Jasper County Democrat, Volume 2, Number 27, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 October 1899 — WARSHIPS ASSIGNED TO MANILA [ARTICLE]

WARSHIPS ASSIGNED TO MANILA

President Acte on Dewey’* Advice So Strengthen the Fleet. By the advice of Admiral Dewey the cruiser Brooklyn, the gunboats Marietta and Maehias and several other war vessels are being prepared for a trip to the Philippines to augment the naval forces already there. Admiral Dewey is said to have strongly urged a much larger and more important fleet for the Philippines, contending that it was necessary to make the blockade of the islands more effective. He favors an aggressive land campaign, and believes that this, with a vigorous blockade, to cut off the supplies that have been regularly smuggled to the Filipinos, will shortly reduce them to submission, as the only alternative of starvation. In addition to the vessels now being made ready for the journey, the cruisers New Orleans and Albany, the Monocacy and the gunboat Nashville may lie sent. Acting Secretary Allen telegraphed orders to the cruiser Nashville, at San Domingo, Thursday,- to proceed to San Juan, P. It., and coal with ail dispatch, and then proceed to Gibraltar on her way to join Admiral Watson at Manila. At the same time orders were sent to the Brooklyn and the New Orleans to prepare to leave as soon as possible for the Philippines, via tile Suez canal. Orders ■were also sent to San Francisco to prepare the Badger to cross the Pacific as soon as practicable. Acting Secretary Allen also telegraphed to Boston to prepare the Bancroft for sea immediately. The Maehias nnd Marietta will .also be ordered to start for Manila in the course of a week or two, and probably the Annapolis. The orders, it is officially explained, are due to Admiral Dewey’s advice that every vessel of the navy that can be spared from other duty be added to Watson’s fleet, with the view of crushing out the rebellion as rapidly as possible. He thinks this can be quickly accomplished with the increased army force soon to be assembled in the Philippines, if there is sufficient naval force to secure a rigid blockade, and if there is energetic co-operation between the sea and land forces.