Omaha daily bee., 1899-11-03
PHILIPPINES REPORT
Commission Submits Summary Of Its Find.
ings to the President.
EVENTS LEADING UP TO INSURRECTIoN
Fight Against Spain Not for Independence
But Relief from Abuses,
DEwsY's RELATIONS WITH AeUINAlDo
Americans Never Oo-0perated with Fill.
pinos or Promised self-Goyernmeut.
REBELS REFUSE OFFERS TO END WAR
Philippine COmmission Did Every
thing IL Could HonorabIy Do to
Bring Hostilitics to n Close
Americans Welcomed.

WASHINGTON, Nov, 2.-1n accordance
with the conclusion reached at the confer
ence at the White House yesterday tho Phil
ippine commission today submitted to the
president tho preliminary report which 1t
had promised to prepare.
The report appears to be compact sum-
mary of the conditions on the islands as the
commission left them, of the hist. rical
events which preceded the Spanish war and
led TO the original Filipino insurrection of
the exchanges between Admiral Dewey and
the other American commanders and the in
surgents, the breaking out of the insurrec-
tion and finally a statement OF the capacity
OF the Filipinos for self government. A
notable feature Of the report is a memo
raudum by Admiral Dewey explanatory OF
his relations with Aguinaldo. The report
begins with the following statement:
The undersigned commissioners ap-
pointed by you TO investigate affairs Ia the
Philippine islands and TO report the results
OF their investigations, together with such
recommendations as in their judgment
might be called for by the conditions which
were found to exist in these Islands, have
the honor to submit the following preliminary
statement in compliance with your request"
pleted the task entrusted to 1t, hearing
statements from all classes OF the people
| relative to the capacity of the Fiipinos for
| self government, the habits and conditions of
| the people and also the establishment OF
municipal government in many towns. This
| matter is to be concluded in the final re-
port
| Turning to the history of the islands the
commission attaches little Importance to the
| divers rebellons which preceded that of 1896.
| AS to this movement they declare it was In
| no sense attempt to win independence,
| but simply to obtain relief from intolerabe
| abuses. To sustain this statement they
| quote from an insurgent proclamation, show
| ing that what was demanded was the ex-
| puleion of the friars and the restitution TO
the people of their lands, with division of
| the episcopal sees between Spanish and ma
| tive priests. 1t was also demanded that the
| Filipinos have parliamentary representation,
freedom of the press, religious liberation.
economic autonomy and laws similar to those
Of Spain. The abolition of the power of
| Punishment was demanded, with legal
| equality for all persons in law, and equality
in pay between Spanish and native civil
servants.
Good Grounds for Demands.
The commission declares that these de-
| mands had good ground, that on paper the
Spanish system of government was tolerable,
but in practice every Spanish governor did
what he saw At and the evil deeds in the
government were hidden from Spain by strict
press censorship. Allusion Is made to the
powerful Katipunan society, patterned on
the Masonic order and mainly cnade up Of
Tagals as a powerful revolutionary force.
The war begun in 1896 was terminated
by the treaty of Biac- Ma Bate The Fill
pinos were numerous, but possessed only
about 800 small arms. The Spanish felt
that it would require about 100000 men to
capture their stronghold and concluded to re-
sort to the use of money. Certain conces-
sons were also decided upon, including rep
resemtation OF the Filipinos in the cortes,
deportation of the friars, which was the
principal question, the granting of right Of
association and free press.
| Governor General Rivera was willing to
pay $2000,OO0 Mexican money when Agui-
, naldo and his cabinet and leading officers
arrived in Hong Kong. 1t appears, however,
that Paterno only offered the latter 100000,
5000 900 to be paid when Aguinaldo arrived
at Hong Kong and the balance when the
Filipinos had delivered up their arms The
: arrangement was not acceptable 10 the peo-
: pie,
The promises were never carried out, Span
j ish abuses began afresh, in Manila alone
: more than 200 men being executed. Hence
sporadic risings occurred, though they poe
sessed nothing like the strength Of the orig
iual movement, The Fiipinos lacked arms
! ! and leaders. The war, with the exception
3 of an unimportant outbreak in Cebu, had
!. been confined to Luzon, spain's sovereignty
: : in the other islands having never been ques-
toned.
n The report then tells how General Angus
y tin came to Manila as governor general at
: this juncture and then war broke out with
the United States. Augustin sought the
support OF the Filipnos to defend Spair
against America, promising them autonomy
% but tho Filipinos did not trust him. Their
q came the LIST OF May and the destruction o.
"a the Spanish fleet by Dewey, with the result
% ing loss OF prestige to Spain. Then in Jun'
2 Aguiualdo came. On this point the commits
y sion says:
70 "The following memorandum on this sub
30 ject has been furnished the commission b.
II, Admiral Dewey:
IS Relations with AEuinaIdo.
"On April "a, 1898, the following ciphe
2; dispatch was received at Hong Kong from
20 Mr.. Il. Spencer Pratt United States consu
81 general at Singapore:
81 "Aguinaldo insurgent leader, here. vii
~ come to Hong Kong, arrange with commo
"a dOre for general cooperation with insur
II gents at Manila, If desired. Telegraph
20 PRATT
- "on the same day Commodore Dewey tel
. egraphed Mr.. Pratt:
50 "'Tell Aguinado come soon possible
the necessity for haste being due to the fac
I'd that The squadron had been notified by tn
Hong Kong government to leave thos
waters the following day.
"The squadron left on the 25th and Mir
Bay on the 27th Aguinaldo did not leav
l. Singapore until the 26th and so did not ar
E. rive in Hong Kong in time to have con
n ference with the admiral.
II 1T had been reported to the commodor
IS as early as March 1, by the United State
Ill consul at Manila and others that the Fill
IS pinos had broken into nsurrecton agans
the Spanish authority In the vicinity Q