The record-union., 1898-12-30
Is Said to Be Hostile to American
Control in Philippines.
All the Ministers Pledged to Insist Upon
The independence Of Islands,
Declared Also That They VIII Re-
fuse to Liberate the Spanish
Prisoners-Genera Otis to be
Allowed to Exercise His Own
Discretion in Dealing With the
Situation at uoilo.

Allowed to Exercise His Own
Discretion in Dealing With the
Situation at Iloi1o.
MANILA, Dec 29-The expedition
under General Miller arrived at uoilo
on Tuesday and found that the Span
iards had evacuated the place on Sat
urday The steamer Churuca trans
ferred the Spanish forces to Mindanao
In accordance with an agreement. the
rebels entered the city and trenches on
Monday at noon. They Immediately eS-
tablished a municipal governme nt
Guards were placed over foreign prop
erty. Everything is quiet and orderly
There was some looting during the
night, but five natives were shot, and
this had an exemplary effect. The only
foreign ship in the harbor was the
British cruiser Irene.
A new Filipino Cabinet has been
formed, the personnel Of which is as
follows: President Of the Cabinet and
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Senor Ma
bini; Minister of War, Senior Luna;
Minister of the Interior, Senior Araneta;
Minister Of Agriculture and Commerce,
Senior Buencamino; Minister of Public
Works, Senior Canon; State Deeds,
Senor Rosario.
LONDON, Dec. 29.-From a Filipino
source a representative of the Asso-
ciated Press is informed that the new
Filipino Cabinet is much stronger from
the insurgent point of view than the
10 CT n
ters are pledged to insist upon the in
dependence of the islands, and to re-
fuse to liberate the Spanish prisoners.
GENERAL OTIS TO EXERCISE HIS
OWN DISCRETION.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 29.-The Off
cials of the War Department have re-
signed themselves to the lack Of news
from Iloilo. in view of General Otis
statement that it requires about four
days to communicate with that point
from Manila, owing to the absence of
cable connections. No further orders
have been dispatched to General Otis,
as the department takes the position
that he must be allowed to exercise his
discretion in dealing with the situation,
because of his presence on the scene.
soldiers at his command to- carry out
any project likely to- be framed, even
if that involves forcibIe subjugation Of
the insurgents, though it is scarcely
expected that matters will reach such
a. pass.
The force under General Otis COM
mand now numbers about 10000, and
he could also count on great assistance
from the fleet under Admiral Dewey.
This is a force probably in excess of
any the Spanish have been able to
maintain in the islands for many years,
and as the insurgents never have been
able to prevail against that force, it is
hoped they will see the futility and
folly Of undertaking to oppose the
United States soldiers and sailors
It is regretted that the movement
upon Iloilo was delayed until the oath,
ample authority having been conferred
upon the officers in charge to have
moved at an earlier moment had they
deemed it well to do so.
The War Department has issued or
ders assigning Major General Lawton
to service in the Philippines. This as
signment is considered one of excep-
tional Importance. General Lawton
who was one of the conspicuous officers
in the Cuban campaign about Santiago,
will be second in command to General
Otis, and in event of General Otis ap-
pointment as Governor of the Philip
pines, will assume military command
of the forces in the Philippines. His
new duties will require a combination
of nerve and tact.
r
command of the camp at Huntsville
General Frank, as ranking officer. will
assume command on the departure of
General Lawton. The latter's selection
for duty in the Philippines was owing
largely to the character of his service
during the war, and later at Havana.
GENERAL MERRITT SURPRISED.
CHICAGO. Dec. 29-Major General
Wesley Merritt, who is spending the
holidays in this city, was very much
surprised to hear of the surrender of
1loilo by General Rios to the insur-
gents. General Merritt believes the
surrender may have been an Intentional
move on the part of the Spaniards to
make it difficult for us to maintain
control of the Philippine Islands.
1T is of course impossible" contin-
ued General Merritt, ''to predict what
bearing this move will have on the
ultimate disposition of the islands.
General Rios had no right to surrender
to the insurgents, unless, indeed. his
command was on the verge of starva-
ton, or in some equally tight place
When Manila fell, all the islands in
the archipelago went with it. and al
though the surrender then made on
paper might not have amounted to
much, and might have been terminated
should the Spaniards have felt them
selves sufficiently strong, yet the sign
ing of the protocol some sixty days
later prevented any further move
ments, either on the part of the Ameri-
cans to gain further control of the ISL
andS, or on the part of the Spanish
to attempt to wrest any of the sur
rendered territory from their victors
Consequently. Rios only move should
have been to turn over Iloilo 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 Unit
ed States regarding the mode of gov
ernment.''
A GREAT MISFORTUNE IF FILL
PINOS ACT HASTILY.
LONDON, Dee. GA correspondent