF Richard Henry Lee should be
marked.
"The birthplace Of James Monroe
should be shrine and should be
marked. Yeocomico Church should
be fully restored. You cannot do all
Of this work by yourselves: but II you
will make a determined and an, intelli-
gent effort and II you will provide the
facilities. assistance will come from
unexpected sources. Posterity win rise
UP and call you blessed.
an 1928 1t might not be anliss to
celebrate the two hundred and sew
enty4ifth birthday of your county,
and in that way you could direct ma
tional attention to this historic county
and to the contribution to the re-
public. While in 1882 the Nation Is
celebrating the two hundredth ami
versary Of Gen. Washington's birth,
may we not stage here, on as elaborate
a scale as available funds viii permit,
some appropriate ceremonial to tell
the world that 1882 Is. also the two
hundredth anniversary of the birth
OF that pre.eminent statesman Rich
ard Henry Lee. His birth preceded
that of Gen. washington by only one
month and two days"
4 4 ~
An episode, not widely known, in
the naval operations In Manila Bay IL
described by Gen. p. c. Harris. who
filed the most important position of
adjutant general. Of the Army during
that crisis In our history, the period
OF the World War, as showing the
feeling of Germany toward the United
States even as far back as 1898. sup
porting the old adage that blood is
thicker than water" and showing the
mettle OF Admiral Dewey.
After the destruction Of the Span
ish fleet in Manila Bay, Admiral
Dewey established what might be
termed q. pacific blockade. He wished
to interfere as little as possible with
shipping and the movements OF for
eign naval vessels. All were permitted
to come and go at win during the
daytime, but vessels arriving or sail
ing out at night were required to re-
port to the patrol officer.
German cruisers not only deHber-
ately ignored these instructions, but
interfered along the coast Of LuzoIi
with the military operations OF the
Filipino insurgents. who were being
encouraged, and in some cases fur
nished with arms and ammunition,
by Admiral Dewey.
The German admiral's attention
was at f1rst politely called to the
action Of his cruiser commanders and
later in more emphatic language as
the infraction Of the regulations COM
tinued.
one day the German admiral. Won
Deitrick, called upon Sir Charles
Chichester, in command of the Brit
ish feet. and asked. What would
your British ships do in case we
should interfere In the American at
tack on Manila?'' To which Sir
Charles replied. well, ask Admiral
Dewey"
tested to Admiral Dewey against the
order recurring his ships to report
10 the patrol officer. Admiral Dewey
politeiy. but firmly, informed him:
ssThat is my order. II IL 10 dis
obeyed, It means war and I am pre-
pared to enforce II"
on August IS, when Admiral
Dewey was preparing to begin the
bombardmenf of the fortified portion
az the City Of Manila. the British
naval vessels, accompanied by the
Japanese, steamed out and took up
a position between the American
ships and those of foreign nations
at anchor in the bay. leaving no
doubt Of his meaning Wnen Sir
Charles Chichester told Won Deitrtck
to ask Admiral Dewey what he would
az Il the Germans attempted to in
terfere.
Needless to say, there was. no in
reference by the Germans.
4 + ~
There Is q glorious sroll wnicn
representative Richard Yates Of
Illinois loves to call. Here 1t Is:
Bunker Hill. Long Island. Brandy
wine. Valley Forge, Saratoga, Utah
Springs. Yorktown. In the days OF
1776. IN the day when George Wash
ington. In full uniform, knelt In the
snow behind the ragged, starving,
freezing camp at Valley Forge, In
the DAYS we fought q tyrant English
King. who could not speak English.
winfield Scott at Lundys Lane and
Brown al. Chippewa, and Boyd win
ming proud laurels At Fort George,
and old Pike dying triumphing at
Toronto, and Commodore Perry OH
Lake Erie and Commodore Nc
Donough on Lake Champlain, and
Andrew jackson, browning victory
with victory, with the 1000 squirrel
hunters from Kentucky and Tonnes
see, behind the cotton bales Of New
orleans.
I And Palo Alto and Resaca de la
Palma, and Buena Vista and Mon
terey, and Chapultepec and Old
Mexico. in the days when $4,000
American boys went out and fought
nation of 100000.