The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-24
OTIS TALKS OF THE WAR.
LOYAL SUPPORT At HOME WILL DEAL
a DEATH BLOW TO TEE REBELLION.

LOYAL SUPPORT At HOME WILL DEAL
DEATH BLOW TO THE REBELLION.
1hpinos Have Been Greatly Encourage ed
by the Anti-Expansionists-A Firm Stand
by Congress VIII End Their Hopss-wide
Disgust Already with AGuinaldo's Rule
Better Glasses Call His Army . dang
OF Robbers-Gen. Otis Says Affairs Are
Progressing sstisfaotoriIy-Ou Army in
Good Conditiop-Amount of Civil Work
Done-Praise for Otis By His Omcsrs.
Special Gable Dsssatsa I. TIE Sun
MANILA. Sept. %. 10 p M-Gen. Otis said
to-day in regard to the Filipino.ofYer to release
certain American prisoners that he be-
lieved 1t was intended as bluff to
play on the sympathy OF foreigners.
Gen. Otis. AZ has been stated before in these
dispatches. has repeatedly released Filipino
prisoners OF war: in fact. he has already set
over 1000 OF them at liberty.
In order to test Aguinaldo's good faith. the
Spaniards o-day ed Gen. Otis to authorize
the sending Of q steamer to Dagupan to get
the Spanish prisoners there and transport
them to Spain. Agulnaldo had offered to
release those prisoners. Gen. Jaramillo. who
10 in charge OF Spanish affairs. said that at
tho beginning OF August the insurgents had
600 Spanish prisoners. including 400 officers.
Since that time 80 per cent OF tho prison.
ers had been starved. Each man gets
only Ave cents a day for his food allowance.
Gen. Jaramillo recently received a letter
from Gen. Pena. who surrendered Cavite.
dated at Vigan. urging the Spanish
Commission to use every endeavor
to secure the release OF the Spanish
prisoners. Among other things he said III
thia thing doaa mr. and in n faw mi tha thera
will be few left to tell the tale"
POSITION OF THE REBELS.
The insurgents have abandoned San Fran
cisco de Malabon and Novelette,. and have dis
appeared from the vicinity OF linus. This may
mean mum Der OF things. One con lecture Is that
hey are tired another that they mean to at
tack Caamba, where Gen. Hall has his head
quarters Nothing has yet been heard from
the naval expedition to subig Bay. Several
war vessels are OF the town Of OlanRapo. with
the object OF destroying earthworks and guns
that have been placed there by the insurgents.
GEN. OTIS SAYS AFFAIRS ARE sATIsrAoToRr.
THE Bun correspondent had a long interview
to-day with Gen. Otis about the state Of affairs
In the Philippines. The General. in reply to
questions. said:
Things are going along in 6 very satisfac-
tory manner. Our own forces are In good con-
dition. We have plenty OF commits
vary SUPPLIES here or on the way.
We also have all the transportation
facilities necessary either here or on the way.
when the weather conditions permit We shall
be ready to make an active campaign.
The insurgents are having hard time
holding their forces together. They have NO
commissariat and NO voluntary support from
their own people.
DIssENsroNs FROM AGUrNALDo.
nm ata Mt oon n IN m from
all parts OF the island showing dissension. de-
moralzation and disintegration among their
troops and the dissatisfaction OF the people
with the 'insurrsctionary government
Letters come to me daily from persons OF
education and intelligence. mon OF property
and prominence among the Filipinos. asking
me to send troops to protect us from our army.
They call their army OF liberation nothing but
bands Of robbers and outthroats.
THE southern and northern provinces
have repeatedly begged protection from me.
l have replied to these people: What's the
matter with INDEPENDENCE Go back and enjoy
it while longer
FILIPIEoB T1RINo OF THEIR INDEPENDENCE.
Continuing the discussion OF the situation
Gen. Otis developed Q new viewpoint. He
said: THE question 10 whether. after
all. 1t would DO wise to hasten
tho ending OF the insurrection. With
the exception OF fewrobbera and adyenturers
these people grow sicker and more disguised
with independence every day they have It,
Even the leaders OF the Insurgents are
trying to get away. Several officers
have como to Manila: others have
sent their families here. Pedro Palermo. the
former President OF the Filipino Cabinet has
his entire family numbering about fifty per-
sons here. Others have asked the same prlvl-
lege. Sometimes reply to such requests that
the applicants should make the most OF indie
pendence while they have it.
Il believe that II the instruction 10 not
ended too soon the Filipnos will be so heartily
sick OF independence that thero will never be
any more trouble on that score. Independence
was craze with these people.
They did not understand what 1t meant. but
their worship OF the idea amounted almost to
fanaticism. Now that they really know what
their independence means. 1t is the best object
lesson they ever had. and 1t will not be mecca
sary to continue it much longer to forever
settle the question.
1T IL not surprising that the Flipinos
thought they could whip the Americans. They
defeated tho Spanish under Gen Jaramillo at
Zapote and they licked Gen. Rios at Novaleta
when they were armed only with bolos. They
expected to repeat this performance with us.
"ARuinaldo had eight months in which
compllshed a great deal in that time
He sent his Tagals to every island
OF any size and importance throughout
the archipelago and got his government oper-
ating so thoroughly that the people cannot fail
TO understand what such self government
means"
REBELS ENCOURAGED by THE ANTI EXPANSION
IsTs
Gen. Otis then went on to speak OF other
phases OF the situation. He said 1t was
almost impossible TO overestimate the
encouragement. support and assistance
that the actlons and talk OF the
anti-expansionsts in the United States
had given TO the insurgents. These men. he
said, put into the heads OF the rebels
tho idea that Congress would do some
thing against the continuance OF tho
war; He Gen. Otis was kept well
informed as to what was going on at the insur-
gent headquarters. He knew that tho insur-
gent leaders had been eXhorting the Filipinos