The San Francisco call., 1899-01-25
AG0NCILLO POSES AS
A FILIPINO PROPHET

-. WASHINGTON, Jan. 24.-In a COM
munication TO the Secretary Of State
to-day Senior Agoncillo calls attention
TO the fact that on January IL he ad-
dressed a letter to him upon the ques-
tiOn of recognition, forwarding with it
a memorandum demonstrating that, ac-
cording to all American precedents, the
Philippine republic was entitled to
recognition, and in the same letter in
Nited the attention of the Secretary to
the present strained conditions at Man
ia, where over-zeal on either side
might create condition resulting in
grievous loss of life, and urging the
necessity of an early and frank COM
munication between the representatives
of the two countries. He further calls
attention to the fact that since his let
ter was written the very circumstances
he feared have brought the two coun-
tries to the edge of war, and says that
: the language used by him was so pro-
phetic that subsequent facts have am
ply justified it's emp .yment. He now
desires to call the attention of the Sec
retary TO certain conditions which, in
his opinion, require immediate allevia-
:tion. There are, he says, at the present
. time, 10000 American troops at Manila
controlling a population of about 300,
000 A number of war vessels are sta
toned in the harbOr, and many other
American men-of-war and transports
are to be found within the archipelago,
although the actual possession of the
e American troops extends over not to
;. exceed 143 square miles out Of more
than 200 900.
-: Despite the enormous forces now in
this extremely circumscribed area, 1--WE
=, are informed through the public prints
. that other vessels of war have been
:. ordered from distant parts of the globe
:. to reinforce those now among the ISL
: ands in question, while a few days ago
"a transport sailed from New York City
!: carrying about 1000 soldiers, and hav-
#ing Manila as a destination, and as we
=. are further informed regiments of
.. troops. are under orders to proceed by
= way of San Francisco to the Philip
pines. The public prints inform us that
f. an attack is contemplated upon the
. Philippine Islands; the islands to be
taken in detail, the smaller ones first,
the larger ones blockaded so that they
d; may rot assist those first attacked"
e He says it is naturally the impression
of his government and people that these
Warlike preparations indicate existing
or. immediate military operations in the
it must be contemplated that such oper-
.ations are to be leVeled at the existing
government of the Philippines.
. LAS the representative of the Phil
ippine government" he continues, 81
hesitate to give acceptance to this idea
for l cannot believe that there Is any
present or future difficulty between the
American and Philippine governments
justifying warlike activity"
He points out the fact that but lately
the United States and Philippine gov
O. ernments have been associated in 4
:conflict against a common enemy, the
3. tnited States accomplishing its purpose
) by the expulsion of Spain from the
.. West Indies, while the desire OF the
Philippine republic has been practically
attained by the almost complete ex-
pulsion of the Spanish from the Philip
pine Islands; the Philippine govern
Inent now holding as prisoners of war
between 5000 and 10000 Spanish soldiers
and the Spanish possessing only few
small garrisons in isolated points Of
minor Importance. He is therefore un-