The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-05-10
THE SMELLING OF ILOILO.

! q SCOTCHMAN, owning property in Ilolo, has
I stated that the United States naval officer gave
notice that in twenty-four hours he would shell
the city, but that the shellng began almost inme-
datey, resulting in the wanton destruction of large
amount OF property belonging to foreign residents,
for which the United States must pay. 1t has also
been stated that claims of foreigners for destruction
of their property in the Philippines, made against
Our Government, amount to ten millions of dollars.
AS American taxpayers must furnish the money, we
suppose they may be permitted to inquire into the
facts and to inform themselves to the necessity for
running UP these enormous accounts for damages.
Already navy officer has formally objected to the
promotion of General Miller, the army officer in
charge of the Iloo expedition. This naval COM
plant states that the navy captured the city and there
fore deserves the credit This protest is formal no
tice to the country of the existence of spirit of
rivalry and jealousy between the branches of the
service in the Philippines
We have letter from artillery officer, written
March from Jaro, province of Iloio, Panay Island
which says
con the morning of the 18th the fight began many
hours ahead of time There are two sides to the story
but inclined to believe that unnecessary haste
used and that the long standing rivalry between
the army and navy preciptated matters AS it is the
navy claims what cheap honor there in the cap
ture OF the town. General Miller, commander in
chief of the forces operating in the Vsayas, was
neither notified consulted by the navy officers
was with him. and three Filipino ambassadors who
had just returned from Maolos with message from
Aguinaldo allowing the Visayas to make peaceful
agreement with us in regard to our occupying the
country We were exchanging friendly words when
suddenly the report of gun startled The Fill
pnos were worried / glanced out and beheld the
Petrol shelling Ilolo. Turning to Avencena, one of
the Peace Commissioners from Malolos, | told him
it late to talk peace that hostiltes had begun
and that the insurgents would at receive ter
1ibe punishment for their misconduct The Commits
sioners terribly frightened and begged to
put them ashore l told them had no boat at my
disposal, but if they remained with they would
suffer no injury They were but half treasured and
forced witness the terrible events which fol-
lowed"
1t will be remembered that Rios the Spanish COM
mander surrendered Iloio to the Filipinos when we
had no force present and had made warlike
demonstration there The city and province had
manned in their peaceful possession, and they had
maintained order and administered government there.
The fact that their Commissioners were in consul
tation with General Miller, arranging for Our peace
ul occupation of the province, and that before the
Filpinos had made hostile demonstration and be-
fore the expiration of twentyfour hours notice to
foreign COnSulS and without notice to General Mil
ler the commander in Chief the navy officers took
the initiative, sheed the city and caused 'the ter
ribe events which followed" makes record OF wan
ton aggression into which inquiry should be made
when the claims OF foreign residents have to be paid
By the American people.
The singular statement of this artillery officer to the
Peace Commissioners that their people would be ter
riby punished for their misconduct is difficult to
derstand They had received the surrender of Iloo
from Rios before the Paris treaty was made when we
had no shadow of sovereignty there Sovereignty
passed from Spain directly to the Filipnos and they
had only administered it their conquest If that
was misconduct the word must receive new inter
national definition.
The officer continues in his letter. II heard from
an officer of the Boston the reason why the bonn
bardment began so early, and the excuse is poor
one The insurgents, it seems had been seen throw
ing up few earthworks the fort The Petrol inn
mediately began Smelling, and the Boston Joined in
The army unprepared for landing and there fol-
lowed most irritating delay. At o:4o the burning of
1loilo began and soon the entire city was mass OF
flames The ships threw shells into the city and even
three miles beyond The reports of the guns the
bursting of the shells the confagratien the firing OF
eating guns and mountain battery from the deck
OF the Newport, made never to be forgotten
The letter closes by saying: "In few days we are
to take the held into the interior, laying waste
path. We must treat these people the Spanish did
or even worse if we expect to conquer them. Alter
we have absolutely crushed them we should sell the
whole country to Japan, to any other country that
will take it 1t will cost us more in lives and money
than it will be worth to us"
Chinese highlander of Sebastopo is under ar
for the murder of his brother If the hghbnders
OF this city would only agree conne the satisac
ton of their instincts of assassination to such close
relationships Justice Of the Peace Groezinger might