The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-11-03

REPORT ON THE
PHILIPPINES.
Preliminary Statement Made by
The Commission.
MEMORANDUM BY DEWEY.
Entered Into No Alliance With and Made
No Promises 10 AguInaIdo.
NO COMBINED MOVEMENT WAS MADE
There Has 8tel No Time Since hs Destruction
Of The Spanish Fleet Whsn Il Mas Possible
tOwhdraw american Forces.

Washington, Nov. 3.-In accordance
with the understanding reached at tho
conference at the White House Thurs
day The Philippine commission yester-
day submitted 10 the president the pre-
liminary report which il had promised
To prepare.
The report appears to be a compact
summary OF conditions ON the islands
as the commission left them, of the
historical events which preceded the
Spanish war and led TO the original
Filipino insurrection; of the exchange
between Admiral Dewey and the other
commanders aud the insurgents; the
breaking out and progress OF the pres
ent insurrection, and finally "a state
ment of the capacity of the Filpnos
for government. a notable feature
. OF the report is a memorandum by Ad-
ml al Dewey explanatory OF his rela-
tions with AguinaldO. This memoran
dunn says in part:
"On April ~ 1898 the following ci-
phcr dispatch was received at Hong
Kong from r.. Spencer Pratt United
states consul general at Singapore:
'Aguinaldo. insurgent leader here, VIII
come Hong Kong arrange with Com
mod0re for general cooperation of in
surgents in Manila. il desired. Tele-
graph Pratt
"On the same day Commodore Dewey
telegraphed Mr.. Pratt:
Tell Aguinaldo 10 come as soon as
possible.
HASTE NECESSARY.
"The necessity for haste being due
TO the fact that the squadron ha'1 been
notified by the Hong Kong government
t. leave those waters on the following
day The squadron left Hong Kong
on the morning of the 25,h and Mrs
Bay on the eth. Aguinaldo did not
leave Sinsapore until the 10Th, and so
did not arrive in Hong Kong in time 10
have conference with the admiral.
1T had been reported 10 the commo-
Qore as early as March / by the Unit
ed States consul at Manila and others
that the Filpinos had broken out into
insurrection against the Spanish au-
thority i'm the vicinity OF Manila, and
on March 80 Mr.. Williams had tele-
graphed: Five thousand rebels armed
in camp near city. Loyal TO us in case
OF war
Upon the arrival OF the squadron at
Manila, IL was found that there was
no insurrection 10 speak of, and IL was
accordingly decided TO allow AguinaldO
70 come TO Cavite on board the McCul-
loch. He arrived with 13 of his staff,
on May ~. and Immediately came on
D0Hrd m Olympia 20 call on the COM
mander-in-chief. after which he was
allowed to land at Favite and organize
an army. This was done with the pur-
pose OF strengthening the United states
forces and weakening the enemy. M
alliance Of any kind was entered into
with AguinaldO. nor was any promise
Of independence made to him them, or
a any other time"
The commissions report then rapid
~ sketches events now historic
AGUINALDo's PLAN.
The report states that Aguinaldo
wished TO g,tack the Americans when
they landed at Paranaque, but was de-
TERED by lack of arms and ammunition
From that point on there was a grow
ing friction between the Filipinos and
the American groops.
There was no conference says the
report, between the officers OF the
Fihpinos and our officers with a view
to operating against the Spaniards. nor
was there cooperation Of any kind.
There never was any precun-
certed operations or any combined
movement by the United states and
Filipinos against the Spaniards."
The commission is of ihe opinion
that there has been no time since the
destruction OF the Spanish squadron by
Admiral Dewey when IL was possible
10 withdraw our forces from the ISL
ands, either with honor 10 ourselves or
with safety TO the inhabitants
a REIGN OF TERROR.
The commission then takes up the
condition OF the country AT tn time of
its arrival comparing IL with conditions
existing at the time IL left a sh0ut time
ago. y vivid picture is given Of the an
archy existing among the inhabitants i'm
and about Manila during the early
spring.
reign Of terror prevailed. Fiiplnos
who had favored Americans feared as
sassinatfon, and few had the courage to
come out openly for us Fortunately
there were among this number some OF
the best men OF the city.
Twp report then speaks Of the fssil-
ancc OF the 'C0mmissiCn $ proclamation.
and the good effects il had on public
sentiment
The report continues: Before the
Commission left the Philippines nearly
all the inhabitants had returned to the
ruined villages. Many Of the houses had
been rebuilt. Fields that had lain fal-
low FOR three years were green with
growing crops Municipal governments
had been established, AMI the people
protected by our troops We're enjoying
peace. security and "A degree of partici-
nation i'm the T. own government proVi-
ouslv unknown in the history of the
Philippines. Attempts Of the insurgents
to raise recruits and money I'm ne prov
ince of BulaCan wer- proving ab1rtive
cxcept when backed by bayonets and
bullets and even Tn such cases the ma