The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-12-15
FRIDAY. DECEMBER is, 1899.
TWELVE PAGES.
If Not Allies, What We're They :?

Ii CIRCUMSTANCE replete with
significance in it's suggestion
! of the earlier relations between
the American forces and the Filipinos
is the release, few days ago, Of some
Spanish prisoners, who in July Of last
year, surrendered to the United States
navy. and were then turned over to the
Finpinos.
Prominent among these Spaniards are
Colonel Julio del Rio and Senior Ra
faal Rossello, both Of whom are re-
ported as declaring positively that the
surrender was made to the Americans
upon an express agreement that the
Spaniards should not be delivered to
the Filipinos, but that nevertheless
they were SO delivered, and We're held
by them up to the date of their re-
lease in the early part of the present
month.
No one will believe that Captain
Coghlan, to whom the surrender was
made, Intentionally violated any agree
ment. The point Of especial interest
is the fact that these prisoners actu-
ally were turned over to the Fiipinos.
This was in connection with the Incl
dent Of the Irene in Subig bay. 1t is
well known that the Spanish garrison
was beseiged by the Filipinos, who,
for some reason in which the German
steamer Irene, seems to have been in
volved, called upon Dewey for help.
The American admiral sent the Raleigh
and the Concord to aid them, and the
Spaniards surrendered. Whatever the
understanding with the Spaniards may
have been, there is no doubt as to these
facts, and the further one that after
the surrender the prisoners were plac-
ed in the hands Of the Filipinos.
This is stated to have been upon the
orders of Dewey himself. There is
no reason to question the correctness
of this statement, for such an order
would have been in perfect keeping
with the admirars entire course toward
the natives. But whether it was done
by Dewey or by CoghIan is immaterial
30 far as the significance of the incl
dent is concerned. The great fact is
that the United States navy and the
Filipino army were acting together in
the fullest and most thorough cooper
alton.
If they were not allies, what were
they? Aguinaldo and his army certain
ly were not in the service of the Unit
ed States. Nobody has claimed that
The Filipino army was an entirely sep
arate and independent organization
so regarded and treated not only by
Admiral Dewey. but by the United
States military commanders also.
All Of this has an important bearing
upon the equities in the Filipinos' ia
vor. While no actual promise of in
dependence was given them by tht
American government, it cannot bt
gainsaid that the Filipinos were JUST
fed in expecting it, by their treatmen
at the hands Of United States Official
In that quarter, by the express declar
atoms of President Mckinley. tina
"forcible annexation would be crimina
aggression" and bv their knowledge o
the general character of American in
situations.
Nothing could have seemed NOR
improbable to them than that tn
United States, engaged in a war 70
the freedom of Cuba, would assert
different principle in the Philippine
and claim the islands by right of con
quest and purchase from Spain, utterl
regardless of the wishes of ten million
Of people living there.