The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-07
Americans Charged by the Hong
Kong JuntO with Starting the TrOu-
BILE at ManiIa-Views of Spaniards.


MONTREAL, Que, Feb. 6.-Agoncillo, the
Philippine representative, arrived in Mont
real to-day. Accompanied by his clerk,
Senor Martha he drove to the Windsor. Il
heard about Saturdays affair after leaving
New York last night" Agoncillo said, and
it surprised me greatly. 1 had no idea that
affairs at Manila had reached such criti-
cal stage-in fact, 1 considered that they
were perhaps getting trifle better. But 1
had no news from the Philippines"
And you expect to receive it here?" he
was asked.
Il do The Washington authorities would
not allow me to receive any cable messages.
There is a censor at Manila and the use of
codes is forbidden. l was completely in the
dark, save for the advices 1 received by
mail and what 1 learned from the news
papers. And the Philippines is a long way
off, you know. that the mails are almost
useless. Therefore we have come to Mont
real, where we will be enabled to receive
the news we desire by cable. When l re-
ceive it 1 expect to return to Washington
and continue my efforts to fulfill my mis-
sion to the United States.
LAS 10 the affair of Saturday and Sunday,
of my mission. From the bulletins received
by the officials in Washington and from the
press dispatches I gather that the fighting
began suddenly and Unexpectedly. L think
that the Fflipinos were goaded to come into
it by some act OF the Americans. For
months they have been doing their best to
drive the Filipinos into revolt. General Otis
has sent men to search private residences,
and the property of our people has been
turned inside out in the search instituted by
his orders. Acts like this have kept the
spirit of the F1lipinos at fever heat and
made such affairs as that of Saturday and
Sunday possible"
"A Washington dispatch states that you
left that city because you knew that there
would be fighting at Manila on Saturday
evening"
Agoncillo smiled broadly. ooh. no., he
answered. LAS ! told you, / only learned
of it after l had left New York last evening
from gentleman who got on between here
and New York. If my cable service was so
goo5 that l could learn in advance when
there was to be any developments 1 should
be in Washington. L came to Montreal in
order to receive the news which was not al
lowed to reach me in Washington When 1
receive it-I do not know how soon or how
long / may have to wait-it is my present
intention to return to New York. One
reason why the affair of Saturday surprised
me is that 1 had sent the news to my people
that the people of the United States were
favorable to us in our desire for independ-
ence. The more 1 look at it the more 1 am
convinced that the affair of Saturday was
not the fault of the Filipinos,"
do you consider that the fighting will re-
suit in securing the ratification of the
treaty?"
Il cannot say. The Filipinos I am sure,
did not start ii. do not say that the Ameri-
cans did so with the intention of influencing
the vote in the Senate 1t may have started
accidentally in the dark. l trust that it will
not be as reported. 1 am expecting news
from home. Until that comes I know as
much concerning the present trouble as any
other careful newspaper reader and no
more
Agoncillo has had an extremely busy day
of it. Newspaper men and people drawn
by curiosity have thronged his room all day
long, and the Filipino envoy has been kept
busy answering questions ever since he fin
ished his breakfast this morning. The inter-
views in the evening papers amused him
greatly "They have come here and asked
me all sorts of questions he said tonight.
land then they have gone away and printed
what they liked or what they thought 1
should have said"
Agoncillo shown the dispatches con-
cerning the ratification of the peace treaty.
He read them with interest The final vote
interested him in particular. THAT is not
a very big majority, is it?' he said, but
when pressed to express an opinion on the
Senate's action he declined. Il cannot say
anything just now; l am not yet aware of
the circumstances. 1 really cannot say any
thing about the matter until [ have had an
opportunity to fully consider the situation.
Neither can I say anything about my future
movements. They are entirely dependent
upon circumstances"
Then Agoncillo began asking questions
about the Canadian constitution. He has
asked a good many of a similar nature to-
day. He inquired of all his visitors as to
whether they prefer to have Canada a coll
ony or not. You have not got freedom
he declared "and you don't want it. You
are not like us"
Agoncillo and his clerk are being watched
by two strangers supposed to be United
States secret service men. One of them
shadowed Marti who went out for a drive,
and the other remained in the hotel to
watch Agoncillo, who busted himself with