The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-10-30
THAT CLEVER 4GUINALDO.
NOW HE oUT0ENEBADLED SOME OF
oUR MILITARY DIPLOMhTa

His Position and Finally Laid Down
Terms to Gen. Merritt Regarding Flu
ture Operations-The Danger That Has
Arisen from Lack OF Candor-Agulnal-
doe statement TO Tho Sun COrresPon-
dant-HIs Followers Renson In q Circle.
MANiLA, Sept. ia very narrow line for
the last few days has seemed to separate us
from war with tho insurgents. Many OF us
have warm personal friends among them.
Nearly all Of our friends recognize the grave
possibilities OF tho situation. They have done
oil within their power to avert a clash. There Is
q chance. n very very. little one. that they may
win. Il may be worth while. in view OF what
will DO said further along. to explain here that
] have had exceptional opportunities for be-
coming familiar with the situation. opportuni-
tiesswhich have been enjoyed By fewer men in
che American army than can be counted on
the fingers OF one hand. / am familiar with
tle entire course OF the negotiations between
che Americans and the insurgents and have
had the advantage OF knowing both sides and
hearing their arguments.
When war is impersonal and you do not
know, perhaps never havs seen your enemy.
when you have heard and believe all sorts Of
stories Of his faithlessness. brutality and dis
honor. then the pomp and glamour of 1t affect
you. You can jdealize II away from the sor-
didness. from the misery. the suffering and
the hardship and you can go out with light
heart and stout determination. strong In the
fixed conviction of the righteousness OF your
cause. But when you fight men you know
and esteem. men who are YOU friends. who
represent a people whom YOU know to possess
many lovable traits OF character and who you
know desire nothing so much as to be on
terms OF peaceful friendship with you. IL gives
v-,u a atpItnn ~ fha haart and ~ nlIa Won with
rage at the unskilful or careless management
which has produced out of a situation possible
OF such satisfactory development only a tangle
the sole solution OF which is the arbitrament
Of armed force.
I believe that conflict between the Ameri-
cans ard insurgents In the Philippines is ahso-
lntely needless and criminal. l believe that a
personal meeting between the leaders Of both
sides. n full. frank discussion of the questions
at issue. and a clear understanding Of all sides
Of the situation. such as would result from
such q discussion. would remove the acute
danger, and settle the trouble satisfactorily.
But that possibility.is only a dream. Things
have gone too far, The Americans have
taken q position and made a stand. They can
not recede, and the man who cannot under
stand how he is in the wrong must take the
punishment for believing himself right.
It was in the beginning that the Americans
were wrong. and there their fault lay princi-
pally in n lack of candor. that is. to a lack of
complete candor on the part of the army off,
GERS. The beginning Of 1t all goes clear back TO
Hong Kong. where the original negotiations
were held with Aguinaldo in May. Williams
and Wildman. the Consuls at Manila and Hong
Kong. did the talking for the Americans.
Williams says that it was understood distinct
ly that Aguinaldo was to come down here and
be permitted to land at Cavite and conduct his
operations practically under the shelteringwing
OF Admiral Dewey. only on condition that he
should be subject at all times to American con-
troll. Whether Aguinnldo did or did not I'M
derst9nd the condition thoroughly cannot be
told. Certainly he has not acted in conformi-
ty to 1t. and now he denies that there was such
q condition. 1t is the old story of accusing the
interpreter OF being responsible for misunder-
standing. The G"st slip. however. on the
American side. .',irh gave ARuinaldo the
opening through .ai.h to escape that condi-
ton, after 1t had become irksome, was made
ON July 5. when. as I cabled THE sun at the
time. this speech was made to AGuinaldo by
Gen. Anderson:
1.-The United States have been a great ma
tion Tor 122 years and have neither lWA nor
desired a colony. I leave you to draw your
own inference"
For Aguinaldo that was a distinct recession
IEOu INe OTlRludi CDnulIlOu. MS OHu IllcI-
ence. OF course. would be the one that best
suited his desires and best fitted his situation.
Undoubtedly that inference was that the
United States had interfered in the Philip
pines on behalf OF the rebels, and meant in the
end that they should profit by the American
victories. Moreover. the statement of Gen.
Anderson was equivocal and one which he
had no right to make. Discussion or the in
t~entions Of his Government was beyond the
limits Of his authority. He was here simply
as q soldier to carry out specific instructions.
beyond which he had no right to go. Those
Instructions CONTEMPLATED neither action
against Manila on his mart nor negotiations Of
such character with Aguinaldo. But IL he had
been entirely within his instructions in thus
talking to the insurgant chief. II was unfor-
tunate that he should not have been candid
enough TO say frankly that not even in Amer
ica was 1t known at that time what the United
States would 10 ultimately with the Philip
pines. He knew that there was a tremendous
and growing sentiment in favor of holding
them. and that there was lively and powerful
opposition 10 that policy. 1t would have been
far better to say so frankly and openly than
90 make a speech from which Aguinaldo could
justly take the impression that the operations
here would be for his benefit.
Forthat matter. IL would have been far better
for all concerned II long ago some one here had
been authorized officially to explain the Ameri-
can position OF uncertainty to AGuinaldo. Con-
sui Williams did go to Aguinaldo and tell
him exactly and plainly the status Of the ques-
tion In the United States. But he was COM
PEELED TO go unoflcially and simply as q friend
OF the insurGent chief. and ARuinaldo chose to
take his warming and advice as the opinion Of
one man far from the scene of the contro-
Versy. imperfectly informed of the real situa-
tion and acting for himself only. without the
authority Of his Government. Wo know that
this was n mistake on Aguinaldo's part. but
there can he no question that he was within
his rights in 80 taking Mr.. Williams's talk. and
be cannot be condemned for II. .
Soon after that unlucky speech OF Ander-
son the friction began, ] have cabled and
written fully about its DEVELOPMENT and there
IL no need to 20 over 1t again here. In the
correspondence which went on between AM
derson and ARuinaldo the young insurgent
leader took clever advantage OF every open
fn1 thA Amarioan Ganaral Qnya. him He