The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-11-16
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Prof. ID. G. Worcester Tells a
Chicago Audience
Why War in Philippines Was
Unavoidable.
GEN. OTIS TRIED HARD
To Come to an Understanding
With the FilipinOs,
But They Didn't Know What
They Wanted.
GEN. OTIS TRIED HARD

Chicago, Nov. 16.-Dean c. Worsces-
ter, member of the Philippine commits
sion, spoke at Central Music hall last
night upon The Philippine Question"
The address, which was delivered under
the auspices OF the Hamilton club, a
local Republican organization, was re
ceived with manifestation of approval.
Mr.. Worcester followed in the main the
line of argument regarding the reten-
ton of the Philippines. which had been
published in the report of the Philip
pine commission. His address in part
was as follows:
IF all the accusations brought by
those who declaim against our sO-calIed
crime IN the Philippines are true We
have indeed committed a great trans
gressiOn against the people of those IS
lands. l propose to take up some OF the
alleged facts often quoted in support
of these serious charges and scrutin1ze
them somewhat closely 1 shall try
to make my examination wholly dis
passionate"
Prof. Worcester then took UP var
iOus arguments presented against the
American policy in the Philippines, and
quoting from senate documents, from
the proclamatOns of AgulnaldO ana
from a mass of official evidence, most
of which has been made pubic, an
sWered the several criticisms. His an
swers We're directed specially to the
arguments of a gentleman who recent
~ addressed an audience from the roS-
trum on which l stand.
He also stated that members of the
Aguinaldo cabinet testified before the
commission to the fact that even after
his proclamation of June Is, he freely
admitted that no American had ever
promised his independence for his peo-
pie The speaker said:
1T has been often stated that our
consul at Singapore Mr. Spencer Pratt,
exceeded his authority and made the
promise in question, if not directly at
least Indirectly. 1 am indebted to Ad-
miral Dewey for the statement that
Mr.. Pratt is ready to take oath that he
never made such promise and L may
add that legal proceedings brought by
Mr.. Pratt against publisher for this
and other charges resulted success
fully"
Prof Worcester said, after citing
much evidence:
i believe / have shown that there
was no true cooperation between our
land forces and the FilpinOs, except in
the fact that we fought a common foe,
each in his own way. may ADD tnat
we required no help in taking the city
1t lay completely at the mercy OF
/ Dewey's guns and soldiers We're order
ed to occupy it, not to take it. The
fighting Of August - was perfunctory
and designed only to save the honor
of the Spanish troops After the fail Of
] the city. AguinaldO mOdestly demanded
! of General Merritt the royal palace
for himself and, in addition, the prin-
] cipal churches, a share in the public
| funds. and, most important OF all, the
Z the Spanish troops, which he had long
planned to possess. 1t is needless to
/ add that his requests were refused"
Speaking of the efforts to avoid q con-
| hict Prof. Worcester said:
Il am often asked the question: Might
not all this have been avoided if, even
( after the fall of Manila. the Americans
/ had come to an understanding with the
! FiIipinOs' I am glad to be able to say
! to YOU that such attempts were made.
/ Gen. Otis who did not believe the insur-
! gents were plotting trouble, had re-
| peated interviews with one and another
of them"
] After detailing the fruitless negotia-
| lions and citing from Gen. Otis letters,
/ Prof. Worcester said:
The prime cause of the failure OF
| the final negotiations lay in the fact
! that the Filipino commanders were
unable to formulate any definite state
ment of their own desires. They did
( say that they desired independence IN
der United States protection, bZut in
1 discussion made it evident first, that
/ they did not themselves know what
/ they meant by these words and second,
! that they were not agreed among them
! selves even as to the general demand"
! At another point, the speaker said:
/ Il have no hesitation in saying that
| the United States did infinitely more
/ than AguinaldOs army toward driving
/ out and destroying Spanish power in
! the Philippine islands. If our claim to
/ sovereignty was ShadOWy, what shall
| we say as to the claim of a tribe repre-
1 senting less than One-siXth of the pop
! ulatiOn of the islands, and exercising
! jurisdiction over but a small portion Of
/ the Philippine territOry?"
As showing the bloody work of the
| insurgents Prof. Worcester said:
| AT the time I left Manila, the pro-
! vince of Batabgas was Overrun with
| thieves and murdereds. No attempt