The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-06-01
CAUSE OF PHILIPPINE WAR.
OTIS EXPLAINS CONDITIONS LEAD.
 ING TO HOSTILITIES.

His Report Made Public by Secretary of
 War-Deemg Explanation Necessary tc
 Correct Somewhat Prevailing Opinion
 That United States is Responsible
 Through Deceit or Wrongful Action. Washington, May 31.-The secretary
 of war to-day made public the report of | General Otis, mailed from Manila,
 transmitting the reports of his subordi-
 nate officers on the operations around
 Manila up to April G. General Otis be- gins with this statement: "These mili-
 tary operations are fairly well present.
 ed in the reports and I have little to add thereto but desire to call attention
 to the rise and development of condi-
 tions and circumstances which resulted
 finally in war. This deem to be esseri-
 tial in order to correct the somewhat
 prevailing impression that the governs
 ment of the United States is responsi- -
 ble through deceit or wrongful action
 for the existing hosilties."
 To this end the general gives d sl1ortE
 summary of the Philippine insurrection
 against Spain, lays stress on the fact
 that small band of the natives Of
 Luzon, leaders of the rebellion of '98
 against Spain, were induced for a naone-
 tary consideration to leave the island.
 These men returned to the vicinity of
 Manila after the destruction of thS
 Spanish feet being as General CtisA says, encouraged without authority to attempt the organization of what they were pleased to denominate an irade-T pendent government for the FfIipino9 people," M
 General Otis tells of the landing oE Aguinaldo from an American vessel anidi Of the insurgents taking advantage of < the active hostilities between the United states and Spain to capture southern points and increase their strength. IiI4 dependence, General Otis says, was pro- claimed by Aguinaldo in August and aa { early as June he had warned the United States authorities against the landing o1 < It's military forces on Philippine SOIL without first obtaining his consent. be- cause, as he expressed it, the Filipfno , people might consider the occupation of Philippine territory by North American < troops violation of their rights. 3
 General Otis adds: When the Unfted Y States forces landed from their tranS4 port near and to the south of Manila for the purpose of attacking the city the fiction that they were acting as alliea of the insurgents in furtherance of Phil ippine independence appears to have been conveyed by insurgent lead de{ Y General Otis describes Aguinaldo's ef- forts to strengthen his lines in prepara- ton for hostilities with the United States during this time, and explaina the growth of the insurgent independent by stating that In the ab- sence of Spanish authority many abls and conservative Filipinos gave adher- ence to this seemingly de facto governs % nent. Many of these withdrew their adherence when the radical element dexs s,S ,lared it's hostility to the United States Describing briefly the tension that ex- ss sted at the time, General Otis includes correspondence in explana. ion of his course between himself and Aguinaldo. Early in January, when General Otis was asked by conservatives Tilipinos to appoint a committee of ar- ny officers to meet an insurgent com. nittee and effect compromise by which peace might be maintained, Gen- ral Otis refused to recognize an insur. 'ent government, but was willing to ne~ .otiate with Aguinaldo or commis- ion appointed by him.
 General Otis says the negotiations be- ween the two commissions reached no conclusion. The insurgent commits toners presented as the decree of th0 ( insurgents absolute independence under S- he protection of the United States, but he nature and scope of the protection wished for they could not explain and he conferences resulted in failure. Tn he latter part of January the insur- ents became aggressive, interfering with the American troops and finally 'eneral Otis wrote to Aguinaldo call-i ng attention to the arrest by Filipinos 5 some American soldiers and a news aper correspondent and requesting an 
 Aguinaldo replied that the men were rrested inside of his lines for breach of
 decree forbidding foreigners to ape roach the insurgent lines, but he would rant them their liberty, which he did. General Otis report explains that the mericans were not outside our lines nd says he quotes the correspondence z lerely to show the efforts of the Ameri- m authorities to maintain peace. He ext tells how the American soldiers ere openly insulted and how the ir1- lrgents had continually labored to rengthen their lines, threatening to i've the Americans out of the island and ow finally on the night of February h. the demonstration was made which suited in the killing of Filipino by l American sentry and the firing on e Americans by the insurgent troops. eneral Otis says: "The insurgent ar- y had thus succeeded in drawing the e of, small outpost which they had 'idently labored with all their ingenu- y to accomplish in order to justify in me way their premeditated attack. IL 9a, not believed that the chief insurgent aders wished to open hostilities at this ne, as they were not completely pre- red to assume the initiative. They sired two or three days more to per- ct their arrangements but the zeal of cir army brought on the crisis which ticipated their action. They could : t have delayed long, however, for 1t vs their object to force an issue be- re American troops then en route could