Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-01-17
American Soldiers in Manila
in Hard Place.
NEW SCHEME OF SPANISH
Are Treating Directly With the In
surgents--Only Solution of
a Grave Problem.

Herald from Paris says: News has been
received here that the Spanish govern
ment has begun negotiations with Aguin-
aldo, through the agency of certain Fill
pinos in Madrid, for the release of the
Spanish prisoners. Having begun to
treat directly with the insurgents, Spain
is likely to go step further and accord
them the recognition hitherto refused by
any government. The idea is to call upon
President Mckinley to redeem his prom
Use and obtain the release of the prison.
ers. The difficulties confronting the
! American government are all understood
! in Madrid and as soon as official cogniz-
ance of them is obtained the government
will consider itself free to treat with the
Filipino government if necessary as
power to power, in order to secure the
liberty of it's subjects. That Spain should
take such revenge upon us would surprise
nobody.
| A dispatch to the Herald from Hong
Kong says: The Herald's Manila corre-
spondent reports a strict censorship upon
dispatches. The latest advices dated
January 13 state that the situation in the
Philippines is still acute. Aguinaldo is
HOluluS Ills 1OICSS III CIcCh Will OAAHSulIS
and natives have been arrested for snug
Cling arms into the walled city. On one
occasion a coffin was found full of arms
and on another six Mauser rifles and
stock of ammunition was discovered hid
den in load Of straw. The natives re-
siding in the city predicted an attack on
Manila Sunday, the 18th, but the foreign
ers maintain that there will be no attack
if the Americans do not precipitate one.
The position Of the Americans is very
unpleasant Their Spanish prisoners are
unfriendly and the hostile natives are
numerous and well armed both inside
and outside of Manila. In Iloilo the situa-
tion remains the same except that the
natives are intrenching themselves. They
have blocked the river by sinking barges
laden with stones The native troops out
side of Manila are most insolent and it
is hard work to restrain the Americans.
The Filipino soldiery come out to Tia ia
lines. close up to the American outposts,
load their rifles, deliberately point them
at the American soldiers and then de-
risiVely walk back to their own lines I'm
der such conditions there might be a fight
at any moment.
A dispatch to the Herald from Hong
Kong says: Rev Clay McCauey, pro-
fessor of theology at Toxic, who recently
arrived from the Philippines says that
| as the result of his study of the situation
at Manila he thinks there are only three
ways open for the United States to solve
the Philippine question. The first is an
nexation by force or purchase. To use
thn nSfpo aifrp
war in American history, entailing great
| loss of life and expenditure of money.
Moreover it would be a violation of ma
tiOnal honor. Purchase means the recog-
milton of the insurgents as allies of the
! United States during the war; rewarding
the Filipino leaders with offices, employ
ment of the insurgents III military and
civil offices and also giving them back
pay as allies for some months. Such
purchase would secure a compromising
gain of doubtful tenure. The Americans
| in Manila are generally opposed to an
neXatiOn in any form.
The second solution is complete trans
fer of sovereignty from Spain to Fill
pinO republic and the retention by the
United States for her own use of Manila
, bay and port just as Hong Kong is kept
by Great Britain. This solution means
the exposure of the defenseless Philip
pines to greed of the powers, with a con-
sequent acute crisis in Europe over far
eastern questions. This way is neither
honorable nor wise.
| The third possible solution is autonomy
under an American prOtectorate, This
means an independent Filipino republic
controlling the administration of internal
affairs. the United States taking charge
of the supreme judiciary and foreign re-
lations such as the powers of making war
or treaties while having control of the
customs. This solution, Mr.. McCauley
thinks, might bring about tutelage
which would result for the future abso-
| lutte independence of the island or volun-
tary annexation to the United States. The
third was only, he says, means peace and
prosperity to the United States and to the
Philippines.
In any case immediate action is i'm
perative. A leading member of the Flip
| inO directorate at Hong Kong declared
readily and emphat tically that the Flip
mos would refuse absolutely to hand over
the customs. There would be no objection
to paying the cost of maintaining a naval
squadron in the Philippine waters, in the
same way as the British colonies contrib
ute toward the imperial defense
| Nebraska Senatsrship
| Lincoln, Neb, Jan. 1.-THE vote on