Rock Island Argus., 1899-01-04
.F|L|P|N0S WILL FIGHT.
They Say Our Troops Can Land
at iloilo If They Go Ashore
unarmed.
DO NOT SCARE AT sEAROHLIGHTs.
And Drill Daily In Full View of Gen. Mil
Ier's Forces-Boys in Blue Are Getting
Restless-Every Effort Making to Get
Along without u Fight. That Being the
Policy of fwashington-Trouble Due to u
Spanish Oficer at IloiIo.

Spanish Ohicer at uoilo.
Manila, Jan. 4.-Advices just received
form noilo say the rebels at a meeting
on Saturday ratified the action of a DEL
egation which assured the Americans
that they might land unarmed, but that
il the latter landed armed the natives
would be uncomfortable. 1t is further
said that every preparation is being
made for resistance upon the part Of
the rebels. and that reinforcements are
arriving from Negros and the neighbor-
Hg islands in spite of the efforts of the
United States cruiser Baltimore and
the gunboat Arizona to scare them with
searchlights. The Spanish gunboat Ell
Cano is still at Iloilo. but as her status
is not defined she has not been molested.
1t is understood that she is destined to
go to ZaEnboagang, a town of the Phil
ippine islands on the southwestern eX-
tremity of the ilsand of Mindanao.
Iloflo Rebels Inclined To He Saucy.
The American troops at 1loilo are
restless. The rebels are drilling on the
beach. evening and morning. in full
view Of the American expedition, which
is still afioat. The California volunteers
were embarked on four transports here
yesterday. Their destination is un-
known. The natives here are quiescent
but watchful.
1.-THE American expedition at Iloilo
consists of a signal detachment; bat
terry C. of the Sixth artillery; the Eight
eenth regular infantry and Fiftyfirst
Iowa. 1t is commanded by General
Miller. and arrived off Iloilo Dec. &c on
board the transports Pennsylvania, Ari-
zone and Newport. The expedition was
conveyed by the United Safes cruiser
Baltimore and an auxiliary gunboat.l
Aim Is to Avoid a Collision.
Washington, Jan. 4.-General Otis,
comma nding at Manila, has cabled the
war department that in his opinion
General Miller has the situation we'll in
hand at Iloilo. and that he fully under
stands the purpose of the president not
to crowd the insurgents unduly. 1t is
highly desirable that a hostile collision
between the American forces and the
insurgents be avoided. at all hazards. at
least pending the ratification of the
peace treaty. and as General Miller un-
derstands this purpose on the part of
the president he will be guided by It
and may be relied upon to resort to
force only under absolute compulsion.
Spanish Ohicer Is Responsible.
The officials here are now fully salts
fed that the trouble at Iloilo may be
traced directly back to the Spanish COL
-onel who was the senior Spanish army
officer in the Philippine group. and di-
rectiy in command of the Visayas
group, including the principal island of
Panay and the city and garrison of IL
oilo. General Otis reports show that
though besieged with his 300 soldiers in
Iloilo by a superior force the position of
the Spanish was thoroughly tenable.
They had repulsed every attack of the
insurgents and had inflicted great loss
upon the latter. and altogether there
was no reason why they should not
have held out indefinitely.
Fact That Is Significant.
This was particularly the case in view
of the knowledge on the part of the
Spaniards that by the terms of the
treaty the United States government
had undertaken to carry them back to
Spain. involving. of course, their re-
lease from the siege at the earliest
practicable moment. 1t is significant
that Rios delayed the evacuation of
Iloilo until he became informed that the
Americans were coming, and there is
curiosity here to learn how that i'm
portant information reached Iloilo in
advance of the movements of the Amer
lean transports.