The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-12-29
our TROOPS TOO LATE
When ThsyRsached uoilo. Aguin-
aldo's Flag Floated There.
THE SPANISH REITERATED
All Fled to Borneo-The F1iipinos Are
etiii Holding Their Spanish Prison
ers IN the Hope of Using Them
for Dickering Purposes.

Washington. Dec. 2s.-There In a good
over recent events at Iloilo. Two off,
cial dispatches have been received by
the state and war departments. but II
is impossible to gather from them ac-
curate knowledge as to the condition
there. II is not even possible to learn
whether the insurgents or American
forces ave taken the place. This morn
ing United States Consul Pratt at Sing
apore cabled the state department:
"Iloilo, Dec. 26.-Spanish fed to Bor-
neo.'
This threw the officials into deeper
doubt than before. The American ex-
petition which left Manila to go to
Iloilo, 1000 troops and the warships
Baltimore and Callao, would scarcely
have a time to have reached Iloilo by
the 26th. So the inference is that the
Insurgents are in possession. Color Is
lent to his belief by the fact reported
In one telegram that the Spaniards had
retreated to a strongly fortified town on
the island of Mindanao. This does not
agree with Pratt's statement that they
had fed to Borneo.
The fact that the SpaniardS have re-
treated at all is construed as an indica-
ton the town was abandoned to the in
surgents.
Officials at the war department still
decline to make public Otis telegram of
yesterday, but there Is no doubt he Is
meeting with great difficulty In his ef-
fort to secure the release OF the Spanish
prisoners held by the Filipinos. 1t be-
gins to appear clearly that a consider
able element among the Filipino lead
49, ~ an ta.D.21
60 use these unfortunate prisoners as a
basis for negotiations with the United
States government, naming the release
conditional upon certain more or less
important concessions demanded by
them.
Just before moor a cablegram was re-
ceived from Otis which confirmed the
fears of the officials as to happenings at
loilo Otis stated the American expedi-
ton reached that place too late, the in
surgents having taken possession Of he
city on the 26th, 30 hours prior to
Colonel Peters arrival. Aguinaldo's
flag floats over the city. Otis says the
S~paniards have evacuated all stations
in the southern islands except Zambo-
anga, Mindanao. by orders, they say.
from Madrid. Otis expects no further
word from Iloilo for -four days owing to
lack of cable communication.
1t Is presumed that Otis will demand
the surrender of Iloilo into his hands
n this demand may at once raise the
issue between the insurgents and our
w government of possession of the
island The province of Iloilo is set
down in official directories as having a
population of Az, 900 and is the second
seaport in importance In the Philippine
group
The Spaniards have chosen a strong
place for the concentration OF their
troops in the town of Zamboanga, which
is strongly fortified and possessed OF
considerable natural strength from a
defensive point of view. IL is not doubt
ed that they will be able TO maintain
themselves for an indefinite time against
the insurgents. presuming they are not
cut off from obtaining supplies from the
sea. The town itself has a population
of q, 1000.