The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-12-29

Washington, Dec. 2S.-There is a good
deal of anxiety in official circles here
over recent events at Iloilo. Two Of
fetal dispatches have been received by
the state and war departments, but it
is impossible to gather from them an
accurate knowledge as to the condition
there. Ii is not even possible to learn
whether the insurgents or the Ameri-
can forces have taken the place
This morning United States Consul
Pratt al Singapore cabled the state de-
partment: "Iloiio taken. Spanish fled
to BOrneo."
This threw the officials into deeper
doubt than before The American ex-
petition which left Manila to go to
noilo, 1000 troops and the Warships
Baltimore and Callao, would scarcely
have had time il is said, TO have
reached Iloilo by the oath. So the in
ference is that the insurgents are in
possession. Color is lent to this belief
by the fact reported in one telegram
that the SpaniardS had retreated to
strongly fortified town on the island
of Mindanao. This does not agree with
Consul Pratt's statement that they fled
to Borneo. the north coast of which
ieved that the consul is in error on this
point, which might easily be the case,
in view Of the distance from his post
to IloilO.
The fact that the Spaniards have re-
treated at all is also construed as an
indication that the town was aban-
doned to the insurgents, for it is be-
lieVed that Colonel Rios, the Spanish
commander. would have cheerfully
surrendered to the American force,
with = view To securing the safety Of
his men and their ultimate return to
Spain by the American government,
according TO the terms Of the treaty.
RELEASE OF PRISONERS.
The officials at the war department
still decline to make public General
Otis telegram of yesterday, but there
is 10 doubt that he is meeting with
great difficulty in his effort to secure
the release of the Spanish prisoners
held by the Filipinos IT begins to ap-
pear clearly that a considerable ele-
ment among the Filipino leaders
probably a majority-are disposed to
use these unfortunate prisoners as a
basis for negotiations with the United
States government, making their re-
lease conditional upon certain more or
less important concessions demanded
by them. II is not yet a foregone con-
elusion that terms cannot be arranged
by private conferences in Manila to
secure the release of these men. but the
United States government, being now
pledged by treaty to free them, must
- resort to other means if peaceful rep
reservations fail.
INSURGENTS IN POSSESSION.
Just before noon another dispatch
came from General Otis that at once
confirmed the fears of the officials of
the war department as TO what had
taken place at Iloilo. It appears that
the American forces had arrived too
late on the scene, and that the lnSur-
gents had added TO the difficulty of the
problem already presented, by hosting
their flag over the city, which they had
been besieging for months. The news
was contained in the following dispatch
from General Otis:
Manila. Dec. 27.-Adjutant General.
Washington, D. c: Sent Colonel Pot
ter on fast vessel to noilo on 24th to
communicate with Spanish General
Rios. Latter evacuated evening of
oath and Potter thirty-nine hours late.
Insurgents took possession of city on
26th. and Potter found Aguinaldo's flag
flying. Cannot NOW report probable re-
suits; will not hear from there for four
days. as no cable communication.
Spanish forces have evacuated all sta
lions in southern islands, except Fam
boansa, Mindanao, by orders, they say,
from Madrid.
CsignedD "OTIs."
The evacuation by the Spaniards of
all the Philippine ports, as reported by
General Otis. although doubtless in
spred by desire to secure their safe
ty by concentration, undoubtedly has
done much to compljcate the problem
already presented to the war depart
ment of extending the military jurisdic-
ton Of the United States over the is
lands II viii now be necessary ~ eX-
Dedite the execution of the original
Y-f7lans, and il may be fully expected
viii have happened in the Philippines
1t is presumed that General Otis will
demand the surrender of Iloilo into his
hands and this demand may at once
raise the issue between the insurgents
and our own government of possession
of the islands
POPULOUS PROVINCE
The province of uoilo is set down in
the official directories as having a pop
ulation of 479, 000 and it is the second
seaport in Importance in the Philip
pine group. It is located on a river
navigable FOR vessels of fifteen feet
draught. so that very few of our gun
boats would be available to assist the
troops in case it should be necessary
To take forcible possession of the city
The Spaniards have chosen a strong
piIce for the concentration of theii
troops, in the town of Zambaonga
which, as the reports here Indicate is
strongly fortified and possessed 81
considerable natural strength from 8
defensive point Of view. 1t is no
doubted that they Will be able to main.
tain themselves for an indefinite per
iod of time against the insurgents, pre-
suming that they are not cut off from
obtaining supplies from the sea. TIL,
town itself has a population Of q ,000