The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1899-01-05

Washington. Dec. so. There is
good deal of anxiety in official circles
here over recent events at lloilo. Two
official dispatches have been received
by the state and war departments, but
il is impossible to gather from them
an accurate knowledge as to the con-
ditionS there. 1t is not even possible
to learn whether the insurgents or the
American forces have taken the place.
United States Consul Pratt. at Singa-
pore. cabled the state department.:
"Iloilo taken oath. Spanish fled to
Rorneo."
This threw the officials into deeper
doubt than before. The American ex-
petition which left Manila to go to
Iloilo, 1000 troops and the warships
Baltimore and Gallao, would scarcely
have had time ii is said, to have
reached IlOilo by the 9th. So the In
ference is that the insurgents are i'm
possession Colcr is lent to this BELIEF
by the fact reported in one telegram
that the Spaniards had retreated to
strongly fortified town on the island or
Min1anao. This does not agree with
Consul Pratt's statement that they
fed to Borneo. the north coast or
which is British possession, but IL Is
believed that the consul is in error on
this point, which might easily be in
view of the distance from his post to
Iloilo. The fact that the SpaDiardS
have retreated at all is also construed
as an indication that the town was
abandoned to the insurgents, for 1t Is
believed that Col. Rios, the Spanish
commander, would have cheerfully
surrendered to the American forces
with a view to securing the safety OF
his men and their ultimate return to
Spain by the American government
according to the terms of the treaty.
AguinaldO Has IlOilO.
Just before noon another dispatch
came from Gen. Otis that confirmed
the fears of the officials Of the war de-
partment as to what had taken place
I'm IloilO. 1t appears that the American
forces had arrived too late on the
scene. and that the insurgents had
added to the difficulty of the problems
already presented by hosting their
flag over the city. which they had been
besieging for months. The news was
contained in the following message
from Gen. Otis:
"Sent Col Potter on fast vessel to
Iloilo on oath to communicate with
Spanish Cen Rios: latter evacuated
evening of oath and Potter thirty nine
hours late; insurgents took possession
of the city on Goth and Potter found
Aguinaldo's flag flying. Cannot now
report probable results; will not hear
from there for four days. no cable
communication. Spanish forces have
evacuated all stations in southern Is
lands except Zamboanga. Mindanac,
by orders, they say. from Madrid
The evacuation by the Spaniards or
all the Philippine ports as reported by
Gen. Otis, although doubtless inspired
by a desire to secure their safety by
concentration, undoubtedly has done
much to complicate the problem al
ready presented to the war department
OF extending the military Jurisdiction
of the United States over the Islands.
1t will now be necessary to expedite
the execution of the original plans.
and IL may be fully expected that with
In a week important events will have
happened in the Philippines. 1t is pre-
sumed that Gen. Otis will demand the
surrender of Ilolo into his hands. ann
this demand may or may not result In
an issue between the insurgents and
our government of possession Of the
iSlaIIS