Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-07-10
SHE PROMISED GREAT REFORMS IN
THE PHILIPPINES.
PROMISES WERE NEVER KEPT
AGENT IN LONDON DIS
CIssEs THE SITUATION.
Tells Why AgainaldO Returned to the
Philippines After Agreeing TO
Stay Away-PrinciPnl Grfev-
ances From Which Re-
lief IL Wanted.
Correspondence Of the Associated Press,

LONDON. July One of Aguinaldo's s
leaders in the last Philippine revolt is liv-
ing incognito in London and practically
acting az Aguinaidos agent. being in re-
ceipt of constant kilograms and letters from
Cavite. Questioned on the Philippine sit
uation by representative of the Associat-
ed Press. he said:
THE Philippine republic was proclaimed
in October. 1886, and its first president was
Adreas Bonifacio. When he died. over "A
year ago AguinaIdo was elected president
and commander-in-chief. On the arrival of
Captain General Primo de Rivera, that Of
ficer adopted policy of bringing the re-
bellion TO an end by means of concessions,
force having failed.
Our leaders were approached, and the
result was the pact Of Biaonabato, So
called from the village where II was signed
on December u. lS91.
''Senor Sagasta the other day denied that
In that pact General Rivera promised any
reforms Here Is an official copy of that
pact wherein H. promised the banishment
or at least the disbanding of the religious
orders: Philippine representation in the
cortcs; the same administration of justice
for the natives as for the Spaniards: unity
Of laws between the Philippines and Spain;
The natives TO share the chief offices of the
Philippine administration: rearran2.ment
~
taxes in favor OF the natives; recognition
OF the individual rights of the natives.with
liberty of public meeting and of the press;
and. again. amnesty. These sum up the
native grievances. and are what We expect
the Americans will institute.
For those reforms Aguinaldo and the
other leaders promised that, If Rivera car
red out the pact they would expatriate
themselves for three years and foment no
movement against Spanish authority dur
ing that time. Upon the rebels surren-
dering their arms, ammunition. forts, etc,
Aguinaldo was TO receive 10000 pesetas.
This money Agunaldo deposited in the
Hong Kong and Shanghai bank At Hong
Kong, not for his personal use. but as
fund, the interest OF which-in case the
captain general carried out his part Of
the 'pact'-was 10 be devoted to the edu-
cation of natives In England. In case the
pact was not fulfilled by the Spaniards
the money was TO be used for arms and
ammunition for the rebellion.
THE captain general never proclaimed a
general amnesty. denied the existence Of
the pact and shot several rebel leaders
who returned TO Manila on the strength
OF IL.
Since the renewal OF the rebellion under
the inspiration of Admiral Deweys vic
tory. the present captain general has ap-
preached Aguinaido and his leaders and
promised that. If they would make common
cause against the Americans, he would
carry out the reforms stated In the pact.
As a mark of bona fide, he created legis-
lative council to which he nominated
twenty leading ministers of the Philip
pine republic All overtures were scorn-
fully rejected.
THE German pretensions are simply pre-
posterous. They are practically little more
than peddlars. All the large mercantile
houses are English. who have in their
hands quite three-fourths, bulk and value,
of the commerce. The banks, railway
telegraphs. cables and local steamship lines
are English: the only cotton mills belong
to the English, and the English control the
sugar and hemp trades. The Germans are
trying for some OF the heavier trade but
have no capital OF credit There is only
one American house in Manila. There is
only one Russian subject in the island. Up
to now. Spanish has been the official Ian
guage. but by last weeks mail 1 learned
Aguinaldo intends. as far as the republic
is concerned, to substitute English.
The root cause Of the philippine rebel
lions has always been the steady depriva-
ton of the natives of their rights by the
Spania rds. Year by year security for life
and property has diminished, particularly
so as TO the native friars in the Philip
pines. The Spanish friars. too. have sent
10 Spain all the monastery wealth they
could dispose Of particularly that willed to
the monasteries by rich natives. Then
too the persecution of the Freemasons by
the friars caused the 300 Masons being
lodged in Jail at the instance of the friars
and loaded with irons. Besides. no prom
Use ever made by the Spaniards with the
natives has been kept. quite.