The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-01-25
FACTS ARE DEMANDED
FILIPINOS WANT TO KNOW WHAT
THEY ARE TO EXPECT FROM
THE AMERICANS
AGONCILLO GROWS INSISTENT

Asks Secretary of State Hay to Elk
plain the Presence In Manila of
Forwarding of Reinforcements-
If There Is to BE War, Who Is to
BE the Enemy?-Crisis Mt Hand.
| WASHINGTON, Jan. 24.-Senor Lo-
PEE, secretary to Agoncillo, the Wash
ngton representative of Aguinaldo.
called at the state department this af-
ternoon and lodged with the chief clerk
a communication which, according to
the common expectation, marked the
critical stage in the Filipino situation.
This is the third attempt made by the
Filipino representative to secure official
recognition from the United States
government. Secretary Hay, at the
time the communication was presented,
was attending meeting of the cabinet
| at the White house, so that all Chief
Clerk Michael could do under the cir
cumstances was to receive the paper
as he would any other handed in to
| him.
/ In his communication to the secre-
tary of state Senor Don Felipe Agon-
clio calls attention to the fact that on
Jan. l he addressed a letter to him
| upon the question of recognition, for
| Warding with it a memorandum dem
onstrating that according to all Amer
| lean precedents the Philippine republic
| was entitled to recognition, and in the
same letter invited the attention of the
secretary to the present strained rela-
ticns at Manila, where over zeal on
either side might create a condition re-
sultlng in grieVous loss of life, and
urging the necessity of an early and
frank communication between the rep
resentatiVes of the two countries. He
further calls attention to the fact that
since his letter was written the very
| circumstances he feared have brought
the two countries to the edge of war,
and says that the language used by
him was sc prophetic that subse-
quent facts have amply justified it's
employment. He now desires to call the
attention of the secretary to certain
conditions, which. in his opinion, re-
Quire immediate alienation. There
are, he says, at the present time, 10000
American troops at Manila, controlling
"a number of war vessels are sta
toned in the Rarbor and many other
American men-ofwar and transports
are to be found in the archipelago, al
though the actual possession Of the
American troops extends over not to
exceed 143 square miles out Of 100000
Despite the enormous forces now in
this extremely circumscribed area, we
are informed through the public prints
that other vessels Of war have been
ordered from distant parts of the globe
to reinforce those now among the ISL
ands in question, while few days ago
a transport sailed from New York city
carrying about 1000 soldiers and hav-
ing Manila as it's destination, and as
we are further informed regiments Of
troops are under orders to proceed by
way Of San Francisco to the Philip
pines. The public prints inform us
also that an attack is contemplated
upon the Philippine islands; the islands
to be taken in detail, the smaller ones
first, the larger ones blockaded so that
they may not assist those first at
tackled"
FILIPINOS UNEASY.
He says that it Is naturally the i'm
preston of his government and people
that these warlike preparations indi-
cate existing or immediate military op-
erations in the Orient, and they read
lily conceive that 1t must be contem-
plated that such operations are to be
leveled at the existing government of
the Philippines. AS the representative
of the Philippine government, he con-
tinues: II hesitate to give expression
to that idea, for 1 cannot believe there
is any present or future difficulty be-
tween the American and Philippine
governments warranting warlike activ-
ity. and, as a believer in American hu-
manity, cannot conceive that America
desires war upon the Filipinos.''
He points out the fact that but late
ly the United States and Philippine
government have been associated in
conflict against a common enemy, the
United States accomplishing it's pur-
pose by the expulsion of Spain from
the West Indies, while the desire of
the Philippine republic has been prac-
tically attained by the almost complete
expulsion of the Spanish government
from the Philippine islands; the Philip
pine government now holding as pris-
oners of war between 5000 and 10000
Spanish soldiers, and the Spanish pos
sessing only a few small garrisons in
isolated points of minor Importance. He
is unable to conceive any reason why
the armies and navies of the United
States, lately employed against a COM
mon enemy should be turned against
Americas recent associate.
WANTS AN EXPLANATION.
The United States, he says, has no
active enemy in the Orient, having pro-
claimed an armistice with Spain. It
is true. he continues, that Spain has
undertaken to convey to the United
States it's alleged claim against the
Philippines, a claim which Spain was
not capable Of enforcing and which
never found it's origin in the consent Of
the people Of those islands He in
quires:
Are my government and people to
be left to suppose that it is because of
some desire on the part of the Amer
lean government to enforce against it's
late associate the exploded claim that
the United States is massing it's forces
at the capital Of the Philippine ISL
ands?''
He points out that the Philippine ISL
ands are in a state of order, possessing
q government satisfactory to their in
habitants and without an enemy within