Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-12-30
WAITING ON OTIS,
Authorities Expecting Soon TO
Learn ||OiIo Situatio.
OUR FOLKS NOT APPREHENSIVE
There is No Evidence Of Tension OF
Alarm al Washington.
YET THERE Is DANGER OF BATTLE
Outcome OF Present Conditions May
He sharp and Decisive Engage
mcnt Between Insurgc..ts and the
United states Forces.
YET THERE IS DANGER OF BATTLE

| United states FORCES.
| WASHINGTON, December 29.-The War
| Department is expecting definite word
| from General Otis within the next twenty
| four hours as TO what has occurred at
| Hoilo, for by that time General IDS Will
have heard from General Miller, in COM
| mand Of the American force sent on this
| expedition.
| The officials about the War Department
do not appear TO be apprehensive over the
| results. and there is no evidence Of ten
sion or alarm, although it is recogpized
that the situation at Ioilo is one which
| may bring about a sharp and possibly
| decisive engagement between the insur-
| gents and the United states forces.
I'D TO the close of Office hours today
| it was said at the War Department that
nothing bad been received from General
| Otis bearing on the military situation.
| All that had come was a response TO an
| earlier dispatch conveying orders. the
| reply giving assurance that definite news
| MOuld De tOnNeNtu NlAlAiAA tiAS 4iN%NN
| twenty-four hours.
| OUR TROOPS GOOD FIGHTERS.
| What General Miller will do as to taking
| possession of the city, either with force
or without. is not officially disclosed,
and indeed. it is likely that considerable
| discretion Is lodged with the command
| ing officer as to what steps should be
1 of lqGh
| tween the United States forces and the
! insurgents, the War-Department oihcials
| say there could be no doubt as TO the
| outcome as the Eighteenth Infantry
who are among the regulars. have repu-
tation for fighting ability. The American
force numbers about 2.50O, as against an
| estimated force Of some 1000 insurgents,
bnt no doubt Is expressed as to the
| ability Of our force
GENERAL MERRITT SURPRISED.
CHICAGO. December 29.-MajOr-General
| Wesley Merritt. who Is spending the holl-
| davs in this city. was very much sur
| prised To hear Of the surrender OF lloIo
| bv General Rios to the insurgents.
General Merritt thinks the surrender
| ,oo, have been an intentional move on
| the part Of the Spaniards to make II an
fcuIt for the United States 10 gam coItIol
Of the Philippine Islands.
.It Is. OF course, impossible" continued
General Merritt, "to predict what bear
| mo this move will have on the ultimate
disposition Of the Islands. o
| RIOS HAD NO RIGHT TO SUR
RENDER.
| General Rios had no right 10 surrender
! "a tho insurgents. unless indeed MS coih-
| 9o,,I u,as ON the verge Of starvation, or
in some equally tight place. Wheu MallIa lI.
! On oil the islands I'm the archipelago went
-rtt, q and though the surrender then
,,,ade on nauer might not have amounted
| -. ,,,,,cb and might have been terminated
| ,,,o,,id tho Spanish have felt themselves
! .,,efcientlv strong. yet the signing OF the
! nrotocol some six days later preNehtsu
an- further movements, either on the
mart Of the Americans, to gam iurther
no,,trol Of the islands, or on the part OF
! tbo Snanish. to attempt to wrest any OF
tho h surrendered territory from their VIC
TORS Consequently, Rios's only move
| should have been 10 turn over llouo 10 'i'e
! United states troops.
THE INSURGENT IDEA.
nr,o idea the insurgents have is that
! en- more territory they can assert they
| hold the better their claim 10 the rlsht
% tndanendence. when the time comes
ca. tbor, to treat with the United states
! re5arding the mode of government
"DETAILS OF THE CITY's FALL
,+,N1r.A December 29.-Details regard
,,, tho occupation of Iloilo by the insur-
''a7,ts ',aS have lust been received here. The
! f;,,ericon expedition. commanded by Brig
! -,1tar-General Miller. arrived there yes
10, and found that the Spaniards
! bod evacuated the place on saturday,
Going on board the steamer Cnurnca' ana
| bod been transferred TO the lsland OF
NIipdanao while, by an agreement ar
! rived AT with the insurgents. the latler
| Entered IIoilo and occupied the trenches
90, Monday at noon. They Immediately
,hlished a municipal government and
nloced guards over foreign properly. The
| ins,,r0ents were fairly quiet and orderly
ai,bouqb there was some looting at night,
-, the shooting of five OF the natives
| bad an exemplary effect upon the rest
Tbe only foreign warship In the mar
| bo, was the German second d-class cruiser
| Irene ,.,,,>,
The new Filipino Cabinet is composed
az follows: President Of the Cabinet and
| Minister of Foreign Anairs. Senior Ma
| bani. Minister or W Ut, Sehoi LUNA Mlh-
,ster ~ the Interior. SenOr Aranota; Min
ister Of Agriculture and Commerce, Senior
Ruonoamino Minister of Public Works,
senior Canon; State Deed Qteeper OF ar
chives), senoK Rosario
sTRONGER THAN THE LAST ONE
rONDON. December 29-From a Fill
,iro source. a representative OF the Asso-
rioted press Is informed that the new
Enjnino Cabinet is much stronger than
the last. inasmuch as all the new minis
tors are pledged TO insist upon the indie
nendence Of the Islands, and 20 refuse 10
iiberate the Spanish prisoners.
II is added thai the Fflipnos will never
release these prisoners. while thousands
~ Filipinos are dying I'M the Spanish con-
vlct settlements OF Fernando Po, the La
drones and the Caroline Islands"
LAYTON ORDERED TO PHILIPPINES
WASHINGTON, -. c.. December y
The War Department has issued orders
assigning Major General l.awton TO ser
| vice I'm the Philippines. The assignment
| is considered one of exceptional impor-
tance. as General Lawton, who was che
| of the most conspicuous officers IN the
| .arpaign about Santiago. VIII be second
I'm command Ia General Otis, and. In the
event OF General Otis's appointment as