The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1898-08-03
CLAIMS IN NTERREGNUM DREAD TIE Insurgents 0
PEOPLE OF MANILA READY TO
SURRENDER.
EX-United States Minister John Bar
rett Describes Conditions in the
Capital of the Philippines.

Ex-United States Minister John
Barrett thus describes the condition
in the beleagured capital of the Phil
ippines:
MANILA BAY, June 14-Manila
would fall to-day if Admiral Dewey
willed it.
This proud capital of naughty
Spain's East Indian possessions is at
the mercy of the Americans. We're
the truth known in its nakedness. it
would disclose Governor General, a
Council, a Commander in Chief, an
Admiral, an army, "A populace-all
subjects of the child King of Spain
secretly wishing that the American
Admiral out there in the bay would
demand their absolute surrender and
so provide them with protection
against the insurgent hordes, seeking
vengeance, they fear, for ages of slav-
cry and long suffering, who at this
hour are not only at the very gates
of the city, but threatening, in the
opinions of the Spaniards, at any hour
of day or night to break through, to
loot, to destroy, to kill, to burn.
But were the insurgents to capture
Manila tomorrow, / do not think
that they would then destroy,
kill or burn. Loot they might with
out restraint. but their most humane
treatment of the wounded Spaniards
and prisoners at Cavite, where they
have nearly one thousand of Spain's
crack rifemen and regulars behind
the bars. is evidence that they would
not massacre indiscriminately or de-
stroy property wantonly.
Tonight Manila is completely sur
rounded on the land side by no less
than 5000 insurgents who cut off
every avenue of possible escape. The
Gordon that cannot be taken means
starvation to the Spaniards. One
body of rebels is to the south, near
Malate. suburb that joins Manila
proper: another is to the east on the
San Juan del Monte side of the Pa
sig river. that flows through the
heart of Manila; while a third is to
the north, controlling the railway to
Duguban and access to the friendly
provinces-if there are any-in the
upper section of Luzon.
BATTLES OF DAILY OCCURRANCE.
There is continual fighting. The
outskirts of Manila are the scene of
bloody slirmishes of daily occur
rance, in which the same old story is
repeated: numerous Spaniards killed
and few insurgents.
The most decisive since the naval
battle of May / has just been fought.
It was a plucky assault by the rebels.
\ thousand of them interpidly attack
ed 1000 Spanish regulars of the fa-
-f,t l,
regiments. which once achieved hon
ors in Cuba and were expected to be
invincble in the Philippines.
At first the Spaniards, in solid pha-
| lanN, held back the insurgents, who
kept under cover, biding their time.
Then night came, and with it their
opportunity. Like wild men, bent on
| deviltry, they suddenly sprang upon
body of the enemy, some several
hundred strong. They used rifles,
but they used machetes also-and to
better advantage. Before the Span
iards could realize what kind of hu-
man typhoon had struck them, and or
| ganize for return fire, the rebels were
off to prepare for another attack else
where, perhaps a mile away.
When morning dawned $50 Span
iards were found dead, including a
lieutenant colonel who had first won
his spurs near old Matanzas, in 1894.
Beside him lay two captains and sew
eral lesser officers.
At another point on the river
some sixty Spaniards were killed.
and still in another section lesser
number gave up their lives-uninten-
tionally-for a leader who declares
that Americans are the worst off
shoots of a putrid civilization.