Evening star., 1898-12-29
MERRITT ON lLOILO
The General Declares Spanish Had
No Right to Surrender.
FILIPIn0S SELECT new CABINET
The Members Are Said to Be Men
of Ability.
ANENT SPANISH PRISONERS

| CHICAGO, December 29-Maj. Cen Wes-
ley Merritt, who is spending the holidays in
! this city, was very much surprised to hear
| cf the surrender of Iloilo by Gen. Rios to
| the insurgents. Gen. Merritt believes the
| surrender MAJ have been an intentional
| rove on the part of the Spaniards to make
! it difficult for the United States to gain
control of the Philippine Islands.
| 1T is, of course, impossible" continued
| Gen. Merritt, ito predict what bearing this
| move will have on the ultimate disposition
| of the islands. Gen. Rios had no right 20
surrender to the il surgents. unless, indeed,
/ his command was on the verge of starva-
| tion or in some equally tight place. When
Manila fell all the ISLANDS in the archipela-
! go went with it. and though the surrender
then made paper might not have
amounted to much, and might have been
! terminated should the Spanish have felt
| them selves sufficiently strong, yet the sign
| ing of TIE protocol some six days later pre-
vented any further movements. either on
the part of the Americans TO gain further
| control of the islands on the part of the
| Spanish to attempt to wrest any of the
| surrendered territory from their victors
| Consequently Rios only move should have
been to turn over Iioilo to the United
| States troops.
THE idea the insurgents have is that the
| more territory they can assert that they
| hold, The better their claim to the right of
independence when the time comes for
them to treat with the United States re-
| Sarding node of government
| Views of IN EngIfskman.
| LONDON, December ga correspondent
| of the Globe, writing from Hong Kong on
| November 2G says:
| 1T viii be a great misfortune if, through
| hasty action or ignorance of the actual
! state of affairs, the Filipino natives rise
! against the Americans. Hitherto although
| the Americans have often given great prov
| ocatlon, the Filipinos have shown great
| forbearance and a strong dislike to come to
I blows. They do not want to night, and if
| the Americans only meet them half way
| all will go well. There is much to be gain
| ed by a just, statesmaniike settlement with
| the natives, while there will undoubtedly
be great losses through a continuance of
| arbitrary treatment.
''The just aspira tons of the people ought
to be taken into consideration, and l be-
lieve they would be if only the proper men
! are sent out by the President to settle the
question of the future government of the
I Islands the spot, after proper delibera-
| ton and very careful investigation. Such
commission would discover that tue Filipino
| leaders have been loyal to the Americans.
| | am informed that they refused to consider
| the overtures of Germany and France.
When Prince Henry visited Hong Kong
he caused the Filipino leaders there to visit
| him and informed them that he was en-
powered to promise the natives full recog-
| milton of their national government if they
would cede to Germany, as a uuid pro quo
/ a small coaiing station. France, more re-
| Gently, made similar advances, and in each
case the reply was: We cannot settle any
! thing with you. The Americans promised
| US independence and we wish to wait and
see what the Americans will do for u.s.
Details of the Surrender.
MANILA, Philippine Islands, December
9.-Details regarding the occupation of
lloilo by the insurgents have just been re-
| ceived here. The American expedition COM
| manded by Brig. Gen. Miller arrived there
yesterday anj found that the Spaniards had
evacuated the place on Saturday. on board
| the steamer Churnca. and had been trans
1erred to the Island of Mindanao, in
| cordance with an agreement arrived at with
| the insurgents. The latter entered Iloilo
| and occupied the trenches Monday at
noon. They Immediately established a mu-
| nicipal government and placed guards over
foreign property The insurgents We're
| fairly quiet and orderly, although there
was some looting at night, but the shooting
of five of the natives had an exemplary ef-
feet upon tie rest
The only foreign warship in the harbor
vas the German Second-cfass cruiser Irene
The new Filipino cabinet is composed as
follows:
President of the cabinet and minister of
foreign affairs, Senor Mabani.
ID.
Minister of the interior. Senor Aranota.
Minister Of agriculture and commerce,
Senor Buonoamino.
Minister of public works, Senior Canon
State deed Qxeeper of the archiyes), Senior
Rosario.
Comment on Filipino Cabinet,
From a Filipino source a representative
of the Associated Press is Informed that
the Filipino cabinet is much stronger from
the insurgent point of view than the last,
fnasmuch all the new ministers are
pledged to insist upon the Independence
OF the islands and to refuse to liherate the
Spanish prisoners. 1t is added that the
F'ilipinos will never release these prisoners
while thousands of Filipinos are dying in
the Spanish convict settlements of Fernan-
do Po, the Ladrones and the Caroline
Islands,"
Mabini the new president of the cabinet
and minister Of foreign affairs, is described
as notary living in Manila, Of Indian
descent and as having no Spanish blood in
his veins. He is an old man, partly paral-
yzed, said to be a great patriot and aileg-
ed to have always been a counsellor of
Aguinaldo.
Antonio Luna. the minister of war, was
employed by the last cabinet, in the war
department. He is the editor of the Ma
Mia lnsurgent paper, Independently; was
educated in Europe, and only lately re-
turned to the Philippines from Paris
who was educated in Spain, and it is sup
posed that his post, state deed, means
keeper of the archives
RELIEF FOR THE CUBANS.