The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-01-28
War Department Confident Otis Can
Command the Situation.
AGONCILLO is NOW FOR PEACE
He Denies the Reports That He Sent
Warlike Tclcgrams to His Princi-
paI-The Filipinos only Desire
20 Strengthen the Bonds
OF Friendship
With Us.

WASHINGTON. Jan. 27.-The officials
al the State Department arc mute re-
spectinp the treatment TO be accorded
Agoncllo. the representative Of hsm-
naldo, although It is known that he has
been under surveillance ever since his
arrival in this city, and that 1t was
learned that he was IN correspondence
over the cables with his chief generally
throueh some one Of the Filipino Juntas
i'm Hong Kong London or Paris, our
whether amy telegram had been acluaHy
intercepted cannot be learned.
There was good ground also for the
belief that Agoncillo was receiving "d-
vice from certain persons inimical 10 tne
policy the President has adopted for the
treatment of the Philippine question NJ
this stage This has been tolerated re-
luctanty by the administration rather
than 10 make open issue of what is
case OF possible adjustment
AGONCILLO'S ADVICE
Administration officials believe the gem
cral tenor of the advices Agoncillo has
sent his principals has been in the hne
of adm0nition 90 hold OF from the ac-
ceDtance of amy terms from General Ots
I'm view of the prospect that the peace
treaty might fail in the United States
Senate.
The situation at Manila is regarded as
critical. OF course bu, thc officials see
no reason why they cannot command
it for time at least General Ois re-
ported Yesterday in connection with some
matters connected with the hipment home
of sick Spanish soldiers. that he could
hold out beyond a doubt until his rec
inforcoments arrived. and added that
as tho news had reached Manila thdt
there was every prospect that the peace
treaty would Doe soon ratified los the
United States Senate. the effect upon me
native element bad been sanitary.
General Otis was given pcrmi ION 20
load some of these sick Spanish soldiers
upon two Spanish steamers now at Ma
nila 0r just due leaving the terms to
bc settled upon the basis OF the contract
price 10 he paid bv the War Depart
ment 90 the steamship that secures the
contract next week for the transporta-
ton home of an the Spanish soldiers i'm
the Philippine.
so WARLIKE TELEGRAMS.
Aconcillo. the representative of Agui-
ngldo. author.zcG the following state
ment to-day concerning a published
report that the government had
intercepted dispatches from him
10 Aguinaldo n which hc advised
that the Fnipinos would have 10 fight
fo- their independence and that now was
the time TO act:
"The statement is absolutely false and
i- calculated to excite feeling and ani-
mostly in This country and to prejudice
the FniDin0s' cause SO such telegram
has ever been sent hy me and for that
reason no such telegram could have been
intercepted
The falsily of the statement is shown
b. the fact that have cahled my gov
ernment t0 continue the same friendship
which was born on the battlefield against
Spain. The Philippine people have no
wish and no purpose 90 fight against
the Americans unless they are driven 20
it
Their only desire is 10 strengthen the
bonds now existing
According TO the FllipinOs nothing t1at
has been sent advised fighting but evcrv-
thing has cOunscled continued friendship.
Under such circumstances the members
of the iunta assert that any discriminating
dispatches which have come into the
hands of the government are forgerics.
if ascribed TO Aeoncillo any advice 10
AguinaldO % begin fighting
NOTHING MORE
Beyond denying this report Aeoncillo
communications 10 or from AguinaldO.
He expressed the positive opinion. how
ever. that the cable report that the Fill
ipino Congress had authorized @ declara-
ton 0f war was not correct. ad be saws
the Filipino people do not want conihct
with the Americans ana VIII DO every
thing pOesiDle to avoid DO.