nature of the inhabitants, have a small amount of civilization, want of cultivation. They may be neglected, especially isles of southern group. Luzon is in all respects the most desirable to retain. Contains most important commercial ports. Manila is farthest north. Produces all of the good tobacco. Friendly natives. Civilization somewhat advanced. Not yet developed. Possible rich minerals. Population, 825,000. Subic Bay best harbor for coaling purposes and military. Water deep; landlocked; easily defended. Strategically, command of bay and city of Manila, with arsenal at Cavite, most valuable. Panay, Cebu, Negros thickly populated, most civilized, and well cultivated. Iloilo second commercial port; center of sugar trade; a good harbor strategically; in view of the situation, good for defense. Cebu third commercial port; a good harbor, very desirable. No coal of good quality can be procured in Philippine Islands. Some has been mined on Cebu, English company. I trust it may not be necessary to order me to Washington. Should regret very much to leave here while matters remain in present critical condition. DEWEY.

Dewey, Manila:

Washington, August 27, 1898.

The President received your telegram, and will respect your wishes and not direct you to leave your present duty. He desires you to communicate to General Merritt your views upon the general question of the Philippines, with such information as you have, and to transmit to the President in writing. by the quickest method (possibly by hand of Merritt) the substance of your suggestions to Merritt. ALLEN.

There had been no account of the Philippine Islands in which there was as much said in a few words as Dewey's dispatch of August 20th. The President was well pleased because the Admiral evidently understood the critical importance of the situation and wanted to stay at his post. When the American army entered Manila-and it is to be remembered the action of the navy prevented heavy loss of life-the insurgents were "dusted out of the way," driven out of the city while the Spaniards were forced into the walled portion. There were 8,500 Americans in the army. The Spaniards surrendered 13, 180, and the insurgents mustered about 14,000. As early as July 26th, the Admiral, who had been judicious in friendliness to Aguinaldo, stated

Merritt's most difficult problem would be in dealing with the insurgents under Aguinaldo, "who has become aggressive and even threatening toward our army," and four days after the American army was in possession a joint dispatch was sent by Merritt through the Navy Department to the Adjutant General:

Secretary of the Navy, Washington:

Send the following telegram:

Hongkong, August 17, 1898.

"To Adjutant General:-Insurgents demand joint occupation of the city. Inform me how far I shall proceed in forcing obedience of the insurgents in this matter and others that may arise. Is the government willing to use all means and . . the natives to submit to authority of United States?—

Merritt."

Dewey, Hongkong:

DEWEY.

Washington, August 17, 1898.

Answering your joint cable, the President directs as follows: There must be no joint occupation with the insurgents. The United States, in the possession of city, bay, and harbor of Manila, must preserve peace, protecting persons and property in the territory occupied by their military and naval forces. Insurgents and all others must recognize the military occupation and authority of the United States and the cessation of hostilities proclaimed by the President. Use any means in your judgment necessary to this end. All law-abiding people must be treated alike. ALLEN.

But the "cable" was not "joint." The line had not been mended, and Dewey's dispatch boat had to furnish the facilities to Hongkong. Dewey dispatched Merritt's dispatch with, "Send the following telegram to the Adjutant General." The return message is plainly the President's own, and the insurgents were permitted and required to occupy themselves with the rural department.

The burning question of the Philippines came up in a cable from Consul Williams to the State Department as follows:

"Large number Spanish priests and civil officers, an element dangerous to United States, wish to leave for Hongkong. No means of transportation. Army authorities willing to send transports same via Hongkong, but lack authority. Will War Department cable me authorization? No expense to government. Officers all advise measure. WILLIAMS, Consul."

This was sent to the Admiral asking for the President what he thought, and Dewey's reply was:

"Am advised that in addition to Spanish civil authorities there are about 750 priests, who are anxious to leave the country. Strongly advise that they be given passage to Hongkong, as they are heartily disliked by the insurgents, and their departure would tend to appease latter and to promote harmony."

Information was asked August 29, at the instance of the French Ambassador in Washington, as to the treatment of Spanish prisoners; and Dewey replies:

"From my observation and that of my officers, the Spanish prisoners are not treated cruelly by the insurgents, but they are neglected, not from design, but owing to want of proper food supply, medical outfit, and attendance."

The President directed that Dewey should, during the suspension of hostilities, exert his influence "to restrain insurgent hostilities toward Spaniards, and while maintaining a position of rightful supremacy as to the insurgents, to pursue, so far as possible, a conciliatory course to all."

It was a few days before this that General Aguinaldo became careful to refer matters of account to his "Council." He put off the part of dictator, and found it a necessary ceremony to confer a great deal. He took advice as to the Spanish priests he had captured and imprisoned, concluding to hold them as hostages. The Belgian Consul at Manila established himself in the confidence of Admiral Dewey, who wrote that Mr. Audie, knowing the fall of Manila certain, was "most assiduous in his endeavors to bring about its surrender without loss of life or property." There was a new Governor-General appointed, because he was for fighting to the end, and the Belgian Consul, "much to his credit," the Admiral says, overcame the resistance of the new man, and also "acted as intermediary between the two Governor-Generals on the one hand and General Merritt and myself on the other, carrying several important communications, among them a message from me to the Governor-General to the effect that if the numerous batteries on the water front of the walled city kept silent the city would not be shelled. The effect of this was the capture of this rich and populous city without loss of life to the squadron or to non-combatants and with little or none to our army."

If the cable had been in working order from Manila to Hongkong and beyond during the early days of August, the signing of the protocol would in

all probability have been delayed until the surrender of the city, but the fact that the capitulation was signed a day later than the protocol, Washington and Madrid time, did not materially change the situation.

The crushing defeat of the Spanish fleet by Admiral Dewey had a terrorizing influence, and the fact that the City would be destroyed as well as the fleet, influenced all proceedings, and as the Admiral describes, saved the effusion of blood when the American advance took place. It is curious to note in the business report by the Admiral of our Asiatic squadron that there are a good many things the matter with the vessels-"the boiler tubes of the Boston give out frequently, the Raleigh's engines and boiler are under constant repair, and the construction of her fire rooms faulty; the boilers of the Baltimore are only fair." The squadron has, under Dewey, burned 36,815 tons of coal. The price of 4,000 tons not reported. The 32,813 tons cost $330,060.71-of this $96,802.04 was consumed by the Olympia and tenders.

The Admiral grimly says: "Regular target practice was held according to prescribed methods during the first, half of the fiscal year, after which it was discontinued, the ammunition being needed for war purposes. Especial attention has been paid to subcaliber practice. The marksmanship in action was excellent, and during four months in Manila Bay there has been almost 10 sickness."'

The Object Lesson of the Voyage of the Oregon.

The People Instructed for the Army by the Experience of the Navy-The Run from Washington State to Florida-Splendid Spirit of the Men-The Fearful Storm in the Straits of Magellan-The Threat of Destroying a Spanish Torpedo Boat at Rio-The Finish Alone and in Good Form, and Famous the World Over.

The lesson of the War with Spain that will prove most profitable to the people of the United States, if they accept the teachings of a costly experience, is the comfort, economy and self-respect of strengthening the army, providing for it ungrudgingly the arms most approved by the nations in arms, and making the posts schools of military science and marksmanship with the firearms of precision great and small. It will not be the part of wisdom to go on scolding Congress for its neglect of duty to the army. All demagogy aside, and we find the army has been immensely improved since the close of the war of the States and sections, and the gradual decline almost to departure of the Indian question, as an army problem. This is the condition of enlisted men, and their character. Now thousands of young men go into the army as an occupation, and take pride in being soldiers. More than that, they are often inspired to educate themselves-and they find the zeal of competition and the flush of accomplishment in target practice, as our pioneer backwoodsmen rejoiced to excel in "shooting at a mark." There is an art in handling the modern rifle, that requires training, as certainly as there is skill and deftness in perfecting musical gifts. There is a tradition that in the second of our wars with Great Britain a Kentucky soldier killed an Indian at the measured distance of a mile. The feat was one of celebrity, and there was much said. for years of the calculations required to give the long-barreled, old-fashioned gun the correct elevation, how necessary it was that the rifle grooves should be cut with a care equal to the finest workmanship on a watch, that the ball should be perfectly round, and equally solid in every part, and the "patch"