The record-union., 1898-12-29

WASHINGTON Dec. 2S.-There is a
good deal Of anxiety in official circles
here over recent events at IOilo. Two
official dispatches have been received
by the State and War Departments,
but it is impossible to gather from
them an accurate knowledge as to the
conditions there. 1t is not even pos
sible to learn whether the insurgents
or the American forces have taken the
place.
This morning United States Consul
Pratt at Singapore cabled the State
Department: "Iloilo taken oath. Span
ish fled to Borneo."
This threw the officials into deeper
doubt than before The American eX-
pedition which left Manila to go to
IloiIo. 1000 troops and the warships
Baltimore and CallaO, would scarcely
have had time, it is said, to have
reached Iloilo by the 24th. So the in
ference is that the insurgents are III
possession. Color is lent to this 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
Consul Pratt's statement that they fled
to Borneo. the north coast of which is
a British possession, but it is believed
that the Consul is in error on this
point, which might be easily the case
in view of the distance from his post
to Iloilo.
The fact that the Spaniards have re-
treated at all is also construed as an
indication that the town was aban-
doned to the insurgents, for it is be-
heved that Colonel Rios, the Spanish
commander, would have cheerfully sur
rendered to the American force, with
a view to securing the safety of his
men and their ultimate return to Spain
by the American Government, accord
ing to the terms of the treaty.
The officials at the War Department
still decline to make public General
Otis telegram of yesterday, but there
is no doubt that he is meeting with
great difficulty in his effort to secure
the release of the Spanish prisoners
held by the Filipinos. It begins to ap-
pear clearly that a considerable ele-
ment among the Filipino leaders-prob-
able a majority-are disposed to use
these unfortunate prisoners as a basis
for negotiations with the United States
Government, making their release con-
ditional upon certain more or less i'm
portant concessions demanded by them
1t is not yet a foregone conclusion
that terms cannot be arranged by pri-
vate conferences in Manila to secure
the release of these men, but the Unit
ed States Government, being now
pledged by treaty to free them, must
resort to other means, if peaceful rep
been instructed on this point, and the
War Department has confidence in his
experience and sound judgment, and
believing that from his presence in the
Philippines he is better. capable of deal
ing with the situation than the Off
cials here, has confined itself to a
statement of what is expected to be
done toward securing prisoners, leav-
ing it to General Otis to devise the
ways and means and carrying out the
plans.
Just before noon another dispatch
came from General Otis that at once
confirmed the fears of the officials OF
the War Department as to what had
taken place at uoilo. It appears that
the American forces had arrived toe
late at the scene, and that the insur-
SCAANo 41c1O eNQOC1 ~ Tie 0llllCulNS VI
the problem already presented by
hosting their flag over the city which
they had been besieging for months
The news was contained in the follow
ing message from General Otis:
Manila, Dec. 27.-To Adjutant Gen
eral Washington: Sent Colonel Potter
on fast vessel to Iloilo on the oath tc
communicate with Spanish Genera.
Rios; latter evacuated evening of tht
oath. and Potter thirty-nine hours late
Insurgents took possession of city or
the 26th, and Potter found Aguinaldo'
flag flying. Cannot now report prob
able results; will not hear from there
for four days, as there's is no cable com
munication. Spanish forces have evac-
uated all stations in southern islands
except Zamboanga, Mindanao, by or
ders, they say, from Madrid.
"OTTS."
The evacuation by the Spaniards Of
all the Philippine ports, as reported b4
General Otis, although doubtless in
spired by a desire to secure their safety
bv concentration, undoubtedly has done
much to complicate the problem al
ready presented to the War Depart
ment of extending the military juris
diction of the United States over tht
island. 1t will now be necessary e
expedite the execution of the origina
plans. and it may be fully expected
that within a week important events
will have happened in the Philippines
1t is presumed that General Otis VII
demand the surrender of Iloilo into his
hands, and this demand may at ones
raise the issue between the insurgents
and our own Government of possession
of the islands.
The province of Iloilo is set down IL
the official directories as having a pop
ulation of 472,000. and it is the second
seaport of Importance in the Philippine
group. It is located on a river naviga-
BILE for vessels of fifteen feet draught
so that very few of our gunboats would
be available to assist the troops in cast
it should be necessary to take forciblt
possession of the city.
The Spaniards have chosen a strong
place for the concentration of theil
troops in the town of Zamboanga
which, as the reports here indicate. is
strongly fortified and possessed of con
siderable natural strength from a de-