We could have taken the city at any moment we had the troops to occupy it." Admiral Dewey has made the following statements relative to the importance of Aguinaldo's military operations:-- "Then he began operations toward Manila, and he did wonderfully well.

He whipped the Spaniards battle after battle, and finally put one of those old smoothbore guns on a barge, and he wanted to take this up--wanted me to tow it up so he could attack the city with it.

I said, 'Oh, no, no; we can do nothing until our troops come.' I knew he could not take the city without the assistance of the navy, without my assistance, and I knew that what he was doing--driving the Spaniards in--was saving our own troops, because our own men perhaps would have had to do that same thing.

He and I were always on the most friendly terms; we had never had any differences.

He considered me as his liberator, as his friend.