The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-10-02
ENJOYS Present Their Claims at Ma
Mia, but Get Scant Comfort for
Diplomatic Overtures.
PEACE WITH INDEPENDENCE
THIS Is THE BURDEN OF THEIR DE-
sIREs, As EXPRESSED YESTERDAY.
They Say They Can Hold Ont Indef-
~niteIy-LOok for announcement
from the United states.

MANILA, Oct. 1, 10 p. m.-Aguinaldos
third ATTEMPT TO shift his difficulties into
the field of diplomacy is a repetition OF the
other one or two, with an Impossible en-
deavor to obtain some sort of recognition
of his so-called government. The Filipino
enyoys had an hours conference with Cen
eral Otis this morning. They brought from
Aguinaldo a message that he desired peace
and wished to send a civilian governmental
commission to discuss the question. Gen
eral Otis replied that it was impossible for
him TO recognize Aguinaldo's government in
any way. They presented a letter from
Aguinaldo as President of the Republic"
which was largely a repetition of his re-
cent appeals for recognition. General Otis
Informed them that while he was willing
to correspond with Aguinaldo as general of
the insurgent forces he must positively de-
cline to recognize him "a president of the
civil government. Another conference will be
held tomorrow.
The Fflipinos will remain two or three
days. Their movements are quite unre-
stricted. but they are under the constant
chaperonage of Captain Johnson, of the Six
teenth Infantry. To-day they visited the
hospitals and distributed money among the
wounded F1lipinos, after which they made
calls and received visitors at their hotel.
Natives in their Sunday clothes thronged
the plaza In front of the hotel all day,
stretching their necks toward the windows
for a glimpse of the SNOWY uniforms Of
the ENJOYS. The ~assemblage finally in
creased to a thousand people. When the
ENJOYS emerged for an afternoon drive the
natives removed their hats deferentially and
a crowd in vehicles or on foot followed the
carriage through the streets.
THEY WANT INDEPENDENCE.
'We desired peace, but peace with in
dependence and HONOR said General Ale
jandrino, to-day, while conversing with a
representative of the Associated Press. He
impresses one as digniied and dispassion-
ate and as a keen man of the world. He
was educated i'm Europe and designed the
remarkable intrenchments from Manila to
Tarlac. While reticent concerning his mis-
sion his conversation throws an interesting
light on the Filipino view of the American
attitude.
pie withstand sixty thousand American
troops?' asked the representative of the
Associated Press.
't1ghting In our way We can maintain a
state of war and the necessity for a large
army of occupation indefinitely. You Amer
leans are holding a few miles around
Manila. a narrow line of railroad to Angeles
and a circle Of country around San Fernan-
do. But you are ignorant of the resources
of Luzon. We hold the immense, rich, pro-
ductive northern country from which to
draw. Our people contribute the money and
food which maintain our army, and this is
done at a minimum of cost. 1t is an inter-
esting question what the cost to the Ameri-
can people Is of maintaining the American
troops in the Philippines. We do not, Of
course. know the amount, but 1t must be
excessive. We perceive what an American
soldier requires i'm this climate. On the
other hand, a Filipino exists with a handful
of rice and a pair of linen trousers. We
do not have to pay our soldiers and can
practically hold up their wages as long as
we desire. Even without our present supply
of arms and ammunition we could keep
your army occupied for years.
FREED BY THE CONGRESS.
with an expense that grows daily how
long will your people stand it? The Filipino
people do not wish to continue the fighting.
We have no army contractors. We have
no business men making profits from the
maintenance of our army. There is nothing
in IL for us nor are our salaries large
enough TO keep us fighting for money and
position"
Discussing the question of a recognition
by the United States of the so-called
Filipino government, General Alejandrino
said: The freedom of the American pris-
oners who have just been turned over to
you was decreed by the Filipino Congress.
Your government has accepted them. 1t
will doubtless accept any others that our
government may free
He inquired concerning the percentage Of
sick American troops. and when informed
said he considered 1t small. He asked a
number OF questions indicating a hope Of
-anti-imperialist action by the American
Congress and inquired what would be the
effect on the national policy II Congress
should declare itself opposed to the prose-
cution of the war, and whether anti-im-
perialist sentiment was growing in the
United States. Several inquiries he made
also regarding the nature and effect of a
Joint resolution of Congress.