Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-01
OTIS is NOT DECEIVED
Filipino 0vertures for Peace Do Not Change
His Plans.
He VIII Press the War VfgOr0usIy-
Views of Comm missioner Schur-
man ON the Situation.

A Manila dispatch of yesterday says:
While it is the general expectation among
Americans that the Filipino emissaries will
return with revised proposals from Gen.
Antonio Luna, Maj. Gen. Otis is not letting
this prospect interfere with his preparations
for pushing the war. Yesterday he or
dered Maj. Gen, Lawton to return to An
gat. few miles north of Norzagaray, and
not to advance aggressively while the nego-
tiations are pending. Gen. Macarthur is
apparently acting on the same policy, but
ne is repairing bridges and strengthening
the lines of his force, which is stretched
out with a four-mile front and within a
quarter of a mile of the enemy.
The possibilities of peace are gratifying
to great majority of the army who have
regarded the war as unpleasant duty
that must be performed according to Amer
lean traditions. Manila is cheerful over the
prospect of a return to normal life though
there are skepticS who remark that a truce
would enable the insurgents to rest until
the rainy season, upon which they have
been depending as important aid.
Refugees North of San Fernando.
The prisoners report that there are To-
900 refugees north of San Fernando. This
is not impossible, considering the thickly
populated region which the Americans have
cleared 1t seems also that smallpox is
spreading among them.
The so-called Filipino congress will meet
at San Fernando tomorrow
When Dean c. Worcester of the United
States Philippines commission. who &C
companled the Filipino emiSsaries from Ca
lumpit. said to Col. Manuel Arguelles, that
the Americans We're under no obligations to
refrain from fighting, the Filipino officer
replied:
Would you fight while we are discussing
terms of peace?" Mr.. Worcester respond
ed with the suggestion that an armistice
would give the Filipino leaders time to es-
cape.
My God. where would we escape to-"
the Filipino exclaimed, referring in this
to the menacing hostile tribes behind the
Filipino lines.
the Associated Press that he was much
disappointed in the results of his mission
He said also that Aguinaldo expected Ca
lumplt to be the cemetery of the American
army.
In Gen. Luna's Camp
Lieutenant Colonel Wallace of the LIST
Montana Regiment. Major Adams and Ma
ior Shields. who slept on Friday night in
General Luna's camp where they went to
inform the Filipinos that their ENJOYS
would return In safety, found the Filipino
moving their hats as the Americans passed
The FilipinoS complained to them that the
Americans used explosive bullets, which
Is not the fact The American officers re-
tCrted that the copper shells used by the
F'ilipinos are worse than explosive bullets
General Luna said he regretted being
obliged to Kill Americans, but that was his
business.
General Wheaton entertained Colonel Ar
guelles and Lieutenant Jose Bernal, and
provided them with horses to return to
their.camp.
In the course of the conference yester-
day Jacob c. Schurman. chairman Of the
United States Philippines commission told
Colonel ArgueIles that if the insurgents
would now lay down their arms he and
his colleagues of the commission would
consult them regarding the plan of gov
ernment TO be submitted to President Nc
Kinley. He said he could not promise that
their suggestions would be adopted, but
he could assure them that there would be
a presumption in favor of their suggestions,
adding that the commissioners would be
especially DESTROYS of satisfying the legiti-
mate aspiration of the FiipinOs.
When Colonel Arguelles protested that
unconditional surrender would be humiia-
ton. Mr.. Schurman replied:
There would be no humiliation in Gen
eral Otis treating our brother Filtpinos as
General Grant treated our brother Ameri-
cans at Appomattox
MIR. Schurman's Views.
Mr.. Schurman said today to the CORE
spondent of the Associated Press:
Il believe Colonel Arguelles Is personally
sincere and honest, though have no means
of ascertaining the sentiments and aims of
the authorities behind him. The Filipino
people like other Asiatic peoples, have no
trust in mere words without force behind
them, but, with force, ! consider a cOncil-
iatOry spirit of the utmost importance.
Il believe that when peace has been es-
tabliShed. governing the Fipinos will not
be a difficult matter, provided we show
them frmness. justice and kindliness. At
the present time they dtStrust and dislike
US. but these sentiments, which per
haps not unnatural will soon be dispeIled
by the effects of the good government We
have promised to establish here. 1t will
be the foremost duty of American officials
to understand and sympathiZe with the
Filipinos themselves"
Yesterday before General Otis had issued
the order directing General Lawton to re-
turn to Angat, the troops of his command
encountered the rebels in circle of hills
outside San Rafael, about five miles north
west Of Angat, dlslodging them after an
hours fighting. The Americans had three
wounded. A thousand armed Filipinos fell
back the Americans advanced.
The villagers met General LawtOn, offer
ing him provisions. They dare not flee in
to the mountain country on the east be
cause of the r0hber tribes there, and
the west troops of General Macarthur.
MeSsrs. Carrick and Holmes Americans
who had been running Il sugar mill at
CaIumpit, and whose fate had caused some
anxiety, have sent word to Manila that
they are safe with Mr.. Higgins, manager of
the Manila-Dagupan railroad. at BeyOn-
bang.
ADMIRAL SPOTTS' REMAINS.