THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR 430 island empire in thePhilippines toAmerica. All thiscombined to make Dewey a national hero, and in the general outburstof enthusiasm that greeted his triumph men did not trouble to measure the exact extent of his performance. One popular American poet boasted that at Manila the battle had been won by the energy of the conquering race— tinued the commodore, his voice rising, and ringing with the intensity of feeling that he felt he had repressed about long enough, "tell Admiral vonDiederich that if he wants a fight, he can have it rightnow!"

Whether the secondpart of the message was deliveredor not,history does not clearly relate. But in any case Dewey's warning was followed by a marked change in the conduct of the Germans. The Admiral had shown a thorough self-confidence,a readiness to takeresponsibility, which are among the most salient attributes of great commanders, and the incident rightly added to his popularity.

"That laughs at odds, andleaps to the blow; Itis Dewey's glory to-day, as Nelson's A hundred years ago!''

But the comparison of Nelson standing into the narrow waters of Copenhagen to meet the ships and batteries of theDane, or closing with the French fleetin Aboukir Bay, is completely out of the question. As for " laughing at odds," the odds, and these fearfully heavy, were against the unfortunate Spaniards. The enormous superiority of Admiral Dewey's fleet, while ensuring him a complete and a decisive victory, made it impossible for the exploit to be a very glorious incidentin naval history. But for all that it has made the victorious admiral one of the national heroes of theUnited States.

Next inhonour with the public of the United States comes another sailor, Schley, the commanderof the flying squadron, the leader in the pursuit and destruction of Cervera's fleet outside Santiago. It was Admiral Sampson's illfortune to be milesaway to the westward on that eventful morning when the Spanish fleet made its desperaterushout to sea. His flagship cameup as the battle ended, in time to take only the smallest share in it. Nevertheless, in his first despatch he veryinjudiciously omitted even the name of Schley from the story of the victory. It was no wonder that this silence on his part damagedhis own reputation with the public at large,andled them to exalt by very contrast the fame of his subordinate. Sampson had suffered indirectly from the indiscretions of the American press. They had wildly exaggerated both his aims and his actual performances in the opening weeks of the war. There was a natural reaction of feeling when it was found how little had really been effected in this first stage of the naval campaign. Then came Cervera's appearance in the West Indian seas, and it was Schley that found andheldhim at Santiago. Sampson bombarded the forts, but would not venture a real attack,and whenthe battlecamehe was,by no fault of his own,almost in the position of a spectator. No wonder that he was depreciated by general opinion in comparison with Dewey and Schley. Like most hurried popular judgments, it was not quite just. If Schley found Cervera at Santiago, it was the result ot Sampson'sgeneral plan for watching the Cuban seas. Nor was the Admiral to blame for the aimless character of his earlier operations. They were in great part dictated by concessions to public opinion and to the fears of the great city populations along the seaboard of the United States. The actual plans and often the very orders for the action of the Atlantic fleet in the first He has abetter title to such fame in the high qualities he displayed, not merely as a sailor, but also as a diplomatist during the anxious weeks of the blockade of Manila. Without adequate supplies, having no chance of being reinforced for a month, he maintained the blockade, checked the over-eagerness of his dangerous native allies, and maintained an attitude of keenly watchfol readiness to meet the possible intervention of unfriendly foreign Powers. The moment came when, without being able to consult the home government as to his course of .conduct, he had to face the responsibility of a practical ultimatum to the Germans. And he faced it unhesitatingly. The American war correspondent,whoaccompanied him throughout, an ex-naval officer, tells how, when long-enduring patience had at last been exhausted,the Admiralsent LieutenantBrumby, ofhis staff, to warntheGerman admiralthatthere was danger ahead. "I wish you," saidDewey, "to take the barge and go over to the German flagship. Give Admiral vonDiederich my compliments,and say thatIwish to callhisattention to the fact that the vessels of his squadron have shown an extraordinary disregard of the courtesies of naval intercourse, and that finallyone of them has committed a gross breach of neutralityin landing provisions inManila,a port which Iana blockading. And, Brumby," con-