The age-herald., 1899-04-09

calooean, February es, via San Francis co, April 3-An hour ago I returned from barley with one of the lnsurgent command CTS, sinforoso de Ia Cruze, in front of our blstering trenches, and I am writing this dispatch In a shell-shattered church, where holy images lie shattered on all sides and d military telegraph instrument is clicking on the side altar.
 It is a scene of appalling desolation. Tired soldiers, covered with the dust of the trenches, are stretched cut asleep with in the chancel railing On the steps of the high altar yellow spear of sunlight comes through a gap in the roof made by one of Dewey's shells and lights up the fallen, broken figure of Christi in tawdry crimson and gilt. Close by sits Colonel Funston, of the Twentieth Kansas infan- try, dictating a dispatch to General Mac Arthur, who is in Manila. The sound of firing can be heard in all directions, and n- surgent bullets come singing in at the open doors, for our firing line is not more than four hundred yards away.
 We are right in front of Aguinados main army. The trenches are so close that an American shouting can be heard by the Ffipinos. There are S,G)O of the enemy be- fore us-at least that Is the number given 10 me by the rebel commander when talked with him an hour ago.
 It is a strange situation. From the out- lying parts of Luzon, from the islands of Cebu, Panay, Mindanao, Mindora and other parts of our empire in the Pacific comes word that the common people of the soil, together with the principal property own- CTS, deplore the war against the United States, and hail the American flag as a symbol of the dawn of liberty and justice after centuries of oppression.
 Only the Tagalos Are Rebels
 It's the Tagalos, the fierce, the vain Gtrutting Tagaos, that we fighting Let no one in the United States imagine that the 900 people of this vast archipelago are resisting the American arms unitedy I he Tagalos alone assisted and encouraged by the rich half-breeds o1 Manila, are wag ing war upon our army
 Aguinaldo and his cabinet have sent armed bands of Tagalos into every part or the island of Luzon and into Panay, nAin- danao and several other of the large is lands, to force the people to fight, under threats of instant death. Many of the prisoners we have taken have told pitiful stories of Aguinaldo's cruel oppression. The island of Negros alone has defed him, and there are American flags flying, ana within few days there will be a regiment of natives in American uniforms to defend 1t
 It is not more than an hour since I walk
 
 Of the Associated Press within easy talk ing distance of the main insurgent trench beyond the church in which l writing. We carried a flag of truce to protect our selves from the fire of hundreds of swarthy Filipinos swarmlng behind the rough earth works under the tall bamboo trees. We went out across the bi!stering hot fields in answer to signals from the enemy, many of whom seemed to want to surrender. The insurgents made us walk three-quarters of a mile between the lines, fearing to come closer to the deadly Kansas rifles glisten- inS over the edges of our trenches
 Farley for a Truce
 Private Winterburn, of the Twentieth Kansas, was one of the party The insur- gents refused to come half way to meet us and frantically waved toward their crowded trenches. We neld our hands up to show that we were unarmed and the enemy did likewise. The Filipinos forced us to go three quarters of the way between the lines to meet them, while both armies eagerly watched the proceedings, the Kan sas sharpshootrs occasionally shooting, warning them against treachery. It turned out to be merely barley for truce of a few hours, the insurgents having heard that Aguinaldo had sent some sort of a proposal to General Otis. Colonel Funston joined us and promptly agreed not to at tack if the insurgents ceased firing and kept to their trenches.
 
 Filipino commander revealed the deadly work done by the agitators for Philippine indendence in Washington.
 Have the American commissions reaeh- ed Manila yet?" asked the insurgent col- onel bullet headed tawny little Tagalo, in smart new uniform.
 Not yet" 1 said.
 ''They're coming to treat with us," he re- marked
 You have been deceived" I said. "The oD1N icG Gio deg vii Sf of General Otis and his army
 The little colonel looked at me suspici- ousy out of the tail of his eye and puck cred his lips.
 "We have many freinds in Washington" he said. I've have heard that the commis- sioners would come to treat with Us"
 How many men have you in front of us here?" l asked.
 Eight thousand"
 No Idea of Surrender
 ''It is useless to continue a struggle against overwhelming force," I suggested ''We have many thousands of veteran troops on their way from Washington. 1t means utter defeat for you in a few weeks Why not lay down your arms and come in- to our lines, where you can have food pto- tection and peace?'
 Never" he answered, folding his arms across his breast and raising himself on ais toes with nervous jerk We have plenty Of men. We do not think of surrender"
 Then he paused and whispered to a cap tain of insurgent artillery by his side. who grnned and shook his head. One of the in surgents could speak a few words of En- glish and to him the colonel had addressed himself in the Tagalo tongue for transla- ton.
 .'When will the American commission dr- rive in Manila?" said the interpreter.
 "I don't know"
 At this point we had to make protest against the advance of large body of n- surgents, who were moving stealthily from the trenches.
 A Tagalo boy 10 years old dropped his rife and come bounding forward, his swarthy countenance radient with pride The insurgent officer patted the lad on the head and told us that they had hundreds Of boys with rifles on the firing line.
 And now a woman with her black dress