Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-06

(SeaD GEORGE GRAY
(Seal) WHITELAW REID.
(Seal) EUGENIO MONTERO RIOS.
(Seal) B. DE ABARZUZA.
(Seal) ]. DE GARNICA.
(Seal) w. r. DE VILLA URRUTIA.
(Seal) RAFAEL CERERO.
ACCOMPANYING CORRESPONDENCE
Mass of Documents Constituting an
Encyclopedia on the Philippines.
Accompanying the treaty is great mass
of correspondence, making a printed volume
of 675 pages. This includes all Of the Gre
dentials of the American commissioners to
Paris and the protocols, which are the
records of the daily proceedings of the
commissioners that lead up to the final
treaty of peace, embodying necessarily all
of the propositions and counter PROPOSE
lions of the past, printed in both languages,
English and Spanish. From an inspection
of these it appears that the press reports
from Paris during the proceedings of the
commission set these out with a remark
able degree of accuracy, considering the
secrecy which was supposed to overhans
the proceedings.
There is also included all the correspond
ence that passed between the French en-
bassy here and the Department of State
which led up to the signature of the proto-
col; but the interesting feature, namely,
the effort of the Spanish minister of for
elsn affairs to withdraw the sovereignty
of the Philippines from question, has al
ready been published unofticially.
Included in this correspondence is a letter
from NJ. Thiebaut, the French charge, pro-
testing against the continuance of the OPP
erations of the insurgents in the Philip
pines, which he assumed was with the
knowledge and consent of the American
commanders, and suggesting that the Span
ISL troops captured at Manila be allowed
to fight the Filipnos. To this Mr.. Moore,
acting secretary, replied on September 5,
that, upon investigation, he had found that
most of the statements were groundess.
There was sort of a suggestion from the
French charge to the effect that the fam
lilies of the Spanish officers who were cap
tured at Guam We're suffering.
There is included all of the correspond
ence that passed between the Department
of State and the United States conSuls at
Manila, Hong Kong and Singapore relative
to the Philippines Consul Williams at
Manila, before the actual outbreak of war
reported series Of most horrible outrages
by the Spaniards upon the FiIipinos. He
declares that per cent of the latter are
loyal to Spain. He complains of being
surrounded by spies everywhere, saving
that even his consular office is not safe
from them.
Attitude of the Filipinos,
Consul Wildman at Hong Kong November
) telegraphed that General Agoncillo was
coming to Washington He said: He has
power to make treaties with foreign gov
ernments and has proposed an offensive
and defensive alliance with the United
States
Agoncillo asked for arms to aid the re-
beliiCn.
Acting Secretary Cridler, December Is.
replied telling Wildman to advise Agon-
clio that the United States does not neGo-
tlate treaties, and it is not possible to for
ward arms
You should not encourage any tendency
on the part of Agoncillo to communicate
with the department" A long letter of
date July IS from Consul Wildman defends
Agoncillo as a man who has been sysfen
atically blackened. Says he: According to
ms own statement, he has been approached
by SPAIN and Germany and has tempting
offers from the Catholic Church"
April % Consul Pratt telesraDhed from
singapore, "Aguinaido gone at my instance
TO Hong Kong to arrange with Dewey CO.
operation of insurgents at Manila"
June 20 Secretary Day telegraphed Pratt
among other things, Avoid any negotia-
lions with Philippine insurgents
Pratt replied that he had no intentions of
negotiating. Says he: Left that Dewey,
who desires Aguinaldo come Secre+arv
Day again admonished Pratt to he can
uous to create no impression that might
embarrass the government and lead ia
MISUNDERSTANDING in its future action.
July Pratt reported to the denartmant
that the Sultan of the Sulu Islands was
negotiating at Singapore for the annexa-
ton of his group to British Borneo which
he said should be watched.
Strength of the Insurgents,
All OF the statements made by General
Merritt before the American commission
at Paris appear in the document In sub
stance he said the insurgents would fight
if the attempt was made to surrender I.u-
ION to Spain. Spain could not subdue the
islands unaided. Asked whether the in
surgents were capable of government. he
replied that it would take time. They
would have to be educated up to 1t. Sena-
tor Frye asked if the natives would enlist
under the American flag, and if Agunaldo
could be given a command. He replied in
the affirmative to both questions. Further
he said that Major Bells report showed
that the insurgents had $4,000 stands of
arms. Aguinaldo has 100000 in bank in
Hong Kong and $4,000 of public funds in
Bacoor. Major Bell expressed the opinion
that if the United States should govern
the islands for a year Aguinaldo would
have no army left.
General Greene's statement is also pro-
duced. He said there We're 1900 Spanish
prisoners in the Philippines including 400
officers, with %, 900 arms and $4,000, 900
rounds of ammunition He described
Aguinaldo's character and said much tact
would be required in dealing with him In
his opinion that chieftain did not command
the support of large body of Filipinos
Then, it must be remembered that the in
surgents were all Tagalos, only one of the
thirty races in the Philippines. At the
time he spoke none of the 9, 100000 Visayas,
a people of equal abilities, had taken any
part
Possibility of Home Rule.
He was asked what chance there would
be for native government, to which he re-
piled: mo native government can maintain
itself without the active support of a strong
foreign government 1t is difficult to see
how any foreign government can give this
protection without taking such an active
part in the management of affairs as is
practically equivalent to it's own name"
There is a vast amount of other matter
included in the papers, extracts from news
papers, long special reports on the mineral
and other resources of the islands, his
torical treatises, statistical statements of
the values of imports and exports, and in
fact, they comprise an encyclopedia of the
Philippine Islands.
China's First Street Railway.
The first street car railway in China is
just about to be built at Shanghai, and
United States Consul Fowler at Cheefoo, in
reporting the fact to the State Department,