The Indianapolis journal., 1899-02-28

VIII BE Granted Amnesty When They
Surrender IncnndftionnIIY

VIII BE Granted Amnesty When They
Surrender Internationally.
WASHINGTON, Feb, 27.-An earlier dis
patch than the above dated Manila, 4;45 D.
m.). evidently based on an erroneous i'm
preston, stated that Major General Otis
did not receive the commissioners" When
the dispatch was received at Washington
the officials at the War Department were
asked why General Otis had refused to rec
ognize the commissioners. The reply was
that General Otis was acting with the
greatest propriety in this matter. He was
careful not to commit his government to
any recognition of Aguinaldo that would
make a precedent, and then there was al
ways the best of reasons for Withholding
confidence of every act of the insurgents
where the placing of trust would imperil
American lives and interests. The Filipino
insurgents will have no difficulty in secur-
ing amnesty, it is said, if they lay down
their arms and submit Internationally, for
there is no purpose on the part of the
American commanders to wreak vengeance
upon submissive foe. In addition to the
military reasons why General Otis should
be very cautious in entering into any en-
tangling negotiations with the insurgents
there is also the ever present danger that
he might, by failing to be cautious in this
particular. give to some jealous foreign
power a pretext for formal recognition of
the insurrection, with all the embarrassing
consequences likely to follow.
There is nothing in the situation at Ma
nila to cause alarm for the safety of the
American troops, in the opinion of well-in-
formed administration officials. Since Gen
Otis cabled Saturday evening to this effect
there has come no word frorl him tending
to qualify the statement in any sense. Ad-
miral Dewey has not been heard from fur
ther, according to Secretary Long, and from
this absence of positive news the officials
drew the conclusion that nothing has hap
pened to warrant apprehension. Respecting
the reported landing of foreign marines at
Manila, not a word of confirmation had been
received at either the War Department or
the Navy Department press dispatch
received several days ago mentioned the
landing of a few British bluejackets each
evening TO wet down the British consulate.
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 a general landing.
Some notice is beginning to be taken here
of the remarkably hostile reports that are
being cabled to Madrid by Colonel Rios. the
ranking Spanish officer at Manila, and if he
persists in this course he may be called to
account by General Otis, who probably
does not understand what the officer is do
ing. Technically Rios is a prisoner of war.
and his actions are subject to the complete
control of the United States officers at Ma
Mia. His reports, it is said in official circles
here, have been uniformly misstatements of
or 6fctOrffonc Of
pain purpose Of giving false impression
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
lack of war supplies, and such recognition
at the hands of even one of the nations
whose possessions border on the China sea
would be Of the greatest assistance to their
cause.
Just why Rios is going TO zarnboanga. as
announced from Manila. is not know here,
but it is presumed that General Otis would
not permit of any such movement We're it
not demanded by the necessity for prepar-
ing the remnant of Spanish troops in the
Philippines for shipment home TO Europe.
When he evacuated Iloilo, just in season to
embarass the Americans in their attempt to
occupy the place, he took his garrison down
the coast to Zamboanga, on the Island of
Mindanao 1t Is supposed that when he came
up to Manila himself he left these troops
there and that he is now going there to
ship them home, for, according to the re-
ports Of the War Department. the Spanish
Transportation Company will have taken
aboard the last Of the Spanish troops in the