The Irish standard., 1899-07-22

lean government would assure his peo-
pie that the Philippines would not be
handed back to the Spaniards his army
would disband Immediately.
l do not want to relate the details of
the Filipinos that occurred almost daily,
differences in which l know the Fill
pinos were not at fault 1t would fill
volumes.
My opinion is that the administra-
TONS policy has been influenced by the
business element OF America, presuming
that the acquiring of these islands means
an enormous foreign trade. This I'M
preston is wrong. We cannot estab-
fish a preferential tariff over these is
lands in favor of Americans without an
tagonizing all other nations. All other
things being equal, American merchants
will never be able to compete in the
Philippine islands with foreign mer-
chants, because the minds of the Fill
pinos have become so thoroughly pois-
oned against Americans that they will
not buy anything American that can be
obtained elsewhere.
AS to the act that brought on hostil-
ities-the attempt of two Filipinos to
cross the American lines, being fired
upon and with some companions firing
upon the Americans in turn-it is a
matter OF official record that all the
higher Filipino officers were in confer
ence in their headquarters at the time.
The two Filipinos certainly were not
acting under orders
1t is also matter of record that as
soon as Aguinaldo got news of the con-
fict he sent a messenger begging the
Americans for Gods sake to desist, de-
claring that whatever few of his SOL
diers had done was without authority.
Aguinaldo was told that it was too
late; the natives must take the conse-
quences.
Had Aguinaldo's message of peace
been listened to many American lives
would have been saved.
The strict censorship exercised over
the press in Manila is against our Amer
lean principles of free thought and free
speech. We must have something to
conceal, and what surprises me most is
that the American press has submitted
to it.
Aguinaldo and his followers are not
the ignorant men most people suppose
them to be. He deplores the present
war as much as any one. He is sat
isfied that there is no earthly chance for
his people to accomplish anything by
force OF arms; he bases his chances for
success and for obtaining favorable
terms upon three things:
First. The climate, lack of roads and
the consequent difficulties of following
him into the interior.
Second. He knows enough of Amer
lean politics to realize that when con-
gress meets and the loss of American
life and money is brought up and dis
cussed in the press there is possibility
of his being offered favorable terms.
Third. He hopes that a protracted
warfare, paralyzing the business of the
European houses in Manila, will bring
about intervention by some foreign
power.
If our troops coop up Aguinaldo and
his followers in Luzon, I believe that
Aguinaldo will then realize that his case
is hopeless and will come to terms with
the United States government and end
the war. The greatest stress must be
laid upon the necessity of thoroughly
patroling the whole coast Of, Luzon
There are over thousand islands in
the Philippine group and Aguinaldo's
plan will be to get away from Luzon to
one of the other islands as soon as active
preparations are made to make it too
hot to hold him upon Luzon.
F. w. Sylvester.