ention；　while　she　did　recognize　that　of　the　Pope　and　the　European　powers。　Was　it　then　possible　that　a　Government　which　was　either　unwilling　or　afraid　openly　to　acknowledge　American　interest　in　April　would；　by　October；　yield　to　the　wishes　of　the　Administration？　Was　it　certain　or　likely　that　if　the　Spanish　Government　did　so　yield；　it　would　remain　in　power？
  Reluctantly　President　McKinley　decided　that　he　could　not　announce　to　Congress　that　he　had　secured　the　acceptance　of　the　American　policy。　In　his　message　to　Congress　on　the　11th　of　April；　he　reviewed　the　negotiation　and　concluded　by　recommending　forcible　intervention。　On　the　19th　of　April；　Congress；　by　joint　resolution；　called　upon　Spain　to　withdraw　from　Cuba　and　authorized　the　President　to　use　force　to　compel　her　to　do　so。　Congress；　however；　was　not　content　to　leave　the　future　of　the　island　merely　indefinite；　but　added　that　the　United　States　did　not　desire　Cuba　and　that　the　〃people　of　the　island　of　Cuba　are；　and　of　right　ought　to　be；　free　and　independent。〃　This　decision　ruled　out　both　autonomy　and　cession　as　solutions　of　the　problem。　It　put　an　end　to　the　American　century…long　dream　of　annexing　Cuba；　unless　the　people　of　the　island　themselves　desired　such　a　relation；　and　it　practically　determined　the　recognition　of　the　unstable　Cuban　Government　then　in　existence。　This　decision　on　the　part　of　Congress；　however；　reflected　the　deep…seated　conviction　of　the　American　people　regarding　freedom　and　plainly　put　the　issue　where　the　popular　majority　wished　it　to　beupon　a　basis　of　unselfish　sympathy　with　struggling　neighbors。
  The　resolution　was　signed　by　the　President　on　the　20th　of　April。　On　the　following　day；　Admiral　Sampson's　fleet　left　Key　West　with　orders　to　blockade　the　coast　of　Cuba；　and；　in　the　absence　of　a　formal　declaration　of　war；　this　strategic　move　may　be　considered　as　its　actual　beginning。　On　the　25th　of　April；　Congress　declared　〃that；　war　be；　and　the　same　is　hereby；　declared　to　exist；　and　that　war　has　existed　since　the　twenty…first　of　April；　Anno　Domini；　eighteen　hundred　and　ninety…eight；　including　the　said　day；　between　the　United　States　of　America　and　the　Kingdom　of　Spain。〃
  CHAPTER　VIII。　Dewey　And　Manila　Day
  War　had　begun；　but　the　majority　of　the　American　people　had　hardly　considered　seriously　how　they　were　to　fight。　Fortunately　their　navy　already　existed；　and　it　was　upon　it　that　they　had　to　rely　in　the　opening　moments　of　hostility。　Ton　for　ton；　gun　for　gun；　it　stood　on　fairly　even　terms　with　that　of　Spain。　Captain；　later　Admiral；　Mahan；　considered　that　the　loss　of　the　Maine　shifted　a　slight　paper　advantage　from　the　United　States　to　Spain。　In　personnel；　however；　the　American　Navy　soon　proved　its　overwhelming　superiority；　which　was　due　not　solely　to　innate　ability　but　also　to　sound　professional　training。
  The　Secretary　of　the　Navy；　John　D。　Long；　had　a　thorough　appreciation　of　values。　Although　Congress　had　not　provided　for　a　general　staff；　he　himself　appointed　a　Naval　War　Board；　which　served　many　of　the　same　purposes。　Upon　this　Board　he　appointed　Rear　Admiral　Sicard；　who　but　for　ill　health　would　have　commanded　the　main　fleet；　Captain　A。　S。　Crowninshield；　and；　most　important；　Captain　A。　T。　Mahan；　whose　equal　as　master　of　the　theory　and　history　of　naval　warfare　no　navy　of　the　world　could　show。　The　spirit　of　the　fighting　force　was　speedily　exhibited　by　such　exploits　as　that　of　Lieutenant　Victor　Blue　in　boldly　plunging　into　the　Cuban　wilderness　to　obtain　information　regarding　the　position　of　Admiral　Cervera's　fleet；　though　in　this　dangerous　sort　of　work　the　individual　palm　must　be　given　to　Lieutenant　A。　S。　Rowan　of　the　army；　whose　energy　and　initiative　in　overcoming　obstacles　are　immortalized　in　Elbert　Hubbard's　〃Message　to　Garcia；〃　the　best　American　parable　of　efficient　service　since　the　days　of　Franklin。
  Efficient；　however；　as　was　the　navy；　it　was　far　from　being　a　complete　fighting　force。　Its　fighting　vessels　were　totally　unsupplied　with　that　cloud　of　serverscolliers；　mother　ships；　hospital　ships；　and　scoutswhich　we　now　know　must　accompany　a　fleet。　The　merchant　marine；　then　at　almost　its　lowest　point；　was　not　in　a　position　entirely　to　fill　the　need。　The　United　States　had　no　extensive　store　of　munitions。　Over　all　operations　there　hung　a　cloud　of　uncertainty。　Except　for　the　short　campaign　of　the　Chino…Japanese　War　of　1894；　modern　implements　of　sea　war　remained　untested。　Scientific　experiment；　valuable　and　necessary　as　it　was；　did　not　carry　absolute　conviction　regarding　efficient　service。　Would　the　weapons　of　offense　or　defense　prove　most　effective？　Accidents　on　shipboard　and　even　the　total　destruction　of　vessels　had　been　common　to　all　navies　during　times　of　peace。　That　the　Maine　had　not　been　a　victim　of　the　failure　of　her　own　mechanism　was　not　then　certain。　Such　misgivings　were　in　the　minds　of　many　officers。　Indeed；　a　report　of　the　total　disappearance　of　two　battling　fleets　would　not　have　found　the　watchful　naval　experts　of　the　world　absolutely　incredulous。　So　much　the　higher；　therefore；　was　the　heroism　of　those　who　led　straight　to　battle　that　complex　and　as　yet　unproved　product　of　the　brainthe　modern　warship。
  While　negotiations　with　Spain　were　in　their　last　stages；　at　the　orders　of　Secretary　Long　a　swift　vessel　left　San　Francisco　for　Honolulu。　There　its　precious　cargo　was　transferred　to　the　warship　Baltimore；　which　then　made　hurriedly　for　Hongkong。　It　contained　the　ammunition　which　was　absolutely　necessary　if　Commodore　George　Dewey；　in　command　of　the　Asiatic　squadron；　was　to　play　a　part　in　the　war。　The　position　of　his　squadron；　even　after　it　received　its　ammunition；　was　indeed　singular。　After　the　war　began；　it　was　unable　to　obtain　coal　or　other　supplies　from　any　neutral　port　and　at　the　same　time　it　was　equally　unable　to　remain　in　any　such　port　without　being　interned　for　the　duration　of　the　war。　There　remained　but　one　course　of　action。　It　must　not　be　forgotten　that　the　Spanish　empire　stretched　eastward　as　well　as　westward。　Already　William　Pitt；　when　he　had　foreseen　in　1760　the　entrance　of　Spain　into　the　war　which　England　was　then　waging　with　France；　had　planned　expeditions　against　both　Cuba　and　the　Philippines。　Now　in　1898　the　Navy　Department　of　the　United　States；　anticipating　war；　saw　in　the　proximity　of　the　American　squadron　to　the　Spanish　islands　of　the　Philippines　an　opportunity　rather　than　a　problem。　Commodore　George　Dewey；　the　commander　of　the　Asiatic　squadron；　was　fully　prepared　to　enter　into　the　plan。　As　early　as　the　seventies；　when　the　Virginius　affair*　threatened　war　between　Spain　and　the　United　States；　Dewey；　then　a　commander　on　the　west　coast　of　Mexico；　had　proposed；　in　case　war　were　declared；　that　he　sail　for　the　Philippines　and　capture　Manila。　Now　he　was　prepared　to　seek　in　the　hostile　ports　of　those　islands　the　liberty　that　international　law　forbade　him　in　the　neutral　ports　of　Asia。　How　narrow　a　margin　of　time　he　had　in　which　to　make　this　bold　stroke　may　be　realized　from　the　fact　that　the　Baltimore；　his　second　vessel　in　size；　reached　Hongkong　on　the　22d　of　April　and　went　into　dry　dock　on　the　23d；　and　that　on　the　following　day　the　squadron　was　ordered　either　to　leave　the　port　or　to　intern。
  *　A　dispute　between　the　United　States　and　Spain；　arising　out　of　the　capture　of　the　Virginius；　an　American　vessel　engaged　in　filibustering　off　the　coast　of　Cuba；　and　the　execution　at　Santiago　of　the　captain　and　a　number　of　the　crew　and　passengers。　The　vessel　and　the　surviving　passengers　were　finally　restored　by　the　Spanish　authorities；　who　agreed　to　punish　the　officials　responsible　for　the　illegal　acts。
  The　little　armada　of　six　vessels　with　which　Dewey　started　for　the　Philippines　was　puny　enough　from　the　standpoint　of　today；　yet　it　was　strong　enough　to　cope　with　the　larger　but　more　old…fashioned　Spanish　fleet；　or　with　the　harbor　defenses　unless　these　included　minesof　whose　absence　Dewey　was　at　the　moment　unaware。　If；　however；　the　Spanish　commander　could　unite　the　strength　of　his　vessels　and　that　of　the　coast　defenses；　Dewey　might　find　it　impossible　to　destroy　the　Spanish　fleet。　In　that　case；　the　plight　of　the　American　squadron　would　be　precarious；　if　its　ultimate　self…destruction　or　internment　did　not　become　necessary。
  Commodore　Dewey　belonged　to　that　school　of　American　naval　officers　who　combine　the　spirit　of　Farragut's　〃Damn　the　torpedoes〃　with　a　thorough　knowledge　of　the　latest　scientific　devices。　Though　he　would　take　all　precautions；　he　would　not　allow　the　unknown　to　hold　him　back。　After　a　brief　rendezvous　for　tuning　up　at　Mirs　Bay　near　Hongkong　on　the　Chinese　coast；　Dewey　steered　straight　for　Subig　Bay　in　the　Philippines；　where　he　expected　to　meet　his　opponent。　Finding　the　Bay　empty；　he　steamed　on　without　pause　and　entered　the　Boca　Grande；　the　southern　channel　leading　to　Manila　Bay；　at　midnight　of　the　30th　of　April。　Slowly；　awaiting　daylight；　but　steadily　he　approached　Manila。　Coming　within　three　miles　of　the　city；　he　discovered　the　Spanish　fleet；　half　a　dozen　miles　to　the　southeast；　at　the　naval　station　of　Cavite。　Still　without　a　pause；　the　American　squadron　moved　to　the　attack。
  The　Spanish　Admiral　Montojo　tried；　though　ineffectually；　to　come　to　close　quarters；　for　his　guns　were　of　smaller　caliber　than　those　of　the　American　ships；　but　he　was　forced　to