Slike strani
PDF
ePub

THE BLOW FROM BEHIND

CHAPTER I

DEWEY AND OUR INTERNATIONAL OBLIGATIONS

HOW CAREFULLY WE PREPARED FOR MANILA BAY

On the 27th of January, 1898, about three weeks before the destruction of the Maine, a cable message was sent by the Navy Department to Commodore Dewey, who commanded our Asiatic Squadron, directing him to retain all of his men whose enlistments had expired. On February 25th, Mr. Roosevelt, then Assistant Secretary of the Navy, sent another cable to Dewey directing him to assemble his fleet at Hong Kong at once, to retain the Olympia, which had been previously ordered back to San Francisco, and to be thoroughly prepared for offensive operations in the Philippine Islands in case of war with Spain.

On the following day, Dewey was ordered to

fill every bunker of his fleet with the best coal he could obtain. On the 3rd of March the Mohican was sent to Honolulu from San Francisco with a cargo of shot, shell and powder, and the Baltimore was ordered from China to meet her at Honolulu, transfer that cargo to her own lockers and then steam for Hong Kong as fast as she could.

On the 19th of April, a great day in American history, since 1775, and a day that will be as great in the annals of Cuba, Porto Rico and the Philippines, for it will mark the beginning of the struggle that gave them their freedom, as it does that of the struggle that gave us ours, Congress passed the resolution declaring war with Spain; and that night five hundred American sailors climbed over the sides of our fleet in the far-away harbor of Hong Kong, and proceeded to daub a new coat of dark, dirty, drab paint over the snow-white that had covered our ships for thirty years.

Two days later, on the 21st of April, the Baltimore, with her great load of ammunition, came rolling into Hong Kong, clear from Honolulu, her race against time well won. Her precious cargo was divided up with the greatest. haste among all of our ships; and the Baltimore was put into dry

dock, cleaned, painted and floated out, all in fortyeight hours' time. On that very day, England notified the United States that, under the international laws of neutrality, Dewey must leave Hong Kong. He was ready and, although he had the right to take twenty-four hours, he took one, and left at two o'clock that very afternoon, moving about thirty miles from British jurisdiction into purely Chinese waters. Here, two days later, on April 26th, there was flashed around the world to him, this message:

"DEWEY, Asiatic Squadron:

"War has commenced between the United States and Spain. Proceed at once to Philippine Islands. Commence operations at once, particularly against the Spanish fleet. You must capture vessels or destroy. Use utmost endeavors.

"LONG."

And the next day Dewey started for Manila. Not a moment had been lost; and, when the time came for the struggle, there we were, waiting, in perfect condition, without a thing left undone. It is a record of which to be proud.

It is unnecessary to state, at any length, what happened in Manila harbor on May 1, 1898. In

« PrejšnjaNaprej »