The record-union., 1899-01-22
General Otis Gains the Troubled
Waters.
Designing Nations Try to Foment
Disturbances and the Newspa-
pers are Vindictive in Their
Utterances-Natives at uod1o
Still Refuse to Permit the
Landing Of Troops and Have
Completed Fortifications.

MANILA, Jan. 13.-via Hongkong,
Jan. p. )--The Americans and Filipinos
were probably nearer conflict this
afternoon than at any time since the
occupation. Fortunately the matter
was amicably settled. A Filipino Lieu
tenant, imagining that his men had
been insulted by some American troops,
marched a company of forty armed
natives to the lines of the Americans
and the sentries, four in number, back
OF the Montana regiment, in obedience
to orders We're compelled to retire to the
outpost in order to avoid trouble, as
the Filipinos diSobeyed the command
to halt, deployed in the canebreak and
assumed a determined, threatening at
titude. Lieutenant Jansen, who was IN
command of the post, telegraphed to
brigade headquarters and General OTIS
personally investigated the matter. The
Filipino Captain was summoned and
he was found to be excited. AS re-
suit of the conference he admitted that
the Filipino Lieutenant had exceeded
his authority. His men We're drawn up
in line sa4uted, courtesies were ex-
changed and the Filipinos retired.
The incident is significant, as it shows
the tendency of the Filipinos to disre-
gard pickets, knowing that the Ameri-
sans are not willing to commence hos
tilities and it also demonstrated the
danger of irresponsible junior officers
OF the Filipino army precipitating trou-
BILE at any moment.
Another proclamation, purporting to
be issued by an American and signed
wv. T." appeared on Friday, and ap-
pealed in broken English to brother
Americans and comrades to let the Fill
ipinos alone and that if their officers
compelled them to fire, to please hre IN
the air..
The proclamation also appealed to
Americans to disregard Filipinos VINO
pretend to favor annexation" and al
legged that the American agitation TO
hold the islands is fostered by few
officers who are making money there
by -
The proclamation concluded with par
aphrasing the Monroe doctrine IN the
words the Philippines for the Fill
pinos." :.
The native paper "Independencia.
which is now published at Malolos, was
unusually vindicuve to-day. Com
menting upon the situation 1t says:
THE Americans are trying all the time
to excite the Filipinos to commence nos
tihties. in the meantime tricking the
natives for the purpose of gaining time
necessary for bringing out reinforce
ments."
The paper adds: ''The proclamation
which was suppressed and for whcn
Arevolo was arrested appears to nave
hit the nail on the head. The F1hpinos
need fear nothing. The American SOL
diers are completely demoralized. iney
are unwilling to fight free people VINO
are only demanding their rights
The idea of possible deception is PROB
ably more general than the authorizes
know. A Filipino officer said TO the
correspondent that 1t was ridiculous 1or
the Americans to think that the Flilpi-
nos believe they are bringing more
troops and warships here to estaoiisn
protectorate over country 1or WHICH
500 OCO. 600 has been paid.
The Malolos paper says the Govern
ment is infiexible and Aguinaldo oe-
termined attitude seems to have tenn
porarily welded all factions together.