the path of empire-第24节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


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；