Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1899-03-02
Nothing in the Situation in the
Philippines to Cause Alarm.
SOME REBELS READY TO GIVE Up.
Fully 5000 Declared Anxious to Surrender
-Aguinsldo Inclined TO Pacific Over.
tures-A virulent Anti A merican De-
cree-Ths Loss BY Fire.

administration officials. Since Gen
Otis cabled Saturday to this effect
there has come no word tending T.
qualify the statement in any sense
Admiral Dewey has not been hear,
from further, according to Secretar
Long, and from the absence of POSITIVE
news the officials draw the conclusion
that nothing has happened to warran
apprehension.
Respecting the reported landing o
foreign marines at Manila, not wore
OF confirmation has been received q
either the war department or the navy
department A press dispatch received
several days ago mentioned the land
ing of few British bluejackets eacf
evening to wet down the British con
sulate, a measure Of protection from
fire during the intensely dry season in
the Philippines, and it is probable
that this is the foundation for the
Madrid story of general landing.
Some notice is beginning to be taken
here of the markedly hostile reports
that are being cabled to Madrid by
Col. Rios, the ranking Spanish officer
at Manila, and If he persists in this
course he may be called to account oy
Gen. Otis, who probably does not un.
derstand what the officer is doing.
Technically Rios is a prisoner of war
and his actions are subject to the COM
plete control of the United States Off
GERS at Manila His representations,
it is said in official circles here, have
been uniformly misstatements of facts
or gross distortions of them, with the
plain purpose of giving false impress
sion Of the weakness of the American
position in the Philippines, perhaps
with a deliberate purpose to justify
some of the powers to recognize the
belligerency of the insurgents The
latter are believed to be suffering from
the lack of war supplies and such rec
ignition at the hands of even one of
the nations whose possessions border
on the China sea would be of the
greatest Importance to their cause.
Touching Gen. Otis position at Ma
Mia, it is stated at the war department
that the truth is that not for mo-
ment has he had any doubt as to his
ability to maintain his position, though
his lines are so long and thin, the esti.
mates being that they extend over 25
miles. over the worst kind of country,
that without considerable reinforce.
ments he is not able to carry on the
aggressive warfare that he feels the
situation demands.
With the approach of the wet season,
the necessity increases for dispersion
of the insurgents from the neigh Dor
hood of Manila and this can be done
only with the aid of renforcements.
.
SOME REBELS READY TO GIVE Up.
Manila, Feb. 2S Two Spanish com
missioners, Seniors Rosatlo and Abo-
gado, who were permitted to pass
through our lines and confer with
Aguinaldo with reference to the Span
ish prisoners at Malalos, returned
through our lines Yesterday morning,
near Caloocan with a sealed dispatch
for the Spaniards The commissioners
said that Aguinaldo and Sandiko were
both at Malalos and inclined to pacific
overtures. While the Filipino, are
not yet prepared to surrender the
Spanish prisoners, they will gladly re.
lease two Americans who have been
held for six weeks on the payment of
$50, the value OF food and clothing
furnished to them.
Shortly afterward the rebels sent
out flag of truce borne by Command
ante Sinforoso de la Crus and several
hundred of the enemy left the Fill.
pino lines crying: mo quire;" MAS
combate;' "Americanos mucho bunow
The commandante said that fully 5000
of his men had had enough and were
anxious to surrender.
The enemy's sharpshooters at Caloo-
can continue to annoy the soldiers in
the daytime, but the Americans no
longer pay much attention to them,
reserving their fire until the rebels
aunear in the open in sufficient force
10 justify a voIley or an occasional
she'll.
A vIRULENT l-AMERlCAN DECREE.
Hong Kong Feb. 2S-The Filipino
government has issued another viru.
lent anti-American decree, in which
the following passages occur:
The American guns respect neither honor nor |
property but barbarously massacre women |
and children Manila has witnessed the most
horrible outrages, confiscating the properties
and savings Of the people at the point OF the |
bayonet and shooting the defenseess &C
companied by odious acts OF abomination, |
repugnant barbarism and racial hatred |
worse than the dongs In Carolina Unless you |
coniure a holy war for independence you are
only worthy to be slaves and pariahs. Proclaim
before the civilized world that you will fight to
the death against American treachery and
brute force, Even the woman should II nee
essary American professions and promises
are pure hypocrisy They covet the spells Of
this palrimouy Of our race. wishing to implant
here more irritating and barbarous dominion
than In the past
THE Loss BY FIRE
Manila, Feb. 2s-An idea of the ex.
tent of the loss by fires in the suburbs
of Manila since Wednesday NAV be OBJ
tanned from the figures herewith Civ
en-: Sixty buildings of stone and 1850
substantial wooden structures with
iron roofs were destroyed. In add.
ton 5000 nipa houses of the natives
were burned.
Discharge Of Two Boys Causes. n strike