The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-01-06

submitted TO congress almost lHlIHS-
diately on it's reconvening-probably
tomorrow. Although a tempting op-
portunity offers for the presentation
of a most forcfble argument for the
speedy ratification Of the treaty in the
shape Of a ringing message to congress
on the subject, President Mckinley has
decided to leave the presentation Of the
merits Of the treaty to it's friends in
the sena Accordingly, the treaty
will go to the latter body with the
briefest possible message of transmits
sion by the president.
Although it is admitted unofticially
that the text of the treaty has been
published in the with abso-
lutte accuracy, the executive still in
slsts upon maintaining official secrecy
as to the treaty, as d courtesy to the
senate, which will be allowed the priv
iIege of making the document public in
it's own discretion. 1t is not known at
this time whether the protocols will &C
coz; gay the treaty, or whether they
unlimited later to the commit
t Rforeign relations. AT any rate,
are now of very little public in
k~.erest and hat little is purely history,
for the results of the commissioner
work being known, there is little gen.
eral curiosity to learn the steps by
which they were reached.
THE SITUATION AT ILOILO WE'LL
IN HAND.
General Otis, commanding at Manila,
has cabled the war department that
in his opinion General Miller has the
situation well in hand and that he full
ly understands the purpose of the
president not to crowd the insurgents
unduly. 1t is highly desirable that a
hostile collision between the Americar1-
forces and the insurgents be avoided
at all hazards, at least pending the rat
ificatiOn of the peace treaty, and as
General Miller understands this pur-
pose on the part of the president, he
will be guided by it and may be relied
upon to resort to force only unGer aD-
solute cOmpulsion. The officials mere
are now fully satisfied that the trouble
at IlOilo may be traced directly back to
the Spanish colonel who was the senior
Spanish officer in the Philippine group
and directly in command of the Visa
vas group, including the principal is
land of Panay, and the city and garrl-
son of IliOlO.
AGUINALDO'S POWER WANING.
One feature of General Otis report
that has escaped mention so far is ms
notice of approaching meeting OF the
so-called Philippine parliament, Whlch
is to gather, presumably at MalaloS,
about twenty miles from Manila on the
island of LuzOn, Thursday next. A
good deal of interest is attached to this
meeting. as General Otis reports that
by the attendance the strength OF
Aguinaldo's party can be gagged. Ihat
this is waning rapidly is not doubted,
and General Otis feels that when the
attempt is made to convene the parlia-
100 - will no fnnn6 that Agnln1l0O
has lost his control Of the majority and
cannot command even a working cOall-
ton. Such a state of affairs would tend
to make easier the task of the authOrl-
ties of the United States of establishing
peacefully a temporary form or gov
eminent for the Philippines that will
command the support of the people ana
receive the approval of the civilized
world. :
General Otis has not yet published
the proclamation by President Mckin
lev ~ah was cabled from Washington
TO about a week ago. Feeling full
confidence in his Judgment, the Of1l-
Gals here are not disposed to question
his withholding the proclamation from
the Philippines, though it Would seem
the purpose in preparing and caohng
it would be to satisfy the Philippines
and cOunteract the insldlous attacks the
spanish element has been making up
on the integrity of the Americans in
tentions respecting the Philippines.
A NAVAL HOSPITAL AT CAvITE.
Admiral Dewey was heard from by
cable at the navy department To-Day,
but made no reference to the political
situation in the islands. He reported
hat he had found a building suitable
for a. naval hospital at CaVite and ask
ed authority from the department To
establishment it at once. 1t was not
gathered that there is an unusuai
amount of sickness among the Amerl-
can sailors, but, reallzlng tnat tne ma
val occupation of Manila is to be or q
nermanent character, Admiral Dewey
wishes to establish a shore hospital.
Secretary Long called upon surgeon
General a Rypen and after a consul
tation, they cabled Admiral Dewey
authority to establish the nospltdl.
Medical Inspector Remus G. Persons
was selected to take charge OF the new
hospital and he has been ordered to
start from New York at once. The
necessary assistants will be seiecteI
from among the medical officers or Al
miral Dewey'S fleet.
THE CABINET MEETING.
A cablegram from General Otis. al
Manila, was read at today's abine
meeting. 1t is said to have stated that
the news from IliolO was reaSsurlng,
but the details were not made public.
No other matters of Importance were
brought forward and the meeting ad-
journed at an unusually early hour.
INVESTIGATION AS TO THE SPOIL
ED BEEF.
The board of survey appointed by the
secretary of war to examine into ano
report upon the responsibility for the
loss of 800, 900 pounds of refrigerated
beef of Swift & Co., which was rejected
by General Miles upon it's arrival al
Ponce, Porto Rico, and which was sub
seuuently thrown overheard while Ell
route on the return voyage
met today, but decided that
inasmuch as the proceedings OF
a board of survey were subject to re-
view, they would not be made public
The board is instructed to ascertain il
proper effort was made to feed this
beef to the troops in Porto Rico and fs
the responsibility, in cas- proper eff
&a