第 24 节
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死磕 更新:2021-02-21 15:13 字数:9321
s enemy on the other。 Both beyond the reach of friendly help; each all powerful until it meets its foe; their home countries have to watch the seemingly never coming; but nevertheless certain; clash; which under modern conditions means victory or destruction。 It is the highest development of that situation which has been so exploited in a myriad forms by the producers of dramas for the moving pictures and which nightly holds audiences silent; but it plays itself out in war; not in minutes but in months。 No one who lived through that period can ever forget the progress of Camara against Dewey; or that of Rozhestvensky with the Russian fleet; six years later; against Togo。
Meanwhile another move was made in the Caribbean。 General Miles had from the first considered Porto Rico the best immediate objective: it was much nearer Spain than Cuba; was more nearly self…sufficing if left alone; and less defensible if attacked。 The War Department; on the 7th of June; had authorized Miles to assemble thirty thousand troops for the invasion of Porto Rico; and preparations for this expedition were in progress throughout the course of the Santiago campaign。 Miles at the time of the surrender of Santiago was actually off that city with reinforcements; which thereupon at once became available as a nucleus to be used against Porto Rico。 On the 21st of July he left Guantanamo Bay and; taking the Spaniards as well as the War Department completely by surprise as to his point of attack; he effected a landing on the 26th at Guanica; near the southwestern corner of Porto Rico。
The expeditionary force to Porto Rico; however; consisted not of 30;000 men but of only about 15;000; and it was not fully assembled on the island until the 8th of August。 The total Spanish forces amounted to only about 10;000; collected on the defensible ground to the north and in the interior; so that they did not disturb the disembarkation。 The American Army which had been dispatched from large Atlantic ports; such as Charleston and Newport News; seems to have been better and more systematically equipped than the troops sent to Santiago。 The Americans occupied Guanica; Ponce; and Arroyo with little or no opposition; and were soon in possession of the southern shores of the island。
Between the American forces and the main body of the enemy stretched a range of mountains running east and west through the length of the island。 San Juan; the only fortress; which was the main objective of the American Army; lay on the opposite side of this mountain range; on the northern coast of the island。 The approach to the fortress lay along a road which crossed the hills and which possessed natural advantages for defense。 On the 7th of August a forward movement was begun。 While General Wilson's army advanced from Ponce along the main road toward San Juan and General Brooke moved north from Arroyo; General Schwan was to clear the western end of the island and work his way around to Arecibo; toward which General Henry was to advance through the interior。 The American armies systematically worked forward; with an occasional skirmish in which they were always victorious; and were received with a warm welcome by the teeming native population。 On the 13th of August; General Wilson was on the point of clearing his first mountain range; General Schwan had occupied Mayaguez; and General Henry had passed through the mountains and was marching down the valley of the Arecibo; when orders arrived from Washington to suspend operations。
The center of interest; however; remained in the far…away Philippines。 Dewey; who had suddenly burst upon the American people as their first hero; remained a fixed star in their admiration; a position in which his own good judgment and the fortunate scarcity of newspaper correspondents served to maintain him。 From him action was expected; and it had been prepared for。 Even before news arrived on the 7th of May of Dewey's victory on the 1st of May; the Government had anticipated such a result and had decided to send an army to support him。 San Francisco was made a rendezvous for volunteers; and on the l2th of May; General Wesley Merritt was assigned to command the expedition。 Dewey reported that he could at any time command the surrender of Manila; but that it would be useless unless he had troops to occupy the city。
On the 19th of May; General Merritt received the following orders: 〃The destruction of the Spanish fleet at Manila; followed by the taking of the naval station at Cavite; the paroling of the garrisons; and the acquisition of the control of the bay; have rendered it necessary; in the further prosecution of the measures adopted by this Government for the purpose of bringing about an honorable and durable peace with Spain; to send an army of occupation to the Philippines for the twofold purpose of completing the reduction of the Spanish power in that quarter and giving order and security to the islands while in the possession of the United States。〃
On the 30th of June the first military expedition; after a bloodless capture of the island of Guam; arrived in Manila Bay。 A second contingent arrived on the 17th of July; and on the 25th; General Merritt himself with a third force; which brought the number of Americans up to somewhat more than 10;000。 The Spaniards had about 13;000 men guarding the rather antiquated fortifications of old Manila and a semicircle of blockhouses and trenches thrown about the city; which contained about 350;000 inhabitants。
It would have been easy to compel surrender or evacuation by the guns of the fleet; had it not been for an additional element in the situation。 Manila was already besieged; or rather blockaded; on the land side; by an army of nearly ten thousand Philippine insurgents under their shrewd leader; Emilio Aguinaldo。 It does not necessarily follow that those who are fighting the same enemy are fighting together; and in this case the relations between the Americans and the insurgents were far from intimate; though Dewey had kept the situation admirably in hand until the arrival of the American troops。
General Merritt decided to hold no direct communication with Aguinaldo until the Americans were in possession of the city; but landed his army to the south of Manila beyond the trenches of the Filipinos。 On the 30th of July; General F。 V。 Greene made an informal arrangement with the Filipino general for the removal of the insurgents from the trenches directly in front of the American forces; and immediately advanced beyond their original position。 The situation of Manila was indeed desperate and clearly demanded a surrender to the American forces; who might be relied upon to preserve order and protect property。 The Belgian Consul; M。 Eduard Andre; urged this course upon the Spanish commander。 The Governor…General; Fermin Jaudenes; exhibited the same spirit which the Spanish commanders revealed throughout the war: though constitutionally indisposed to take any bold action; he nevertheless considered it a point of honor not to recognize the inevitable。 He allowed it to be understood that he could not surrender except to an assault; although well knowing that such a melee might cause the city to be ravaged by the Filipinos。 M。 Andre; however; succeeded by the 11th of August in arranging a verbal understanding that the fleet should fire upon the city and that the troops should attack; but that the Spaniards should make no real resistance and should surrender as soon as they considered that their honor was saved。
The chief contestants being thus amicably agreed to a spectacular but bloodless battle; the main interest lay in the future action of the interested and powerful spectators in the harbor。 Admiral Dewey; though relieved by the arrival of the monitor Monterey on the 4th of August; was by no means certain that the German squadron would stand by without interference and see the city bombarded。 On the 9th of August he gave notice of the impending action and ordered foreign vessels out of the range of fire。 On the 13th of August Dewey steamed into position before the city。 As the American vessels steamed past the British Immortalite; her guard paraded and her band played Admiral Dewey's favorite march。 Immediately afterwards the British commander; Captain Chichester; moved his vessels toward the city and took a position between our fleet and the German squadron。 The foreign vessels made no interference; but the Filipinos were more restless。 Eagerly watching the American assault; they rushed forward when they saw it successful; and began firing on the Spaniards just as the latter hoisted the white flag。 They were quieted; though with difficulty; and by nightfall the city was under the Stars and Stripes; with American troops occupying the outworks facing the forces of Aguinaldo; who were neither friends nor foes。
While the dispatch of Commodore Watson's fleet to Spain was still being threatened and delayed; while General Miles was rapidly approaching the capital of Porto Rico; and on the same day that Admiral Dewey and General Merritt captured Manila; Spain yielded。 On the 18th of July Spain had taken the first step toward peace by asking for the good offices of the French Government。 On the 26th of July; M。 Cambon;