Washington sentinel., 1899-05-13
The Historical gapore Negotia.
tiOns with General AguinaIdO.

tiOns with General ARuinaIdo.
The following sketch, sent to the
SENTINEL BY A. H. Myers from
Shangh haI. China, bearing on the
negotiations carried on with Aguinaldo,
will prove of interest:
Negotiations were then opened
through the medium ofthe United STATES
representative at Singapore consul
General Pratt), with the result that
Aguinaldo was brought to Hong Kong.
There must have been cables sent from
Singapore to Hong Kong. and vice
versa, and as a matter of official record
these kilograms should be in the United
States Consulate archives at Singapore,
and also in the records on the Olympia.
l am informed Dy a party to the inter-
view, which took place in Singapore,
that the most hatterinR offers and
assurances were made by Consul Gen.
eral Pratt to Aguinaldo. He was
assured that the United States entered
upon this war not for the purpose of
increasing their territory or for conquest,
but to relieve the sutfarings OF the
Cubans; and as the outrages of the
Spaniards in the Philippine Islands were
even worse than what had been perpe-
trated in Cuba, there was no donbt that
their cause would be just as strongly
espoused as that oil the Cubans; and that
II the Filipinos cooperated with the
Americans. the result could be one and
that was independence, for which thev
had been fighting for wears. 1t may be
that Consul General Pratt had no
authority OF his Government to make
these assurances; it may be that possibly
Admiral Dewey had no such authority
nor that these were the exact words or
assurances used by the officials repre-
senting the Government IN the East in
their terms with the Filpinos. One
thing IS evident; some conversation
must have taken place between Sandico
ano Aejandrlna las the representatives
OF the FilipinOs), and Dewey aboard
the Olympia; and also betwee n
Consul General Pratt and Aguinaldo
at Singapore. 1t is only reasonable
to suppose that some assurances, some
promises must have been made to
induce Aguinaldo and his followers
TO go to the Philippines, and fight the
common cause against Spain. Both
Consul General Pratt and AgoncIllo
are now in the United States. and
they should be interviewed. Sa ldico,
Admiral Dewey, Captain Woods, and
other American officers are alive, and
can give their version. There is no
doubt that MISUNDERSTANDING exist
somewhere, and the claims of the Fill
pinos as stated above are generally
known and recognized. Ifthey are true
and the United States Government does
not accept the responsibility OF promises
| and assurances made by their official
representatives, even without authority,
and do justice to the Filipinos, it will
forever rsst as a stain upon the otherwise
white escutcheOn oi this great country.
Like murder, the truth must out; and it
will make history that Americans must
forever afterward is blush with shame,
Aguinaldo went to Hong Kong, and
upon two separate occasions was taken
to the Office Of the United States Consul
General, Mr.. WilGman, at Hong Kong.
| There he met the representative of
! Admiral Dewey, and the assurances
were again repeated. The result OF
these interviews was that Aguinaldo
and twelve of his followers or leaders
we're taken to Cavite on the United
States warship McCulloch, and lf cir
cumstantial evidence will prove the
case, this must form one Of the strong
links in the chain made by the FilIpinOs
that the United States sought for their
assistance, and promised them some
thing in return. ASuinaldo was taken
TO Cavite, landed al the Arsenal, given
by the United States officials arms and
ammunition, consisting fold guns and
other materials captured by the Amer
leans at the taking of CaVite. Agui-
naldo raised an army, and promised
Admiral Dewey that the warfare should
be conducted upon the recognized
methods Of modern warfare. that there
should be no cruelty. murder nor pill
age, Notwithstanding reports that may
have been cabIed and written to the
United States 10 the contrary, the
Flliplnos have openly challenged any
one TO prove one single instance where
this promise has been violated They
fought the Spaniards every inch OF the
way from Cavite right into the walled
city of Manila. They captured town
after town with thousands OF prisoners
and to day hold considerable number
of testIm onials from Spanish officers and
priests setting forth their gratitude
for the kind manner in which all o
their prisoners had been treated
While the United States Government
spent large sums OF money in the
furnishing Of supplies Of food, arms, and
ammunition to the Cubans. the extent
of the assistance gwen in this line e
the Filipinos amounted to a. rifles; this
munificent allowance was perhaps in
tended to be in accordance with Admira
DeweY's promise that the United State,
would furnish them with all III,
munitions that they could make use OF
The thousands of Spanish prisoner
captured by the Flipinos were fed anC
taken care Of out OF the slender resources
Of these poor people.
The RE oRT CoURTEoUs.-Fathe
| O'Leary, a well known Catholic prizes
and wit, was on friendly terms with hi
neighbor, the Church of England vicar
They met on the road one day, whe
II ah, ,,frar g.fA ttnI ha