The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-01-10
CONFLICT NOW
UNAVOIDABLE
Miller Ordered to Land
Troops at Once.
PROTECTED BY NAVAL GUNS
SMALL BOATS WILL CONVEY
THE SOLDIERS ASHORE.
Delay Has Aggravated the Situation
at Iloilo and Given the Insur-
gents a Chance to Get
Reinforcements.
PROTECTED BY NAVAL GUNS
SMALL BOATS WILL CONVEY
THE SOLDIERS ASHORE.
Special Dispatch to Tn. Call

Call Office. Riggs House,
Washington, Jan. 9.
The feeling is general in War De-
partment circles that a conflict with
the Filipinos is unavoidable, but It is
not believed that a bloody battle will
follow.
Instruc tions wired to General
Miller, through Otis at Manila,
are for him TO land troops imme-
diateIy, but not fire a shot unless
compelled to.
Miller is instructed to land his SOL
diers by means Of lighters or small
boats, under the protection of naval
guns. If the insurgents do not open
fire he is TO adopt a most pacific and
conciliatory policy and relieve them Of
all apprehension that they may be
harmed.
If they repel the landing General
Miller is instruc ted to ''take such
measures as he sees fit to protec t
his troops and quarter them at
IIoilo."
Instructions were also cabled Admiral
Dewey to order naval vessels at Iloilo
to operate with General Miller and
cover the landing. No shots are to be
fired by the naval vessels unless the
fire from the Filipinos seems likely to
be so damaging as to prevent the land
ing Of our troops,
After leaving the White House this
afternoon Secretary Alger said no i'm
portant news had been received and
that the President hoped the landing
would be effected without resistance.
General Otis has all along had in
structions to land men at Iloilo, but at
the same time he was to do nothing
that would precipitate trouble.
1t is realized that the delay has been
disastrous. Had the American troops
been landed Immediately on their ar
rival at Iloilo and found it in possess
sion of the insurgents a fight would
probably have resulted but an enga ge-
ment must have been soon terminated
in favor of our soldiers. While the
troops We're cooped up on their trans
ports, however, the natives were gath
ering reinforcements and making ex-
tensive preparations for determined re-
sistance. These preparations have re-
suited in making their position in the
city so strong that it is feared that re-
Inducements will have to be sent to
General Miller before he will have suff1-
cient strength to land.
The first overt act of the natives
communicated to the department last
night, which resulted in mortal injury
of one soldier and the wounding of an
other, convinces the officials that the
hatred of the insurgents for Americans
will not die out as long as resistance is
possible. Nothing is known at the de-
partment of what has taken place at
TV-sl
Potter, General Otis bearer of dis
patches, left there. Colonel Potter car
ried instructions back to General Miller
with him, but in view of the serious
ness of the situation, nothing will be
said of the nature of the contents at the
War Department.
The Secretary of War has been Off
cially advised of the action of the in
surgents in soaking the houses in the
business part of the city with kerosene
oil and of their determination to apply
the torch as soon as the Americans
attempt to land. All of the foreign res
idents, including the acting American
Consul and his family. have gone
aboard the warships in the harbor. and
the banks and private individuals have
sent money and treasure aboard.
Secretary Alger spent over an hour
with the President to-day and was
Joined during the conference by Assist
ant Secretary Meiklejohn. The fact
that no news had been received from
the Philippines seems to be worrying
them