The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-15

the officials here have not been able to as
certain the number of Spanish prisoners
held by the Filipino insurgents, but they
are certain that the estimate from Madrid
of ten thousand is very much too high. Ad-
miral Dewey looked into the condition of
some of these prisoners held by Aguinaldo,
at Cavite, early in the war; and again late
ly in response to complaints that the in
surgents were treating the prisoners in
humanity He reported as to this last charge
that the prisoners were well treated as
the circumstances of the insurgents ad
mitted, but gave no idea of the number. 1t
is believed that the lot of the Spanish SOL
dier prisoners, who, In July. numbered four
thousand, is much better than that Of the
clerical prisoners, meaning, generally, the
friars, and as the latter were numerous in
the Philippines, it may be that the total
number Of prisoners in the hands of the in
surgents will run well up towards five
thousand. The American peace commission
ers did not bind the United States govern
ment to accomplish the impossible in the
matter of releasing these prisoners. They
did undertake to release and repatriate
those prisoners taken by. Otis at the fall of
Manila, but so far as the others were con-
cerned-those held by the insurgentS-our
government can act effectively only as our
lines of occupation of the islands are ex-
tended Efforts have been made on at least
two occasions by General Otis to induce the
insurgents to release their prisoners, but he
could not go beyond the exercise of good
offices and could not exercise compulson
He will renew his efforts in this direction,
however, and i'm the changed conditions fol-
lowing the cession of the islands to the
to the insurgents that they may obtain the
control of their home affairs, which they
struggled for, it is hoped that success may
attend this effort. If not, then, as the
United States lines are extended the pris-
oners must be released by other means
Considering the magnitude of the task the
officials here feel that there is little ground
for complaint on the part of the Spanish
people because the prisoners are not in
stantly released.
Spanish shipping is not to enjoy prefer
entail treatment in the Cuban and Porto
Rican trade under the terms of the peace
treaty Something of THAI nature may be
brought about in negotiations that must
follow between the United States and Spain
as part of the project for the restoration
of commercial relations, but so far it has
not been provided for, although the Span
ish commissioners made a special request
that the privilege should be accorded. The
text of the treaty has not yet been received
at the Department of State. The document
is so long that the expense of cabling it
textually would be very great, and would
not be warranted, in view of the fact that
the government already possesses a suffi-
GENTLY accurate outline of the articles The
American commissioners are expected to
sail Saturday, which will bring them to
their homes by Christmas. They will bring
the treaty with them and it is believed that
the document will not be published before
it is delivered to the Department of State.
Notwithstanding the Madrid intimation that
1t is to be printed as a red book.