Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1899-01-05
TROUBLE At ILoILO.
It Nay Be Traced Directly Back to
a Spanish General.
THE FILIPINO PARLIAMENT TO MEET.
A Great Deal Of INTEREST Felt In Regard Co
1.-THE Filipino keDnls ibriii ut IiOii0
10 Full View Of Am .ricaD
Trm,s n ,at.

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Washington. Jan. 4.-Gen. Otis, COM
manding at Manila has cabled the
war department that in his opinion
Gen. Miller has the situation well in
hand at Iloilo and that he fully under
stands the purpose Of the president not
TO crowd the insurgents unduly. 1t is
highly desirable that hostile collision
between the American forces and the
insurgents he avoided at all hazards,
at least pending the ratification OF the
peace treaty, and as Gen. Miller under
stands now this purpose on the part OF
the president, he will be guided by 1t
and may be relied upon to resort to
force only under absolute compulsion.
The officials here are now fully sat-
isfied that the trouble at lloilo may be
traced directly back to the Spanish
colonel who was the senior Spanish
army officer in the Philippine group
and directly in command OF the Visay-
as group, including the principal is
land OF IIanay and the city and gar
rison Of lloilo Gen. Otis reports show
that, thosgh besieged with his 800
soldiers in lloilo by superior force,
the position Of the Spanish was thor.
oughly tenable. They had repu.sad
every attack OF the insurgents and
had inflicted great loss upon the lat
ter, and altogether there was no reason
why they should not have held ,ut in.
definitely. This was particularly the
case in view OF the knowledge on the
part OF the Spaniards that by the terms
CT the treaty the United States gov
eminent had undertaken to carry
them back TO Spain, involving, OF
course, their release from the siege at
the earliest practicable moment tits
significant that Rios delayed the
evacuation OF Iloilo until he became
informed that the Americans were
coming, and there is curiosity here to
learn how that important information
reached Iloilo In advance of the move.
ments OF the American transports and
in the absence OF cable connections.
Undoubtedly it was conveyed by a
vessel, and there may be question
raised as to the legitimacy of the
transmission of the intentions OF the
American troops in advance in this
fashion
One feature of Gen. Otis report that
has escaped mention so far is his
notice of the approaching meeting of
the so-called Filipino parliament,
which is to gather on the island Of
Luzo1 tomorrow. A good deal Of in
terest is attached to this meeting, as
Gen. Otis reports that by the attend
ance the strength of Aguinaldo's party
can be gagged. That this Is waning
rapidly is not doubted and Gen. Otis
feels that when the attempt is made to
convene the parliament 1t will be
found that Aguinaldo has lost his con-
troll of the majority and cannot COM
mand even working coalition. Such
state of affairs would tend to make
easier the task of the military author
tiles of the United States of establish.
ing peacefully temporary form of
government for the Philippines that
will command the support of the peo.
pie and receive the approval of the
civilized world.
THE FILIPINO REBELS DRILLING.
Manila, Jan. 4. --Advices just re-
ceived from lloilo say the rebels at a
recent meeting ratified the action of
delegation which assured the Amer-
cans that they might land anarmed,
but that { the latter landed armed the
natives would be uncomfortable. 1t
is further said that every preparation
is being made for resistance upon the
part of the rebels and that reinforce
ments are arriving from Negros and
the neighboring islands, in spite of
the efforts Ct the United States cruiser
Baltimore and the gunboat Arizona to
scare them with searchlights. The
Spanish gunboat FL Cano is still at
lloilo but as her status is not defined
she has not been molested. II is un-
derstood that she is destined to so to
Zamboagang, a town of the Philippine
islands on the southwestern extremity
OF the island of Mindanao.
The American troops are restless.
The rebels are drilling on the beach
evening and morning, in full view Of
the American expedition, which is
still atloat The natives here are
ouiescent Int Watchful.