The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1899-01-27
THE CRISIS IS NEAR.
AguinaldO Proclaims the Phil 1Dine
Republic at Malolas.
TROUBLE EXPECTED BY GEN. OTIS.
The Insurgents About TO Force an Issue
and ~ Hostile Collision Probable-Na-
tives Up in Arms-Ihe Rupture
an Accumulated Fact.

Manila, Jan. % -Aguinaldo pro.
claimed the Philippine republic at Ma
lolas yesterday morning. There was no
public demonstration in Manila. The
civil Spanish prisoners will be set
free by the insurgents. Rival native
authorities at Cebu are reported to be
fighting and the town is endangered
Aguinaldo's government cannot main.
tain order in the interior of Luzon
and the native authorities are often
murdered. If Aguinaldo commences
hostilities against the Americans the
northern provinces will probably
attempt to shake off his yoke.
Reports from the interior indicate
that Aguinaldo's authority is now gem
orally recognized. Every available
male is being recruited and arms de.
pots are being established at San Ber-
nardina, Union, Trinidad and other
large towns. The surrounding coun-
try is being levied on for supplies and
the Filipino troops are living on the
fat of the land, while the native viii
layers are compelled to subsist on rice.
There is some friction between the
Filipino civil and military authorities,
but they are united on the question of
independence. 1t is estimated that
there are fully 30, 900 Filipinos under
arms, and it is said that there are
nearly 80 Maxim guns at Malolas,
some of them having been recently ac-
quired. The Filipino military author
tiles are convinced, they say, that the
Americans will be unable to work eff
4. Il. - H..
event of hostilites, hence they feel
confident in the future.
GEN. OTIS EXPECTS TROUBLE
Washington, Jan. 25.--The reports
from Manila which have reached the
war department are far from reassur-
ing. 1t is understood that Gen. Otis
reports an expectation on his part that
the insurgents are about to force an
issue, and If this should bc so the re-
suit cannot be foreseen. Manila itself
and not lloilo, as might at first be'sus-
pected, is regarded as the danger point
just now. While the Instructions to
Gen. Otis have been to avoid any
hostile clash with the natives, so
far as that plan is consistent with
the maintenance of his position,
it is realized here that it is within
the power of any excited or intoxicated
person to precipitate "a battle between
the two opposing forces For IL must
be understood that there is nothing in
Gen. Otis instructions to prevent him
from most vigorously defending him
self and the Interests confided to his
charge. Gen. Otis is so sure of his
ground that the officials here
feel no doubt as to the OUT
come of a hostile collision between
the Americans and the insurgent
forces under Aguinaldo, particularly
as Gen. Otis would have the enormous
advantage of the full cooperation of
the American feet under Dewey. But
it is particularly desirable that even
battle ending in victory be avoided
just now, for the president has by no
means surrendered his conviction that
the misguided Filipinos can be brought
to an understanding of the real objects
of the United States aud peacefully ac-
cept the conditions sought to be im-
posed.
NATIVES UP IN ARMS
La Buean, British Borneo, Jan. %. -
The steamer Labuan, which has arrived
here, came from the island of Balabac,
80 miles south of Palawan, Philippine
islands, and not from Palawan, rs pre-
viously cabled The murder of the
Spanish officers which she reported
occurred at Balabac. The Labuan
brought Go women and children here.
They had been robbed, but otherwise
had not been ill-treated. The Sulus
assisted the Balabacs in killing the
Spanish officers. The Spaniards left
Palawan, where the natives were fear
full OF the Sulus. Stores had been
looted, business was at "A standstill
and the natives were armed and ready
for IN ischief
THE RUPTURE AN ACCOMPLISHED FACT
Madrid Jan. % A dispatch from
Hong Kong To the Reform of this city
says letter received from "A Philip
pine island under date of January 20
announces that the rupture between
the Filipinos and the Americans is an
accomplished fact and that the lives
of the Spaniards in the archipelago