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< Back to Main Page
"The most important thing I can teach you about voice acting is…to have a good time. People who enjoy what they do are often successful, whereas people who try to be successful do not have a good time." That was the first thing Wren Ross taught a new class or private student.
Wren Ross, 67, passed away peacefully from metastatic breast cancer on March 4, 2021 survived by her beloved wife, soulmate, and partner of 27 years, Daena Giardella as well as hundreds of students whose lives were changed by her insightful teaching. Wren was a teacher who brought out the strength of each person and many of her students went on to enjoy fulfilling careers in acting and communication.
Wren's life was inspired by creativity. She was a singer, actor, teacher and writer. Wren studied voice and acting at Boston University and then went on to forge a successful career as a commercial actor and voice artist. She's recorded hundreds of commercials, documentaries, training videos as well as special exhibits in many museums. Her voice is heard at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the Senate as well as the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.
Wren auditioned for the Boston University music department and received a personal letter of acceptance and a scholarship the next day. She got her BFA and went on to perform many outstanding roles across New England. She also founded a theater company called "The Muse" which performed the literature and non-fiction of women writers at theatres, prisons, senior centers and libraries.
Wren did research into the music of the camps and ghettos during the Holocaust. She felt that the songs and stories she performed in Yiddish kept the voices alive. She sang the program for many audiences including survivor groups.
An avid knitter, Wren designed garments for many major yarn companies and her beautiful work was published in popular Yarn magazines. She created a CD of song parodies about the trials and triumphs of knitting that she called "Wren's Greatest Knits," which became so popular she was invited to sing the songs in a show she called "Singing With Every Fiber" for yarn festivals and gatherings across the country.
Daena introduced Wren to the beauty of the red rocks and big blue sky of the Southwest, and it changed her forever. They journeyed together through the Canyonlands of Utah and Wren was most at home in Taos, New Mexico. Wren resonated deeply with what the painter Georgia O'Keefe said about New Mexico when she first visited: "I loved it immediately. From then on, I was always on my way back."
Wren and her beloved wife and partner Daena Giardella co- authored a book about the creative process called "Changing Patterns: Discovering the Fabric of Your Creativity," which was published by Hay House.
Wren wanted to leave you with a line from a favorite Mary Oliver poem "When Death Comes:"
When it's over, I want to say all my life
I was a bride married to amazement
I was a bridegroom taking the world into my arms.
When it's over, I don't want to wonder
If I have made of my life something particular, and real.
I don't want to find myself sighing and frightened, or full of argument.
I don't want to end up simply having visited this world.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, a private Memorial Offering via Zoom will be held. After all the social distancing restrictions are lifted, we hope to schedule an in-person celebration of Wren's life.
In lieu of flowers, Wren asked that gifts be made in her honor to fulfill her wish for "tikkun olam one at a time," which translates to "repairing the world one at a time," to the following organizations:
ICIC to support driving inclusive economic prosperity in under-resourced communities through innovative research and programs to create jobs, income, and wealth for local residents. Visit http://bit.ly/wrenrossmemorial to make a gift online, or you may mail a check to: ICIC, PO Box 191297, Roxbury, MA 02119 with "In memory of Wren Ross" in the memo section.
Howard University to support student scholarships. Visit https://giving.howard.edu/givenow to make a gift online (please write "In memory of Wren Ross" in the online comment section) or you may mail a check to: Howard University, P.O. Box 417853, Boston, MA 02241 with "In memory of Wren Ross" in the check memo section.
Photo Credit: © Daena Giardella 2021 - All Rights Reserved


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Putin-linked think tank drew up plan to sway 2016 US election – documents
VulcansAreHeartbreakers
They described two confidential documents from the think tank as providing the framework and rationale for what U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded was an intensive effort by Russia to interfere with the Nov. 8 election. U.S. intelligence officials acquired the documents, which were prepared by the Moscow-based Russian Institute for Strategic Studies [https://en.riss.ru/], after the election.
It recommended the Kremlin launch a propaganda campaign on social media and Russian state-backed global news outlets to encourage U.S. voters to elect a president who would take a softer line toward Russia than the administration of then-President Barack Obama, the seven officials said.
A second institute document, drafted in October and distributed in the same way, warned that Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton was likely to win the election. For that reason, it argued, it was better for Russia to end its pro-Trump propaganda and instead intensify its messaging about voter fraud to undermine the U.S. electoral system's legitimacy and damage Clinton's reputation in an effort to undermine her presidency, the seven officials said.
Check the fucking date on that tweet.
How much more blatant does this need to be before anything gets done!?
Full article here.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Meiting Wang
Verification experiment of electron shunt for complex waveguide grid micro-channel plate-photomultiplier tube
Xu Gao, Yi-Ning Mu, Ye Li, Yue Du, MeiTing Wang
Proc. SPIE. 10255, Selected Papers of the Chinese Society for Optical Engineering Conferences held October and November 2016
KEYWORDS: Composites, Waveguides, Microchannel plates, Electrodes, Instrument modeling, Clouds, Performance modeling, Telecommunications, Signal detection, Electron beams
With further research on the micro channel-plate(MCP) photoelectric multiple structure of anodized transmission of composite waveguide applied in Free-Space Optical communication, the disadvantage of the models have been found. Firstly, some analyzes about the constraint conditions and performance of the MCP photoelectric multiple structure of composite waveguide have been conducted. Secondly, one device model based on one grid-controlled structure of composite waveguide has been introduced and verifiable experiments have been conducted as a support. Then, the capability of electron transport of two structures is compared by theoretical analyzes. Lastly, the difference between performances of these two structures has been confirmed by verifiable experiments with optical axis positioning by four-quadrant in a vacuum. Results of the experiment have showed that the grid-controlled structure of composite waveguide would be likely to be widely applied in the special detection for its advantages in the future.


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Nick's Picks
By Nick Paumgarten
The Grateful Dead has issued nearly a hundred live concert recordings over the years—a peerless abundance, yet only a small sample of the thousands of shows that circulate among fans of the band. Some of the official releases are essential, such as the album "Live/Dead" (psychedelia from 1969) and their first archival release, "One from the Vault," (jazzy prog(ish)-rock, performed at the Great American Music Hall, in San Francisco, during their hiatus from touring, in 1975). Others are ample accounts of the band at various peaks: the boxed set containing four wild nights at the Fillmore West in 1969, or the briefcase containing their entire 1972 tour of Europe—twenty-two concerts, with a uniformity of polish that the Dead never really matched, before or after. Then there is the Dick's Picks series, overseen by the late archivist Dick Latvala and his successor, David Lemieux, who has recently introduced a new series called Dave's Picks. All told, these comprise forty releases.
For the most part, anything the Dead has commercially released is removed from my main source of old shows: the Internet Archive. As a result, many of the band's best, or at least most complete, performances are not available for free, unless you're willing to trade, as in the old days, or plug a spare hard drive into a collector's computer. I tend to stream the music on the Archive. My friends often share the fruits of their downloads with me. I also have stacks of CDs and gigabytes of MP3s (alas, a "lossy" format), plus, in the car, Sirius/XM satellite radio, which, to my passengers' dismay, has a channel devoted exclusively to the Dead. Then there's the official Web site, dead.net. That would seem to be plenty.
But, for whatever reason, many of my favorite old shows have been ignored by Dick and Dave. This isn't to say that I think these are the best ones. Most of them are warty, in one way or another. The sound may be problematic (or worse), the vocals poor, some tracks average. Aficionados may prefer a gig a week or two earlier or later, and on some days, I might, too. But I love these. Or parts of them, anyway. So here, in chronological order, one per year—excluding a few years, as well as anything after 1986 (post-coma was fun for a while but doesn't hold up on tape, to my ears)—is a baker's dozen: my thirteen essential, commercially ignored—some desert-island Dead.
2/22/69, Dream Bowl, Vallejo, Calif.
The Warlocks became the Grateful Dead in 1965, but it took a few years for the band to find a voice. If 1968 was primal psychedelic Dead, 1969 was the apotheosis. There's too much to choose from, though the set lists don't vary much. The hall names have a mythical ring. This year came down to a choice between shows at the Ark and the Avalon, after the Fillmore run, or a more obscure show at the Dream Bowl, just before it. The February 22nd show is as fine an example of this period as any. The "Mountains of the Moon" segue into "Dark Star" is a beaut. "The Eleven," with its 11/8 time signature, is elemental. "Doin' That Rag," soon to be retired, is a kick. Plus you have Pig in his prime, on "Turn on Your Lovelight." (Listen here.)
6/24/70, Capitol Theater, Port Chester, N.Y.
This is an early specimen of an audience tape. If you're picky about sound, move along. If you stay, be sure to read the account, at the bottom of this link, of its provenance—a gruff taper named Ken Lee, a kind of tapehead Stagger Lee. Why this one, then? The band sounds ferocious, and the audience is riled. The "Dark Star" suite has its gentle moments, but the way they launch into "St. Stephen," with the theatre crowd going bananas and what sounds like a gun being shot, gives an eighties Deadhead like me a taste of a more feral time, both onstage and off. (Listen here.)
12/14/71, Hill Auditorium, Ann Arbor, Mich.
December of 1971 was a hot stretch. The Dead had a new barrelhouse piano player, Keith Godchaux, yet still had their soul man, Pigpen. They had a host of proper new songs, yet still got weird. The approach was a little cruder than it would be in 1972, but prettier than the year before. The bass had a chunky tone that you could sit on, the one-drummer setup made the tempo brisk, Bob Weir, the rhythm guitarist, had newfound authority, and Garcia had learned to sing. Something about all this and the state of Michigan seems right. Take it from the top. (Listen here.)
8/27/72, Olde Renaissance Fairgrounds, Veneta, Oreg.
In an incredible year, this performance, outdoors in blazing heat, in Ken Kesey country, is legendary. There is unreleased film of it, bits of which are on YouTube. For those who like the long jams, these are some of the finest: "Bird Song," "Playin' in the Band," "Dark Star." The "China Cat Sunflower"-"I Know You Rider" is foundational. The stage announcements are excellent: missing children, water shortages, lost goods. "Jay Sunday, Earth Man, lost his Austrian billfold. Please leave it at the New World restaurant." Hotbox time machine. (Listen here.)
2/15/73, Dane County Coliseum, Madison, Wisc.
Check in on the era-representative versions of "They Love Each Other," "Here Comes Sunshine," and "Playin' in the Band," which, at fifteen minutes, is relatively lean, if you go in for that kind of thing. But it's the "Dark Star"-"Eyes of the World" that put Dane County on my life raft. The bass tone, the drum work, the gentle pace: it summons up an exploratory prime. The segue between the two songs, which includes (sin of sins) a bass solo, and then a Garcia-Lesh instrumental duet, and then a dreamy intro to "Eyes," is like a psalm. (Beware the break between tracks—it wasn't like that on the old Maxell.) (Listen here.)
5/19/74, Portland Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oreg.
For years, my ur-1974 was Freedom Hall, Louisville, but that show became an official release, under the Road Trips rubric. This gig, a few weeks earlier, has some goodies. "Truckin' " is a fine, iconic song that can get tiresome, but the run-out afterward here, which passes through a funky take on a descending progression known as "The Mind Left Body Jam," captures the Fender-Rhodes spirit of '74. So does the next gig, in Seattle. (Listen here.)
5/9/77, Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo, N.Y.
On the desert island next to mine, there's a guy who brought along every show from May, 1977—including his Betty Board of the highly overrated May 8th Cornell gig (which, I'll concede, features the definitive version of the disco rearrangement of "Dancin in the Streets"). I have room for only one: Buffalo. The next night is better over-all, but "Help on the Way"-"Slipknot"-"Franklin's Tower," sadly underrepresented on this list, is stronger on this night. The slow tunes, too: "Comes a Time," "Peggy-O." (Listen here.)
1/22/78, MacArthur Court, Eugene, Oreg.
1978 got a little sloppy, but this one is a monster. Start with "Terrapin," or else "The Other One." Listen for the "Close Encounters" theme prior to "St. Stephen." "Not Fade Away," often rote, shows some special snarl. Sounds like Garcia was abducted by aliens. (Listen here.)
1/15/79, Springfield Civic Center, Springfield, Mass.
The end of the Keith and Donna Godchaux era had its ups and downs, this night being no exception. But the way the "I Need a Miracle" crashes into "Shakedown Street" is unique and stately. It sounds almost (banish the thought) pre-meditated. The pretty, chimey jam out of "Drums" into the so-called "Playin Reprise" ends with warp-speed Garcia fingerwork that boggles the mind, until you hear the band careen into "Casey Jones," and then it all makes pharmacological sense. (Listen here.)
11/30/80, Fox Theater, Atlanta, Ga.
An old cult favorite. The whole second set, courtesy of Dr. Bob Wagner. The "Scarlet Begonias"-"Fire on the Mountain" may be the main attraction, but the "Playin' " jam is a headlong fever dream—not for the faint of ear. The way "The Wheel" comes out of the "Space" is real purty, though, as is the weepy, deliberate "Ship of Fools." (Listen here.)
8/29/83, Silva Hall, Hult Center, Eugene, Oreg.
In the early- to mid-eighties, there were marquee nights and grim ones. You could build a rescue raft out of a dozen sturdy "China"-"Rider"s. I just adopted this version, even though no one else I know really seems to know it. The band plays faster than ever, tight and coke-y bombastic bluegrass. The recording is rough (this is why God made equalizers, or other bands), but Garcia blazes. You'll shed a few pounds. (Listen here.)
7/13/84, Greek Theatre, Berkeley, Calif.
The "Scarlet"-"Touch of Grey"-"Fire" (this was before "Touch of Grey" had been recorded; it's brisker here) is a beloved oddity. Garcia, often AWOL in 1984, comes to play. The synthy keyboards may frighten off "Alligator" fans, but let's not forget this was the era of Wham! There's also another beautiful "Space"-"Wheel" (it's happenstance, the combo is not a fetish of mine), a death-shrouded "Stella Blue," a floor-bouncing "Sugar Magnolia," and then a rare thing for this era, "Dark Star," as an encore—in the lore, a shooting star blessed the breakout. You're not in 1969 anymore, but still, a taste of the old magic. With apologies to 10/12/84. (Listen here.)
6/30/85, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, Md.
A good night at a great venue. 1985 is dead-cat-bounce year, in the pre-coma Garcia-decline narrative, as the band, celebrating its twentieth anniversary, dusted off some oldies and toyed with a few novelties. Some may prefer the Oade brothers' audience recording, which has the tinny sound of the old pavilion, but it would be cruel to foist that on newcomers. This soundboard is cymbally, too. Just add bass. The "Shakedown Street" has swagger. 1985 was a good year for "Brown-Eyed Women." Then the walls caved in. (Listen here.)
Tweet us your favorite Dead shows at #tnydead.
Read Nick Paumgarten's Annals of Obsession "Deadhead," in this week's magazine.
Photograph by Robert Altman/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty.
Nick Paumgarten has been a staff writer at The New Yorker since 2005.
More:Grateful Dead
This Week in Fiction
Yiyun Li on How We Remember the Dead
The author discusses "Wednesday's Child," her story from the latest issue of the magazine.
By Cressida Leyshon
"The Appointment" Skewers the Hypocrisy of the Abortion Debate
This raucously pro-choice musical, by the Philadelphia-based theatre collective Lightning Rod Special, sniffs out taboos and hunts them down at the pace of a sprint.
By Vinson Cunningham
Three Climate Reports: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Some progress was made in 2022, but the forecast still looks bleak.
By Elizabeth Kolbert
The Bartender Behind the Blue Hawaii
How Harry Yee put "paradise"—and those little umbrellas—in a cocktail glass.
By Susan Orlean


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Within 10 miles 30 miles 50 miles 100 miles 500 miles Any Distance
Five years after their original frontman, Layne Staley, died of a drug overdose, Alice in Chains made an unlikely return in 2007. Surviving band members Jerry Cantrell, Mike Inez, and Sean Kinney recruited frontman William DuVall to join the group, first for some well-received concerts, then to go on tour. Next came a new album, 2009's "Black Gives Way To Blue," which got glowing reviews, entered The Billboard 200 at No. 5, and led to more shows with fast-moving tickets. In 2013, the band released their second post-Staley album, this time reaching No. 2 on The Billboard 200. The only AIC album to chart higher was 1995's self-titled set -- the band's last with Staley -- which reached No. 1.
Alice in Chains' dark take on rock emerged from the same late '80s Seattle scene that also spawned fellow grunge acts Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden, among others. With Staley at the helm, the band recorded rock radio staples like "Rooster," "Heaven Beside You," "Got Me Wrong," and "Would?" The band has been nominated for eight Grammy Awards -- including two with DuVall on the mic -- but so far haven't won an award.
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You Are Here: Home > Directions to Showroom > Mercedes-Benz Dealership Near Brookhaven, NY
Mercedes-Benz Dealership Near Brookhaven, NY
Are you looking for a trusted Mercedes-Benz dealership near Brookhaven? At Mercedes-Benz of Smithtown, we have a huge inventory of new and pre-owned models to suit all styles and budgets. We offer a smooth shopping experience, while also providing automotive servicing and financing options. We boast a committed sales team with years of experience in satisfying customer requirements. Feel free to browse our inventory and set up a test drive before you consider purchasing a model. Follow the directions given below to reach our dealership.
About Brookhaven, NY
Brookhaven is the most populous town in Suffolk County, and the only one to stretch from South Shore to North Shore of Long Island. It is largest town in the state, in terms of area, and 2nd most populous one. In mid-17th century, it was founded as a group of agricultural hamlets, which later expanded as a center of shipbuilding in the 19th century. It houses two popular research centers, Brookhaven National Laboratory and Stony Brook University. The area has long been served by Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Ferry and Long Island Railroad.
Driving Directions from Brookhaven to Mercedes-Benz of Smithtown
Travel Time: 19 minutes
Start: Brookhaven, NY
Head east towards Mount Sinai-Coram Rd 479 ft
Make a right turn onto Mount Sinai-Coram Rd 1.1 mi
Make a right turn onto NY-25 W/Middle Country Rd 8.6 mi
Make a left turn 135 ft
Make a left turn 89 ft
End: Mercedes-Benz of Smithtown
630 Middle Country Rd,
St James, NY 11780
Special Holiday Hours (Closed):
Mother's DaySunday, 5/12/2019
Memorial DayMonday, 5/27/19
Father's DaySunday, 6/16/2019
Independence DayThursday, 7/4/19
Labor DayMonday, 9/2/19
Thanksgiving DayThursday, 11/28/19
Christmas DayWednesday, 12/25/19
New Year's DayWednesday, 1/1/20


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News / National Pupil Database School census
Happy 18th Birthday School Census
National Pupil Database School census / January 17, 2020
Today the school census as we know it, turns eighteen.
What is the school census?
In 2002, the Department for Education made it obligatory for schools to supply each pupil's full name and their home postcode for the first time in the annual school census. It also demanded details of pupils' special educational needs, to note entitlement to free school meals, or if they had been excluded from school.
Today, schools don't ask families for information for the school census. It is simply done without our knowledge, termly, using the school information management systems and uploaded to Local Authority and national government systems directly by schools.
This collects a lifetime record of testing and tracking over time about each child.
Early Years census data, Phonics screening, Alternate Provision at individual child level data are included. The attainment data from Key Stage One and Two from primary school and Key Stages Three to Five are added from secondary education. Data transferred from schools and stored in the NPD include: Unique Pupil Number, Surname, First name, DOB, Full home Address including Postcode and Standard UK address codes, Ethnic group, First language, Gender. The new Baseline Test will soon be added too. Attainment records, absence, exclusions, SEN special educational needs and health data, indicators of armed forces, indicators for adoption or children in care, and much much more.
Pregnancy, mental health, young offender, autism, hearing impairment, and specific learning difficulties, are just some of the new labels added to individual, named records since January 2018 in the Alternative Provision Census (annual). Reasons for Absence and Exclusion and very detailed level, Number of hours of funded provision per week are included, and much more. The full national code sets of all the items of data that can be collected on individual children in school information management systems, can be downloaded here.
Where does school census data go at the DfE?
The census dataset contains approximately eight million records per year. This single central view of a child's personal confidential data and their educational achievement, behaviours and personal characteristics, is core to the National Pupil Database, a linked database controlled by the Department for Education.
It is "one of the richest education datasets in the world" according to the National Pupil Database (NPD) User Guide.
The data collected for each individual pupil is listed in the National Pupil Database User Guide. (See sections 3.2.1 (school level) and 3.2.2 (pupil level) for full details of data items collected; and relevance to each school year.)
Data is retained indefinitely by the Department, and in December 2015, the National Pupil Database contained 19,807,973 individual pupil records on a named basis. Five years later it is ca 23,000.
Its use is supposed to be narrowly defined in law, for the purposes of a child's education or well-being. The government has long lost sight of that boundary, and oversteps it.
What changed in the school census in 2002?
Since its beginnings in 1975, the annual "Form 7" census (as it was then known) had only required statistics for a school as a whole – not information about individuals. Even those aggregated datasets were not released externally, and remained closed for 20 years.
The move from an anonymous statistical database to a personalised database about individuals was the first step in a series of massive privacy invasions that would follow.
The Department gave assurances that it had absolutely "no interest in the identity of individual pupils" and the census data would be used purely for statistical purposes. Then Labour Minister for School Standards, Stephen Timms, gave public assurances that there was no suggestion of privacy or rights being breached. The data would be stored securely. No data would be copied to other organisations without a clear need, and would not be used for marketing purposes or sold to private companies.
What changed ten years later, in 2012?
Ten years on, in 2012, under a new government, and led by Michael Gove, the DfE began to give millions of individuals' data away to hundreds of companies every year. Without any adequate oversight. The Department had no audit process.They didn't track if third party recipients passed the data onwards to unidentified others. No one measured any public benefit of the release of data. Millions of individual, sensitive and identifying records were given away, and never followed up. The only transparency was an online register that published some of the distribution, the external data shares. There are around 350 shares every year, each of millions of records. How many exactly, no one knows because the Department does not track which pupils data are sent where.
That means to date there's been around 3,000 releases of data, each of millions of records. We are working on a tool to show exactly what has gone where at-a-glance. The DfE's own register is broken into different parts, and much has been archived.
The DFE opened up access to a far wider range of users, including commerrcial companies, in order "to maximise the value of this rich dataset". But that value has rarely been realised by the children the data come from, if at all.
But they do share individual identity data now.
Many commercial companies receive fully named data, in particular benchmarking companies to support the accountability market, who sell processed data back to schools. But even without names, every release recorded as an 'external data share' and in the third party register, is identifying data. Otherwise it could simply be published.
Tab of data Tier definitions in the Department for Education External Shares data register. Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dfe-external-data-shares
In addition to identifiable data being given away for commercial purposes, it has become far from the innocent data collection teachers were told it would be. Identifying data are used for far more sinister purposes now too.
In 2015 the Department announced they would expand the census further to include nationality and country-of-birth. They kept quiet that they had already begun handing over names and addresses monthly from the census data to the Home Office for immigration enforcement purposes. The government had completely reneged on the original promise, not to be interested in individuals. Hundreds of individuals' names were being sent to the Home Office monthly. The Department also failed to tell schools that 'nationality (once collected)' had already been added to the paperwork behind the scenes. It was only when the misuse was exposed, that nationality was removed from the agreement, and kept separately. Since its Home Office purposes had been stymied, there was no longer a clear basis for collection but it didn't stop the DfE carrying on for two years. Now those data need deleted. We await the ICO decision.
Nick Gibb confirmed last year, that the monthly Home Office handovers continues. The nationality data are not safe, and the families it is about are at risk until those data are destroyed.
What else has changed over 18 years?
It has grown not only in volume, as 700,000 new intake names are added every school year, but in breadth as over twenty separate pieces of legislation, have expanded what data could be collected about each child since 2002, in little scrutinised secondary legislation, usually introduced over a matter of weeks and without consultation.
Cumulative changes to laws by successive governments up to and including the 2013 changes enabled the release of individual and named data.
Today the government enables access to over 23 million unique pupil records from every state school in England. Add in the vocational, further and higher education institutions and the National Pupil Database, and the database from all education is truly the richest education dataset in the world at around 36 million people.
Who does it profit?
The pupil level census collection enabled the creation of the accountability system and benchmarking industry. Hundreds of releases of data every year include giving millions of named records to companies that turn the data into dashboards, and sell it back to schools like yours. The data about your pupils, you created, cleaned and submitted in the school census. But when 'choice' doesn't really extend beyond the available bus route for most families, if it's not benefiting children, who is the data for?
Ministers claim the data extracts are provided free of charge. But they also claimed "The data would be stored securely, no data would be copied to other organisations without a clear need and data would not be used for marketing purposes or sold to private companies."
The data workload costs are borne by school staff. The privacy costs by our children.
The concerns in 2002 of the campaign group ARCH, Action on Rights for Children in education, were fully justified. Parents warned that the decision by central government to gather detailed personal information about pupils across England was state-level surveillance and breached children's human rights. In under eighteen years, the promises made about its purposes, its security, and on children's data rights have all been set aside.
The school census is a gift for commercial companies.
Millions of lives-in-data are being given companies to risk score, predict and exclude people in their life choices. School staff have been misled. Families harmed. We'll not be wishing the school census a happy birthday, but we do wish there would be no more surprises.
Certainly none as surprising as the 2015 Small Business Act. What would that have to do with school records you ask? It enabled the linkage of school records, further education and Higher Education, with tax and welfare records for individuals on unprecedented scale. The Department of Business and Industry oversaw the creation of the LEO dataset, longitudinal educational outcomes or "destinations data". A dataset more founded on ideology than facts will be hard to find. And it was another gift to business, wrapped up in the Small Business Act. Our children are paying for their profits, with our privacy. But soon, those children will be adults, and many younger MPs data or their children's, for example, may well be already among those being given away.
We thought the DfE already made data safe?
Despite the introduction of safe settings in 2018, the government continues to give away our children's sensitive personal data for commercial exploitation.
It's time that stopped. Data must be safe, fair and transparent.
Families must be told, where our child's personal data have gone. It's a legal requirement.
And there must be no excuses made to the millions of adults now, who've no idea that their personal records might be used against them in employment screening for example, who were in the database but had already left school, before the government changed the law to give it away to more third parties in 2012.
Can I opt out of the school census collection?
You can opt out of very limited parts of the collection of data:
You can ask your school, or schools can ask the DfE directly, to object and cease processing previously collected nationality and country of birth data.
Can I opt out of the school census use?
There is only a national opt out of data sharing by the Learner Records Service from Department for Education (DfE). This is just *one* of over fifty datasets the DfE controls, and gives away personal confidential data from. The National Pupil Database is yet another separate melting pot of pupil records. But the LRS opt out, is the only national opt out on offer. We suggest staff over 36 use it. Tell families and friends it exists. Exercise your rights to data protection, after all, it's your life the data may affect.
Take action >>> Opt out of the use of my national learner record by third parties.
What does the ICO say?
We await the full ICO response to a regulatory complaint through our legal team on the handling of the National Pupil Database by the DfE, as part of our campaign, Labels Last A Lifetime. Initial findings in October 2019, included that there were wide ranging and serious data protection issues. That backed our findings from our 2018 survey, that parents and pupils don't know this database exists.
"This investigation has demonstrated that many parents and pupils are either entirely unaware of the school census and the inclusion of that information in the NPD, or are not aware of the nuances within the data collection, such as which data is compulsory and which is optional. This has raised concerns about the adequacy DfE's privacy notices and their accountability for the provision of such information to individuals regarding the processing of personal data for which they are ultimately data controllers. "
It's not only the law to be told where data will be processed, how, why and for how long, but that it is necessary and proportionate. The pupil level census was never necessary or proportionate. We need a national opt out of re-use and better law on collection.
We're campaigning for every child at age eighteen on leaving school, to be able to know exactly where their digital footprint has gone in the education landscape, and why.
Support us and Take Action to protect your own and your family's data.
See pages 123-129: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/854226/2019-20_School_Census_Business_and_Technical_Specification_Version_1.7.pdf


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Climate strategy 3.0: taking climate seriously as a central part of business strategy
September 23, 2021 in Energy & Natural Resources
Barry Sterland
Partner, Energy Transition Leader
Discussion about climate change has hit boiling point in all parts of society, including business. And not before time given what the scientists are telling us about the impacts and dangers already built into the system – and those we can expect with the current emissions trajectories.
The implications are clear – organisations need to lift both the sophistication and urgency of their thinking about how climate will impact on business strategy and their role in addressing climate change.
What are the drivers of this urgency?
First the biggest driver of urgency is the biosphere itself. We see daily reminders of the threat through both visible and serious physical impacts like rising temperatures, extreme events and ecosystem stress. The latest IPCC report has brought this evidence together starkly, with further instalments to come.
Second international pressure for action is growing, and coalescing with heightened community awareness across all ages but even more so with younger voters.
Third, investors are voting with their capital – with equity, debt and insurance support being directed away from climate-exposed businesses, particularly ones where transition plans are not clear and credible. Courts are increasingly ruling in favour of more searching consideration of climate action, both internationally and within Australia.
And finally, governments are implementing policies which affect a wide range of markets, production processes, and low emission technologies. This is clear across both federal and state governments in Australia. Our key export markets in North-East Asia are developing policy approaches to set them on a pathway to net zero emissions, and the introduction of carbon border adjustments will be game-changing over the medium to long run. The Glasgow Climate Conference in November 2021 will see the pace lift further.
It is notable that COVID-19 has not seen these trends stall as they did in the aftermath of the GFC; in fact, it appears that the pace is quickening.
What are the implications?
In short there is a need for the business community to make a step change in the way they incorporate climate in their business thinking and strategy. The risk is that if a business doesn't make proactive choices to transition now, it will be forced upon one later with much less time to transition.
The first approach has been to elevate climate as one of many ESG risks both internally and in public reporting. This involves an assessment of emissions exposure, physical climate risks, and generally some lower cost actions to mitigate these risks.
The next generation approach brings climate more centrally into the core of company financial reporting and consideration.
This flows from:
A growing realisation of how central this risk is to the physical environment where firms operate.
How significant future mitigation actions demanded by governments and customers could be for financial performance.
The impact of climate positioning on firms' reputations and social license.
The Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosure (TCFD) framework is central to this and a growing number of companies are reporting using its more exacting framework. Indeed, some form of this framework is likely to become mandatory in the not-too-distant future. However, for some this can still be focused on risk identification and longer‑term scenario planning with limited integration with core business strategy.
We are fast moving to a new stage where climate considerations need to be factored into the central business strategy for firms. What I think of as the climate change strategy 3.0.
This involves close consideration of the assets, or portfolio of assets, that diversify exposure and are resilient to changes in climate, climate policy action and investor funding appetite. It involves an understanding of the exposure of customers to opportunities and risk from emissions that arise from the use of firms' products (including 'scope 3' emissions). Firms need to accelerate work with the communities in which they operate, and with broader stakeholders, to manage climate transitions.
Such an approach also means testing business strategy against more demanding and immediate scenarios, and against a wider suite of possible climate policy responses.
Policy responses to date have not progressed in a linear or optimal way. Earlier generations of climate consideration for reasons of advocacy and analytic simplicity, often focused on playing out the impacts of efficient and phased climate policy responses such as the gradual introduction of carbon pricing policies.
For a range of reasons –including concerns about distributional impacts, and the urgent need for action – governments have increasingly reached for other more direct policy levers like direct regulation and project-specific conditions.
Business strategies therefore adopt a robust approach to the range of policy futures, not just the ones people might wish for. Exporters need to be alert to the rapid changes taking place internationally around climate and energy policy, and supply chains.
The challenge for corporates is to respond to this increased intensity by taking climate seriously at the core of their business strategy. This is the intent of the TCFD framework. It will involve the need for new capabilities, tools, and approaches to business culture and organisation that give clear direction to employees on how to factor decarbonisation into their decision-making and actions. It will involve dynamic plans that effectively integrate climate and commercial considerations, and which build agility and optionality into a business.
Above all, there is no doubt that the climate and energy transition is underway. The imperative for businesses that want to thrive in this environment is the need to transform their thinking, – and fast.
Tags Climate Change, ESG, Strategy
Investors must consider the human rights dimensions of climate risk
Dec 8, 2021 In
The Challenges and Benefits of a Decarbonisation Strategy for the Retail Sector
ESG failure will be a critical business risk by 2030


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Home / Europe
Britain's Natural History Museum unveils giant blue whale
Guests mingle beneath a blue whale skeleton on display as part of the reopening of Hintze Hall at the Natural History Museum in London on July 13, 2017. [Photo/VCG]
LONDON — Britain's Natural History Museum in London has suspended a gigantic blue whale skeleton in its main entrance — drawing attention to vanishing species in an environment under strain.
Scientists named the 25.2-meter (82-foot) whale "Hope," recognizing the role of science in safeguarding the environment. The immense creature seems to fly over the atrium and its visitors — a visible reminder of nature's power.
The whale has replaced the much-loved "Dippy," a dinosaur cast in plaster that graced the entryway for decades. Although "Dippy" attained the status of an icon, the museum believed a real specimen better suited their mission to study and conserve the planet.
Museum goer Val Preston says she can't wait to see the whale. She says it "shows we still have spectacular things on this planet."
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Meesha wins big in the Supreme Court
After a series of defeats Meesha's legal team bags a win. The SC will now hear arguments about the 'scope' & 'interpretation' of the Protection against the harassment of women at the workplace act.
Bureau Report
An important decision taken by a three-member bench of the Supreme Court on Monday, resulted in them granting "Leave for Appeal" after hearing an appeal filed by Meesha Shafi's legal team on whether a self-employed person has a legal right to invoke the "Protection against the Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act 2010".
Thread*
Tomorrow, the Supreme Court of Pakistan hears my appeal on whether I, a 'self employed person' have a right, as per the law, to be heard after being harassed and therefore expect justice on merit as an equal citizen.
— MEESHA SHAFI (@itsmeeshashafi) January 10, 2021
It is integral to note that "leave to appeal" does not mean that the SC bench has agreed to the arguments presented by Shafi's legal counsel, rather it implies that the technical and legal points raised by Meesha's counsel regarding the Lahore High Court's interpretation of the "Protection against the harassment of women at the workplace act 2010" are worth deliberating/debating on and have been slotted before the apex court for a hearing.
At the same time, the decision has been widely celebrated by women's rights activists and civil society organizations who have termed it an important victory for the resilient complainants and their legal teams.
Supreme Court of Pakistan grants leave in @itsmeeshashafi case! Congrats to SC team Khuwaja Ahmad Hosain & @noorejazch 👏🏾👏🏾
Granting leave to appeal means SC has accepted to hear the case on legal points whether Meesha falls under the jurisdiction of Sexual Harassment Act.
— Nighat Dad (@nighatdad) January 11, 2021
A BREAKDOWN OF THE LEGAL ARGUMENTS
The fundamental legal argument raised by Shafi's legal team being led by Advocate Khwaja Ahmad Hussain pertains to the scope of the Protection against the Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act 2010.
"It is of the utmost importance that the Supreme Court decides which 'category' of people are being awarded protection under this Act. Because the LHC had previously decided that people like Meesha who are not 'full-time employees' (and are working under flexible/informal arrangements) cannot even invoke the law for their protection," he said. "I argued in front of the apex court that such a 'narrow interpretation' goes against the 'spirit of the law' and that the law deserves a 'broader interpretation' to be effective. The SC decided that the points we raised are worth examining and hence granted us the leave to appeal," explained Khwaja while talking to Journalist Asad Ali Toor outside the SC.
The Supreme Court not only deemed Khwaja's arguments worthy of debate but also declared the issue "a case of first impressions" which means that this technical or legal point regarding the interpretation of the Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act has never been heard of before.
Meanwhile, the SC will not hear arguments from both sides to decide on how the law should be understood in the future, as It goes without saying however the SC chooses to interpret this law will end up having long-term legal implications for women who allege harassment in the workplace in future.
BROADER IMPLICATIONS OF THE DECISION
Advocate Noor Ijaz Chaudhry, an assistant of Advocate Khwaja, while discussing the possible broader implications of the law, explains that the Protection against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act 2010 was passed as a 'beneficial statute', meaning that the law was intended to benefit "all women". But the way this law had been interpreted by the LHC, has ended up in excluding a large segment of the population which according to their legal team goes against the spirit of the law.
"Consider students for instance or rural women employed via informal contracts," she said, speaking to Voicepk.net. "According to the LHC's interpretation, these segments of the female population cannot even invoke the law for their protection. This is such a big issue because we have been trying to get this appeal through for over a year now."
Advocate Noor's argument makes sense in the context of a large chunk of Pakistan's economy being informal and that a majority of these workers do not have employment contracts which leaves them outside the protection offered by this law. Moreover, owing to the growth of the gig economy, whereby employees work under flexible work arrangements a limited or narrow definition of the law will be tantamount to excluding remote, home-based, freelance workers from the ambit of the law.
Meesha's case has now become bigger than the issue, not just limited to her celebrity persona. The ball is now in the proverbial 'court'. How the SC interprets this law will make or break Pakistan's pushback against 'workplace harassment'.
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"The PM understands the necessity of highspeed internet in the modern-age but his govt is trying to balance the "risks" involved," says PM's National Security advisor @YusufMoeed in conversation with @MunizaeJahangir.
Our Story: https://voicepk.net/2021/01/21/pms-advisor-moeed-yousaf-says-imran-khan-wants-3g-4g-services-restored-in-all-of-former-fata-but-there-are-risks/
Convalescent plasma therapy found ineffective in combating South African #COVID19 variant, raising concerns as to the efficacy of existing vaccines in fighting this new strain
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An amendment bill seeking to set 60 days timeframe for civil courts to decide cases of women's property rights has been passed by the Senate Standing Committee on Law and Justice.
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While police claim that six-year-old Ameer Hamza's autopsy confirmed he was not sexually assaulted, his family say that the slain boy had told them he was raped and set on fire hours before he succumbed to his grievous wounds.
Our Story: https://voicepk.net/2021/01/20/anti-rape-ordinance-not-included-in-khuzdar-boys-rape-and-murder-case/
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Meet 'Ice Bae': Latina Border Patrol officer taking social media...
Social media star found dead after grisly photo posted on...
Did Ben Simmons' sister shade Kendall Jenner over Kyle Kuzma...
Instagram teen's accused killer scrawled chilling message near...
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Latina Border Patrol officer dubbed 'Ice Bae' is a Democrat
Strictly biz
By Sean Daly
April 3, 2012 | 4:00am
TRENDING ALERT: "Pawn Stars", "Shark Tank" and "Celebrity Apprentice" (above) are hot. Douglas Gorenstein/NBC
"Shark Tank" (ABC)
"Pawn Stars" (ABC)
TENDING ALERT: "Pawn Stars," (top) "Shark Tank" (center) and "Celebrity Apprentice" (bottom) are hot. (
Suddenly, entrepreneurs are TV's new Idols.
As singing competitions shed viewers, a new breed of reality show is striking it rich.
"Coming out of the recession, people like to see other people beating the system and living the American dream," says Brent Montgomery, producer of "Pawn Stars" and ABC's new sports memorabilia series "Ball Boys."
No business-themed program is hotter right now than ABC's "Shark Tank."
Now in its third season — and with the addition of grinning billionaire Mark Cuban — the venture-capital show has seen ratings jump nearly every week this winter.
That's one reason business news channel CNBC recently hired a top program exec from VH1 — Jim Ackerman, who developed programming like "Celebrity Fit Club" and "Best Week Ever" — to revamp its evening lineup.
The business channel is trying to solve a problem it's had from the very beginning — people turned it off after the market closed.
At first, bringing a VH1 guy into CNBC seemed silly. But now under pressure to increase profits, the business channel is moving quickly into prime time with the only kind of show that makes sense: business reality.
"We were in there a year ago," Montgomery says, "and could see that they were starting to look into this world."
While established producers scramble to come up with a new spin on "The Apprentice" or "Undercover Boss," first-timers are trying to break in with new business-show ideas.
Beth Stolarczyk, a former cast member for "The Real World: Los Angeles," recently completed filming a pilot for a show about stay-at-home moms who try to bring their inventions to market in between fixing dinner and driving the kids to school.
"A lot of moms will identify with it because they want to start their own business so they can work their schedules around their kids," she says.
There's even a concept for a kids version of "Shark Tank" being developed by a group of teenagers who sold their rubber charm bracelet company to the sharks earlier this season.
"I think people want to see it re-enforced that dreams can and do come true," Cuban told The Post yesterday.
"Our entrepreneurs aren't born with silver spoons. They are normal people who have worked extra hard to turn their businesses into something.
"The 'Sharks' aren't the role models, the entrepreneurs are and everyone cheers for them," he says.


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Bishop Burns
Church in Crisis
Posts tagged with "Bishop Kevin J. Farrell"
Bishop Farrell among 17 new cardinals
Sunday, October 9, 2016073 Pope Francis will conclude the Year of Mercy by creating 17 new cardinals, including three from the United States: Archbishop Blase J. Cupich of Chicago; Bishop Kevin J. Farrell, prefect of the new Vatican office for laity, family and life; and Archbishop Joseph W. Tobin of Indianapolis. Announcing the names of the new cardinals Oct. 9,...
Bishop Kevin Farrell
'Surprises of the Spirit'
Friday, October 7, 2016026 As he departs for his new role as the Prefect for the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life at the Vatican, Bishop Kevin J. Farrell reflection on how his life has been filled with "Surprises of the Spirit" during his decade in Dallas.
Bishop Farrell brought reform, renewal to diocese
Friday, September 23, 2016041 When Bishop Kevin J. Farrell departs for his new ministry at the Vatican in early October, he will leave behind, many Catholic faithful say, a diverse Diocese of Dallas that is more united, financially viable and charitable and poised for the future than the one he encountered when he first came here nearly 10 years ago.
Pope Francis appoints Bishop Farrell to Vatican post
Wednesday, August 17, 2016077 Pope Francis has appointed Dallas Bishop Kevin J. Farrell as the prefect in charge of a new Vatican office for the laity, family and life, in a continuation of his quest to overhaul the Vatican Curia for more efficiency and transparency for the benefit of the global church.
SLIDESHOW: Portraits of Courage
Wednesday, July 20, 2016039 The aftermath of a deadly shooting in downtown Dallas on July 7 left a city heartbroken as five police officers lost their lives when a lone gunman opened fire after a protest and rally. Over the course of the next week, civic and faith leaders joined the community and the nation in honoring those officers who died as well as those who...
'In your great mercy...give me answers'
Wednesday, July 20, 2016027 In Bishop Kevin J. Farrell's homily from the July 9 Mass for Hope and Healing at the Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe, the bishop asks that we all pray for our police officers, their families and all people who have suffered violence in this world.
Bishop Farrell response to Bastille Day attack
Friday, July 15, 2016036 Another attack and scores more innocent people killed in a brutal and vicious manner. A celebration of Bastille Day in Nice turned into a killing field by terrorists determined to destroy western civilization.
Five officers killed in ambush; bishop calls for prayer
Friday, July 8, 2016027 Five Dallas law enforcement officers were assassinated July 7 as at least one sniper opened fire in downtown Dallas as hundreds of demonstrators were winding down a march protesting recent fatal officer-involved shootings in other parts of the country.
Four men ordained as Diocese of Dallas priests
Thursday, May 26, 20160596 As a standing-room only congregation at the Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe looked on, Bishop Kevin J. Farrell ordained four men to serve as priests in the diocese of Dallas on May 21. With the addition of Father Paul Bechter, Father Emmett Hall, Father Ignacio Olvera and Father Daniel Rendón, the Diocese of Dallas is now...
Faith beyond belief
Friday, May 13, 2016035 What gets us through the really rotten moments of life is the confidence that no matter how hopeless a situation seems, God will give us the strength to hang on. That confidence is the fruit of faith. It is trust in God's promise that he will not abandon us.
Father Dankasa: Priceless Friendship -- A prototype drawn from healing of the paralytic
Don't let quake shake your hope, pope tells earthquake survivors
Paris archbishop celebrates first Mass in Notre Dame since fire
U.S. bishops take action to respond to church abuse crisis
St. Elizabeth of Hungary's Dzurilla finding new ways to serve the community
Departing principal helped build strong community at SPSA
Pope says he's strengthened, encouraged by talks with Benedict XVI
Two nuns to join faculty at St. Bernard of Clairvaux Catholic School
Bishop 'profoundly saddened' by deaths, damage from Midwest storms
All children deserve a home, pope says, encouraging adoption
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Spanish American
Battle of Las Guasimas
Battle of Santiago de cuba
Battle of (for) Puerto Rico
Battle of Manila
Peace Treaty of Paris
The Ten Week War
The United States asserted its dual personality in an act of self interest and the liberation of the oppressed people of Cuba. America was about to quench its infrequent, imperialistic ambitions, and free the Cubans from an abusive foreign occupation. Historically, Spanish speaking nations seemed to be the only stimulant that slaked American taste for international expansion.
Spain began its iron control of the Cuban island in 1511. In a few short years, the indigenous Indian population's death rate tripled and birthrate fell. Before the end of the 16th century this race was extinguished, and Africans began their bondage.
The new Cuban population were exhibiting signs of unrest, but it was not until 1878 that they rallied behind a call for independence. Their brief uprising was harshly terminated by their Spanish masters. It did not help that the United States imposed a 40% tariff on Cuban sugar in an act to prop up American southern planters. This spelled doom for the Cuban economy. This policy continued with the election of William McKinley in 1897. He also favored high protective tariffs, continuation of the gold standard and relaxation of government regulations on business. Although some commercial interests believed that less government rules meant more business with Cuba, native Cubans knew that the benefits would flow to the top. Each policy a potential blow to the Cuban economy.
The 1878 uprising was followed by a full blown revolt against Spain in 1895 that defied Spanish control and strained its resources. Atrocity stories surfaced in the American press that created its own circulation war within the fourth estate. The William Randolph Hearst newspaper, The New York Journal, actively competed with Joseph Pulitzer's New York World with lurid headlines and images of a "Cuban crisis". Hearst, apocryphally, told his eyewitness painter (Frederic Remington) to create the images of the Cuban revolution and he, Hearst, would create the war. Thus "yellow journalism" was born wherein facts were subordinated to a good story that stoked its readers into a war frenzy. United States business interests jumped onto that band wagon believing that a Cuban republic would enhance trade.
Spanish American War History
America was ready to flex its muscles. Power generated from Niagara Falls was electrifying the country. The first Ford's were rolling off the assembly line. The invention of lino type increased the numbers of newspapers that could be printed to satisfy mass readership. Newspapers employed staffs of artist-reporters whose lurid sketches and paintings were front page news.
Political theorists were looking beyond Cuban borders and envisioning domination of the Caribbean Sea. It was natural to presume that Cuba's location was a key to this strategy. Nevertheless, the new 25th President McKinley(1897) was exercising caution against instigating hostilities, and shared this sentiment with his Democrat predecessor, President Grover Cleveland. Aside from questions of morality and justification, both believed that war would damage the U.S. economy.
Spanish American War History Spanish American War History
Grover Cleveland William McKinley
In late January 1898, the perfect storm struck Havana Harbor when the U.S.S. Maine, a second class battleship, and the U.S.S. Montgomery sailed in for a reputed courtesy call, and to respond to the U.S. Consul in Havana to protect American interests. . Their suspicions were aroused by a German squadron, already at anchor, and duly reported this to Washington D.C. At 9:40 P.M. on February 15, a huge explosion struck the Maine sinking the ship with a loss of 260 men of the 350 complement. Captain Sigsbee attempting to respond to the blast said he heard, "a crashing roar of immense volume".
The New York World displayed this headline: "Destruction of Maine by Foul Play". The Journal, not to be out done, obtained (intercepted?) a letter from the Spanish Minister, Enrique Depuy de Lane to his friend in Havana stating that McKinley was a weak president who would avoid a war. They unhesitatingly published the letter which had the desired effect of further inflaming public opinion.Theodore Roosevelt, an undersecretary of the navy, officially termed the explosion an accident, but privately expressed to the contrary. (See Theodore Roosevelt and Spanish- American War.)
The slogan of the day that quickly caught popular sentiment":
To Hell with Spain
Remember the Maine
Boards of Inquiry were formed in the United States and Spain to determine the cause of the explosion. Was it internal or external? Spanish authorities concluded that the blast originated in the ship's powder magazine, but this was disputed by the American investigation that determined the cause was from a "submarine mine" that had been directed to strike the Maine. Neither report was overly dependent on factual evidence. Spain expressed sympathy and U.S. public opinion can only be described as hysterical. Competing views, without any common ground, asserted on the one hand an avaricious America, and on the other moral outrage.
Emigres in the U.S. from Cuba were calling for support for a Cuban revolt. President McKinley suspended the ongoing negotiations with Spain, a country in denial about the trending American opinion for war. They were woefully unprepared to repel an invasion. Their fleet was under crewed and the ships in need of repair. Their finances were strained, not only by the Cuban guerrilla ("mambisis") revolt on that island, but also by the guerrilla insurgency led by General Emilio Aguinaldo in their Philippine Islands possession.
Add to that the drum beat in the United States for an invasion, and the insistent pressure from the Cuban emigre population in Florida led by their patriot poet, Jose Marti, who later joined the armed insurgents in Cuba. He died there in battle on May 15, 1898. Spain had registered a complaint with the U.S. government alleging that Americans were giving aid and comfort to its enemy.
Spain had hoped that its promises of reform would placate the United States, but were largely ignored by the American public. Despite Spain's desire to avoid war. Admiral Pascual Cervera, commander of the Spanish fleet, had included in his plan an attack on Key West, Florida. However, the Admiral was a pragmatic leader who presciently said:
"----To defend an island which was ours, but belongs to us no more, because even if we did not lose it by right in the war, we have lost it in fact.---"
The Spanish had promised reform, but failed to deliver. They force women and children out of their homes and placed them in reconcentration camps in order to gain an advantage over a rebellious population.
Marti Aguinaldo
Subsequent to the sinking of the Maine, McKinley, on March 26, sought to maintain peace. His Ambassador to Spain, Stewart L. Woodford, was instructed to deliver this message:
"The President has evidenced in every way his desire to preserve
and continue friendly relations with Spain. He has kept every
international obligation with fidelity and wants honorable peace.
He has repeatedly urged the government of Spain to secure such
a peace. Peace is the desired end. For your own guidance, the
President suggests that if Spain will revoke the reconcentration
order and maintain the people until they can support themselves
and offer to the Cubans full self-government, with reasonable
indemnity, the President will gladly assist in its consummation".
However, rampant jingoism placed President McKinley in an untenable position. His prior caution was subordinated to uncontrollable events and public appetite for war. He sent a war message to Congress on April 11, 1898. The Congress on April 20 rapidly voted approval of a Resolution noting Cuban independence, demanded Spain leave the island, promised never to annex Cuba (Teller Amendment), and authorized the President of the United States to take all necessary action to insure Cuban independence. Mutual Declarations of War followed on the next day . It was now official.
McKinley called for 125,000 volunteers to augment a small, federal standing army of 26,000. Northerners and Southerners put aside outstanding bitterness that still lingered from the Civil War to face a common enemy. The president was cognizant of this lasting enmity and, with this in mind, insisted on appointing the former Confederate General Joseph Wheeler to the general staff of the invasion forces, and commander of the army's cavalry division.
Ultimately, the volunteer force numbered over 200,000 and the Regulars were augmented by 40,000 more men.
Although the first American war activities occurred in the Pacific (May 1), the focus of America was Cuba and we start our review of military action off the Florida coast.
United States Invades Cuba
Tampa, Florida was chosen as the port of embarkation. It also was the heart of the most vociferous Cuban opposition to Spanish rule. A huge invasion fleet assembled for the six day trip over 200 miles of placid sea which, unpredictably, became extremely rough at the landing site on Cuba's south eastern coast.
V Corps, including the volunteer regiments and three divisions, led by General William R. Shafter, had undergone vigorous basic training and were reputed to be battle ready. However, this trained force arrived at Tampa Bay to find the sea transports in a state of disarray. Not enough space was allotted for the number of troops as well as equipment and horses. The 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry Regiment, "Rough Riders", were required to board without their horses and minus four of its companies.. They served as an infantry unit in Cuba, but its second in command, Lt. Col. Theodore Roosevelt, managed to board his mount.
Civic Association of Port Tampa City, Inc.
About 17,000 U.S. Troops set sail for Santiago de Cuba. Many were left behind because of space constraints and unusually high incidence of tropical fevers. Santiago de Cuba was on the far eastern end of the island and deemed by the Washington strategists less defensible than Havana.On June 22, 1898, the invasion force made landfall about 10 miles east of their target city at the undefended towns of Daiquiri and the nearby Siboney. (An earlier landing on June 10 was accomplished further to the east, at the current U.S. base at Guantanamo which was acquired by lease in 1903).
The intention was to capture Santiago de Cuba, destroy the Cuban squadrons anchored in its bay, and then march overland about 500 miles to attack Havana.
When the U.S. troops landed at Daiquiri, orders to the commanders on the shore were to hold their positions pending total disembarkation. Intelligence had revealed that the Spanish forces numbered about 150,000 in addition to 40,000 volunteers dug in and spread throughout the island.
General Joseph Wheeler and his division were among the earliest troops on land. As a Confederate officer, he earned the name "fighting Joe Wheeler". His first act on shore was to disregard (or misunderstand) the standing order to refrain from any offensive actions. He assembled about 1,200 of his men and pushed off into the jungle in the northerly direction of the village of Las Guasimas. The force included the 10th U.S. regulars manned by the segregated African-American "Buffalo Soldiers" led by white officers. 1st Lt. John Pershing cut his teeth in battle with these soldiers. Hence the name "Black Jack" Pershing that identified him about 20 years later in World War I on French battle fields. The Wheeler force also included Colonel Leonard Wood's, dismounted "Rough Riders". Col. Wood was seconded by Lt. Col. Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt, the former Assistant Secretary of the Navy.
The indiginous Cuban troops, allies in the coming war, refused to join Wheler pursuant to the standing orders not to engage the enemy until all personnel were ashore. The Cuban refusal was later approved by General Shafter, and a wrist slap to Messrs Wheeler and Woods.
Americans moving to Las Guasimas front.
Harper's Pictorial History of the War with Spain, Vol. II,
Major General Joseph Wheeler
Americans unused to tropical heat and impenetrable jungle immediately began to discard blankets and equipment, but retained their weapons and ammunition. Many that escaped death in battle would suffer from yellow fever and malaria. Resupply lines would be equally impacted by the same geography and weather. Wood"s volunteer regiment, prior to battle, was already decimated by illness and only could count on about 500 able bodied men.
Cuban scouts reported on a hidden Spanish ambush which Wheeler was able to avoid. However, he did meet the determined resistance of a 1500 Spanish rear guard that raked the Americans with their Mauser repeating rifles. This improved technology was smokeless and difficult to locate for returning fire. Both sides exchanged fire with their field guns.Ultimately, the Spaniards withdrew after the two hour fire fight. The Americans suffered 69 casualties and from the available reports, the enemy sustained 24 dead and wounded. There was no indication that the Spanish lines at the village of Las Guasimas were overrun, but the American press described it as a rout. Lt. Colonel Theodore Roosevelt, second in command under Colonel Leonard Wood, also used the word "rout" in the aftermath of the battle. The Spaniards appear to have organized an orderly withdrawal as one might expect of a force set in place to delay American advance. They fell back to Santiago and joined in its defense.
In hindsight, the Wheeler tactics of frontal assaults were vestiges of his service in the Civil War. The new technologies of rapid fire weapons, naval guns supporting land forces over greater distances, required a different approach. Officers were rethinking the old rules and designing different offensive strategies. President McKinley introduced a war room in the White House that analyzed daily reports that poured in from the front lines.
On June 28, 1898, President McKinley declared a blockade of Cuba and Puerto Rico. The rights of all neutrals were to be respected and no cargo, except contraband would be seized. Spanish merchant vessels were given immunity until May 21. An analysis of the blockade proved its effectiveness.
Battle For Santiago de Cuba
El Caney, San Juan Hill
General Shafter ordered the attack on Santiago protected by a ring of hills, and heavily defended by the Spanish forces. The Americans marched through the tropical jungles from their camps at Daiquiri and Siboney until they reached the outer perimeter of hills.
Shafter's relationship with the naval squadron commander, Rear Admiral William T. Sampson, can only be described as contentious and rocky. Shafter believed that the invasion forces, including the navy, were subject to his command. He insisted that Sampson sail into Santiago Harbor and confront and destroy the Cervera fleet and coordinate with the land attack. This would eliminate the deck guns of the Spanish ships that would otherwise be trained on the attacking V Corps. Sampson pointedly refused. The Santiago harbor was protected by a long, narrow neck believed to be heavily mined and protected by shore guns. Sampson believed that Spanish ships would ultimately be forced into open seas, and at that point, then subjected to the fire of the better armed American vessels.
Sampson's analysis appears to be correct. He also understood that Shafter sought the glory of an army victory and disregarded the danger to the navy. Sampson also felt that the honor garnered by a Spanish surrender was earned primarily by the navy. Essentially, terrain on land and sea dictated the order of battle.
An aerial view displays the American line of march from coastal Siboney through jungle to the hill ringed Santiago and the order of battle.
Spanish American War History click to enlarge Spanish American War History
General Arsensio Linares had prepared three defensive lines to protect the City of Santiago de Cuba. The first perimeter at Las Guasimas had been eliminated by the Wheeler regiments. Linares second line was spread out over the San Juan Heights. Many of the positions spread over a wide area were thinly manned, but well equipped with the repeater Mauser rifles.
General Shafter developed a strategy that called for the elimination of resistance at El Caney; thereby securing the right flank of V Corps. Thereafter to utilize those Americans in the attack on el Caney to support the major assault on the San Juan Hill. He anticipated a short battle at El Caney which actually began at 7 A.M. with Americans bolstered by a 10 to 1 man advantage.The day dragged on and the Americans were continually repulsed by 500 Spanish regulars with greater fire power than the 5,000 Americans using old style rifles with black smoke charges. Twelve hours later the Spaniards withdrew suffering 300 casualties against about 500 Americans. They were too late to reinforce the attack on San Juan Hill.
The observation balloon participating in the capture of El Caney was operated by the United States Signal Corps. It received heavy fire from the Spaniards, but was able to locate a new approach for the U.S. forces below. .
In the early morning hours, two American divisions occupied trenches at the foot of the San Juan Heights taking fire from above. They awaited General Lawton's regiments to conclude operations at El Caney. During that unexpected waiting period, no orders from the General staff were received to advance. Apparently the high command also awaited the successful outcome at El Caney. In the interim, time was on the side of the Spaniards in their well fortified blockhouse on the summit of the San Juan Hill as named by the Americans.
The anticipated two hour window predicted for the capture of El Caney had closed. By 10 A.M. American forces leaving their trenches advanced up the hill under the protective cover of the artillery battery at El Pozo. The 1st Volunteer Cavalry, Rough Riders, along with the 10th Cavalry Buffalo soldiers had been poised to rush an adjoining elevation that would be known as Kettle Hill (based on a kettle found on the crest used to refine sugar). As they ascended the hill, they heard the rat-tat-tat of four American Gatling guns reaching the defenders trenches and savaging them with the rapid firing weapons. After a short, but bloody skirmish, the Americans dislodged the defenders who fled to avoid hand to hand combat. After the success on Kettle hill, recently elevated to full Colonel Roosevelt (in replacement of Colonel Wood now on the general staff) rallied his men as they rushed down the hill to join the battle on the adjoining San Juan Hill. They were joined by the African-American soldiers. These fighters were called "Smoked Yankees" by the enemy.
Lt. John Pershing was more effusive:
"We officers of the Tenth Cavalry would have taken our black heroes into our arms. They had again fought their way into our affections, as they here have fought their way into the hearts of the American people".
Lt. Col. Theodore Roosevelt had a more patronizing view:
"(They) flashed their white teeth at one another, as they broke into broad grins, and I had no further trouble with them, they seeming to accept me as one of their own officers"
Rough Riders on Kettle Hill
Mort Kuntsler
The 4 Gatling guns, operated by Lt. John Parker's detachment, were positioned to fire on both San Juan and Kettle Hills. Their fire power was devastating. Spanish counter attacks against Kettle Hill were destroyed by the guns with a killing range up to 2,000 yards. These weapons had seen limited use in the Civil War, and its efficiency had been updated since President Lincoln had recognized their lethal utility.
As the Americans raced up San Juan Hill, the Rough Riders on foot, followed Roosevelt charging up the hill on his mount. Many of the regiments were forced to halt below the crest lest struck by the Gatlings rapid fire that ultimately cleared the path for the Americans.
The Spanish fought hard and bravely although at a distinct manpower disadvantage. American casualties exceeded 3,000 and the Spaniards nearly 1,000 that included their General Arsenio Linares. .
The Spaniards that survived retreated to the protected breastworks and walls of Santiago City.
General Shafter chose to lay siege to Santiago City rather than continuing the attack which might have brought the war to a close on that July 1, 1898. He was suffering from malaria (and gout), and his men that survived death and wounds were heat exhausted. He evidently had overestimated the strength of the Spanish defenses, and still was demanding that Admiral Sampson enter the harbor and engage the Cervera fleet.
Colonel Roosevelt wrote his friend, Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, regarding General Shafter. He called him "criminally incompetent".
Now V Corps commanded the heights over Santiago de Cuba, but the delay aided the Spanish to strengthen their defenses. However, their water supply was now severed and their ammunition stores were severely depleted. Their new General, Jose Toral, defiantly refused the Shafter request for immediate surrender (July 3).
Admiral Cervera could foresee the fragility of the defense and made a break from the harbor, and attempted to avoid detection in the open seas. The besieging Americans noted the Cervera breakout and again demanded the city's unconditional surrender. Toral wanted terms and refused to surrender. Shafter granted time for civilians to leave the city to avoid the promised U.S. bombardment.
The Sampson naval squadron had maintained a vigil outside of Santiago harbor. On July 3, Sampson's group featured 4 battleships and the Cevera fleet, much lighter, dependent on 4 cruisers and 2 destroyers with torpedo capacity. His earlier pleas to Madrid for repairs had fallen on deaf ears. The command observing possible Spanish movement in the bay was in the capable hands of Commodore Winfield Scott Schley aboard the cruiser, Brooklyn. Admiral Sampson's and his flag ship, the cruiser, New York, were away to resupply its coal.
The U.S.S. Brooklyn spotted funnel smoke and alerted the fleet. Soon the Cevera ships made a run to escape. The American's intercepted the fleeing Spanish and their guns engaged Cervera and reduced his ships to wrecks. 1,600 sailors, as well as Admiral Cevera, were rescued and interned in the United States until the end of hostilities.
U.S.S. Brooklyn
The Santiago harbor was no longer a threat. On July 10, the U.S. Navy began its bombardment of Santiago .However, land action was static, and the inaction was criticized by the press at home. The several days of negotiations reached its culmination on July 16 and July 17 when Shafter accepted the unconditional surrender of General Toral.
The land war in Cuba was essentially over. The plan to continue the campaign to capture Havana was to be delayed until the cooler autumn.
Surrender Tree Memorial (photo 1958)
Two other subsequent engagements are worthy of note:
On July 21, the U.S. Navy was to rendezvous off the Nipe Bay on the northern coast of Cuba. The ships were to be the starting point of the second leg of the Caribbean war, the invasion of Puerto Rico. A U. S. cruiser engaged and destroyed a Spanish sloop of war and forced the scuttling of a gunboat.(The region is the birthplace of Cuban leader, Fidel Castro.)
On July 23, on the north west coast of Cuba, a small American landing party under Lt. John Heard, landed at Mani-Mani with supplies for Cuban fighters. While on the beach, Spanish cavalry attacked the Americans. They were vastly outnumbered. Lt. Heard coolly directed his men in a fighting withdrawal and reached his ship which then escaped. For bravery above and beyond the call of duty, Heard was awarded the Medal of Honor.
V Corps was drained. The ranks were rife with yellow fever, malaria and dysentery. There were no facilities in Cuba for adequate treatment. The decision was inevitable. V Corps would return home and would be replaced by VI Corps. Montauk was prepared to receive the sick. Montauk, on the eastern tip of Long Island, New York prepared a camp for the veterans of the Cuban campaign where hundreds more died of illness
The Battle of (for) Puerto Rico
As early as May 5, 1898, the U.S. Army Bureau of Intelligence dispatched an agent to Puerto Rico to assess Spanish troop strength and map potential landing sites.
On May 12, 1898, Admiral Sampson signaled United States interest in Spain's Caribbean possession, Puerto Rico. His gun boats, lying off the northern coast, shelled its major city, San Juan. Unlike Cuba, 700 miles north, there was no overt clamor by its indigenous peoples for separation from Spain. Their distaste for foreign rule would be manifested after the end of the Spanish rule in the south and western part of the island. The north, much less so, because they had been less severely exploited, and had developed its own aristocracy with Spanish blessing.
The mother country, Spain, had previously outlawed slavery on the island, provided Puerto Rico a constitution granting autonomy, and approved political parties. The source of their power and the inculcation of its culture were situated on the northern coast and, particularly, the city of San Juan. Their surrogates, ruling in other parts of the country, were not as benign, and they earned the enmity of the local population.
However, Washington, D.C. felt a sense of entitlement that included the acquisition of this 90 mile island because of its efforts to free Cuba from the Spanish yoke. In blunt terms, this was a quid pro quo for its good deeds in Cuba. Puerto Rico was a link in the chain protecting American business interests in the Caribbean region. This geopolitical policy extended into the Pacific Ocean leading to the annexation of Hawaii (July 8, 1898) and the Philippine Islands.
On June 25, the USS Yosemite imposed an effective blockade on San Juan Harbor.
Despite contrary orders from the War Department calling for direct attack on San Juan, General Nelson A. Miles, Lt. General of all the U.S. Armies, had other ideas. He decided to employ the strategy for the invasion of Puerto Rico similar to that employed in Cuba. This strategy focused on attacking areas of lesser resistance rather than heavily defended northern capitals such as Havana and San Juan.Thus the 3,300 troops embarking from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (July 21) were transported to the beach at Guanica on Puerto Rico's southern coast.This small village is west of the large town of Ponce later to be targeted by the Americans. In the earliest skirmish, a platoon of marines and sailors from the USS Gloucester secured the beachhead, and met with some inconsequential fire.
Ultimately, 15,000 American troops would participate in the Puerto Rican campaign. The enemy could field about 18,000 men, but 10,000 were drawn from the indigenous population.
Lt. General Nelson A. Miles met his troops in Guanica. One of his earliest acts was to issue a proclamation to the population stating that his army were "liberators" and not "conquerors".
To the east of Ponce, on August 5, Major General Brooke landed his 1st Corps and promptly seized Guayama. The strategy of the invasion forces was evident. Secure control of the entire southern coast and as much of east and west coasts prior to moving northward over the mountains toward San Juan.
The American troops met no immediate, significant resistance. Both the Cuban landing and that in Puerto Rico required marches over difficult terrain to reach the ultimate goals of capturing the capitals. In Cuba it was tropical jungle. In Puerto Rico, it was difficult mountains. However, climate and weather in Puerto Rico did not present the medical problems encountered in Cuba which had directly contributed to 2565 American deaths versus 345 deaths from combat.
On July 25, several companies were ordered north, some few miles, to secure a rail terminus at Yauco that connected with Ponce. They were met in a company sized engagement by Spanish regulars and Puerto Rican volunteers. The Spaniards counter attack panicked the Massachusetts company who reformed and forced the enemy to retreat. The company was subsequently court martialed and sentenced to a hard march punishment. Officers were obliged to resign. However, the Spanish orders to destroy the rail line had failed. Many small villages were thereafter abandoned by the Spanish.
In early August, Nelson was in the attack mode. After Yauco, he marched on Ponce which he planned as a coordinated land and sea attack and found the Spanish had abandoned it.
On August 2, he marched his regiments to take the town of Arroyo. They were supported by the newly formed "Porto Rican Scouts". They were met by a smaller Spanish force along the road to Guayama, the next American target. American firepower forced Spanish withdrawal to Guayama. When the U.S. forces entered that town, again, the enemy had left.
On August 9, two battalions of American troops were joined by a small force of Puerto Ricans and attacked the town of Coamo. The attack began with an artillery barrage and ended with a classic pincer action in which the Spanish commander died of wounds.
Several lesser skirmishes around the southern coast, as well as at Mayaguez on the western coast, ended with the Spaniards abandoning their positions. The exception occurred on the east coast at Fajardo where a small force of Americans temporarily held the area until they were forced to retreat to their ship, and the town was reoccupied by the Spanish.
August 9: A joint Spanish and United States commission met in San Juan to discuss Spanish withdrawal. On August 12, the Spanish envoy in Washington signed a protocol agreement which effectively ended all fighting.
August 13: Hostilities were abruptly concluded with the armistice protocol leading to theTreaty of Paris (below) concluded December 10, 1898. This was against the backdrop of Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Philippines. (Battle of Manila reported below.)
Those Puerto Ricans who believed that the Americans would grant them freedom soon learned that their land had been annexed as an unincorporated territory; therefore not entitled to the protections of the American Constitution.
The price of American adventurism in the Puerto Rican campaign were five American dead.
Spanish American War History click to enlarge
The Battle of Manila
Prior to the conflict, the then Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Theodore Roosevelt, chose Admiral George Dewey to lead America's Pacific Squadron. Not surprisingly his choice fell on Dewey whose combative spirit closely duplicated that of the undersecretary. The command consisted of four wooden sided cruisers and two gunboats. Ultimately, his fleet would be matched against seven Spanish cruisers.
With visions of the exploded USS Maine in the public mind, Admiral Dewey was ordered on April 27, 1898, to strike the Spanish fleet commanded by Admiral Patricio Montojo as it lay anchored in Manila Bay off the Philippine's Luzon Island.
The Philippine archipelago comprises over 7,000 islands and only a quarter are inhabited. Luzon, one of the three largest islands, lies closes to the Asian mainland. It was also the home base for the Spanish Pacific empire, and particularly centered about the City of Manila located on Luzon's southwest coast. As early as 1572, Spain was subjected to the armed revolutionary fervor of the Filipino people. This demand for independence was still rampant in the 19th century and would ultimately bedevil American administrations in to the 20th century. An insurgency would be mounted by indigenous Muslims that produced the hot war that was missing in the initial event with the Spanish.
The strike on April 30-May1 was the inception point of the Spanish American War although half a world away from Havana Harbor where the Spanish were yet to feel American ire. . The Spanish Admiral learned that Dewey's fleet was located at Subic Bay just North of Manila. The admiral did not reckon on a night time attack because of the navigational obstacles and mines in the huge Manila Bay. However, there were corridors, if known, could overcome the entry problems. Dewey's inside information was supplied to him by the American consul in Manila. The surprise, night time attack on the Spanish vessels began with full knowledge of the enemy strength, defenses and battle array.
An element that disturbed Dewey was the presence of the German navy in the bay. Were they there to pick up a rich prize ,as has been suggested, about their similar presence in Havana harbor reported by the Captain of the Maine earlier in the year? Some historians suggest that the German presence was merely to gain intelligence about the actions of two world powers. However, in an unconfirmed report, the Filipino insurgents claimed that the Germans were interfering with their operations.
The naval engagement began in the early dawn hours. Admiral Dewey led the attack aboard his flag ship, USS Olympia. It was immediately evident that the Americans outgunned the enemy. The Spanish ships were ill fitted. Promised repairs from the Spanish government were delayed. A convoy destined for the Philippines, leaving Cadiz, was diverted to meet the Cuban threat. The Spaniards had a capacity of 19 torpedo tubes and no torpedoes.
Admiral Montojo's ship, Regina Cristina, was badly damaged. He sought to ram the American boats, but was repulsed. Rather than surrender he ordered all his ships be scuttled. All eight ships were destroyed.
There is a minor difference of opinion about casualties. Dewey claims there were no American deaths other than 1 from a heart attack. The Spanish claimed that as many as 13 Americans died and 77 of their sailors died of wounds. The differing versions would not have been a "minor difference" to the families of the American sailors.
Print of Olympia from painting by Marshall Johnson Sunken Regina Cristina
The Spanish land forces were about 21,000 strong. Half of these men were stationed in garrisons spread through the island chain. During the past few years, many of the garrisons were under attack by Filipino guerrillas; many abandoned. The bottom line was that the defenders of Manila had little hope of reinforcement from these outlying resources.
One group of Filipinos had a substantial troop presence surrounding Manila. They had cut the water supply for the city. They believed that they were the natural allies of the Americans who had even facilitated the return of their leader, General Emilio Aguinaldo, to the island (see photo above).
Dewey now settled into a period of lengthy inactivity awaiting the arrival of VIII Corps that would embark in San Francisco under the command of Maj. General Wesley Merritt. The Spanish in Manila were still pressured by the Filipinos. In the interim, there was other activity in the Pacific. An American navy captain on June 20 accepted the surrender of Guam merely at the asking. With even less effort than that, An American junior naval officer in January 1899, claimed Wake island for the United States. These acquisitions added security to American trade routes.
On June 30, the first United States troops landed in Cavite on Manila Bay. This town had previously been the supply depot for the Spanish forces---and particularly its navy.
Over the next month, American forces would swell to about 12,000. and theoretically augmented by twice that number of Filipinos. It became evident that the Americans had no desire to coordinate with them. The Filipinos must have been perplexed. They did not understand that the Americans were not liberators. They would not recognize their government after hostilities ended--even when Aguinaldo was declared president.
The Spanish administrators in Manila recognized their situation was hopeless. However, they would not surrender to the Filipinos. This was presumably because of their supposed cultural superiority and the probability of harsh recrimination built up over 300 years of Spanish rule. Thus the Spanish secretly agreed with Dewey to lay down their arms and surrender to the Americans. Dewey would not accept the deal. However, they agreed to perform a mock battle. Whereupon on August 13, Dewy shelled two abandoned forts and by agreement sent the Spaniards the international signal demanding surrender: D.W.H.B. (Do you surrender?) The Spaniards ran up the white flag. The war in the Pacific was over one day after the actual war was concluded by the Washington armistice. Unfortunately, through lack of knowledge of the play acting, one American ship had shelled Manila, contrary to agreement, and a force of Spanish troops attacked an American unit in which 6 died.
On August 16, the news of the peace protocol reached the Philippine Islands. The Americans had already raised their flag.
American statesman and future Secretary of State John Hay (November 1898):
"Splendid little war."
There were some in the United States Senate that raised objections to the treaty. The major objection was the moral one that questioned the imperialistic design to annex the Philippines. On the other side of the table, the Spanish attempted to retain some of the islands. McKinley threatened a continuation of the war. The deal was further sweetened with 20 million dollars paid to Spain. Despite the compromises, the treaty passed the congress with two votes to spare.
Spain relinquishes all claim of sovereignty over and title to Cuba.And as the island is, upon its evacuation by Spain, to be occupied by the United States, the United States will, so long as such occupation shall last, assume and discharge the obligations that may under international law result from the fact of its occupation, for the protection of life and property.
Spain cedes to the United States the island of Porto Rico and other islands now under Spanish sovereignty in the West Indies, and the island of Guam in the Marianas or Ladrones.
Spain cedes to the United States the archipelago known as the Philippine Islands, and comprehending the islands lying within the following line---------
American Peace Commission
PARIS Last Joint Session
References and Sources:
Album of American History. Vol IX, Editor; Ed James Truslow Adams, Charles Scribner's Son, New York 1969.
Dictionary of Wars, Facts on File
Encyclopedia Britannia Vol XII
Library of Congress photos
Library of Congress, Hispanic Division
Naval History & Heritage Command
Trask, David F. The War With Spain 1898,Macmillan Publishing Co. Inc., New york, 1981
U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian
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