_The Province of Manila_
Conditions in Manila Province, as distinguished from Manila City,
left much to be desired.
Admiral Dewey made a statement applicable to the territory adjacent
to the city and bay of Manila in a cablegram to Washington dated
October 14, 1898, which reads as follows:--
"It is important that the disposition of the Philippine Islands should
be decided as soon as possible. . . . General anarchy prevails without
the limits of the city and bay of Manila. Natives appear unable to
govern." [303]
Of it Blount says:--
"In this cablegram the Admiral most unfortunately repeated as true some
wild rumours then currently accepted by the Europeans and Americans
at Manila which, of course, were impossible of verification. I say
'unfortunately' with some earnestness, because it does not appear on
the face of his message that they were mere rumours. And, that they
were wholly erroneous, in point of fact, has already been cleared
up in previous chapters, wherein the real state of peace, order, and
tranquillity which prevailed throughout Luzon at that time has been,
it is believed, put beyond all doubt." [304]
Blount seems here to have overlooked the fact that the admiral
himself was in Manila Bay and in Manila City at the time he sent
this cablegram.
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