The glorious victory at Santiago bay, occurring only sixty days after Dewey's target practice in Manila bay, amazed and electrified the world. England felt a genuine [American Plymouth Rocks.] pride in both of these achievements and pointing to America observed: "These American roosters are from our own setting and their name is Plymouth Rock." When the German Emperor heard the great news from Santiago very few men in Europe were more pleased over it. His joy, however, was prompted by feelings of self-preservation rather than from exultation over the American victory. Wilhelm patted himself on the back and shook hands with himself for at least five consecutive hours when he reflected how narrowly he had escaped getting involved in a war with America and the fortunate escape of his German fleet from the fate that overtook Cervera's vessels. This is the reason why the German squadron cleared out of Manila immediately after Dewey sent his famous request to Washington to dispatch the Oregon to Manila, "for political reasons." The "bulldog of the American navy" reached Manila in due season but Admiral Von Deiderichs withdrew long before the "crack of doom" had ploughed her way into that harbor. As for France in 1910 she had not yet recovered from her surprise, while to Spain these disasters proved a paralytic shock of a most severe character. From 1898 to 1930 Spain was merely walking around to stave off funeral expenses. With a relatively strong navy of five hundred and ten (510) war ships to patrol her coasts in 1999, the United States of the [Large Army not Wanted.] Americas were not under any necessity of maintaining a large standing army. It was fully realized that an efficient sea-power must be maintained. With that arm of defence in her possession the maintenance of a large standing American army can never seriously be entertained. It has always been a popular belief in America that if a foreign army of invasion were to land upon our shores, Americans would give it a very warm reception, so spontaneous and effusive in its character that a majority of the invaders would never find their way back home again. Many of them might become permanent residents in American soil, so deeply rooted that none but Gabriel's trump could marshal them into line again.