The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-06
May Form IA blockade Line.

command, which would be made of great
service.
The fleet cannot operate against troops
in the interior but undoubtedly Dewey
viii Immediately draw tight Gordon of
blockadlng vessels around the island of
Luzon and make a sAscial effort absolute
~ to cut off the insurgents from the sup
plies and ammunition which they must
have TO carry on the war
They Are After AgOnciIIO.
one of the first steps of the adminstra
ton upon hearing of the outbreak at Ma
Mia was to give attention to the presence
in Washington of Agoncilo. the accred-
tied representative here of the Philippine
insurgents.
They would not say whether or not any
steps had been taken looking 40 his expul-
sion from the United States or to his ar
rest, but his status IL can be stated, has
already been the subject of careful study.
The officials have been loath to disturb
him, first, because they did not care to
martyrize him unnecessarily, and, second
ly, because they did not care 90 expose
themselves to the criticism that they were
interfering improperly with the supply of
informations and arguments respecting the
Philippine question while the treaty was
pending before the Senate.
1t is possible, however that their pa
thence is now exhausted. believing as they
90 IDdl ne mas IN some IdSnlOn Dftn GOu~
nected with the outbreak, and that they
may be aroused to the point of action.
Either a Traitor or a Spy.
It was said at the state department
plainly that Agoncillo was either a traitor
or a spy. If the Philippines are regard
ed as American territory, then he is the
representative and active agent of an in
surrection against the United States and
as such is a traitor. If the Philippines
are sti.l in nominal Spanish possession,
then, as a state of war still technically
exists, he can be regarded only as a spy.
At the very least, his presence is high
1y obnoxious, and there is said to be ample
authority for his expulsion by a presiden-
tial order
Where the Fighting Occurred.
The members of the Filipino 1unta who
are in the city were shown the Associated
Press report from Manila tonight and
read it and gave a description of the loca-
ton of the places where the fighting oc-
Cured.
DIR. Juan Luna, a member of the junta,
said that the points named i'm the dispatch
lie to the north and east of Manila, and
that the insurgent army at that place is
small. much larger force, he says, is
encamped to the south of the city, in the
direction of Malate
The American outposts are the ones for
merly occupied by the Spaniards on the
outskirts of the city, while those held by
the insurgents are about a mile away, TO
the north and east.
The distance between Caloacan and Pa
co, the two extreme points of the fight
| ing, is six miles. Caloacan is the most
| northerly of the insurgent outposts. This
is the town spoken of in the Manila dis
| patch as having been bombarded by the
| Charleston and Concord.
TNr ,1.t
| BILE for the American shells to have done
| any damage there, as the place is pro-
| tected from the bay by a range of hills:
| furthermore, the American ships, he said
| could not take up position close to the
| shore, owing 10 shallow water in that vi
| cinity.
Shells Could Not Reach 1t.
Balik- Bahk. where the insurgents had
| two field pieces, lies to the east of Cal
| oacan, and much nearer to the American
| lines, being close to Paudaoan and Pace.
| Those two small towns are very short
| distance from Tondo, the American out
| post and almost directly west of Santa
| Mesa. They are on a road running east
ward from Manila.
The positions which the Americans held
| at the beginning of the fight DR. Luna
claims, were formerly occupied by the Fill
! pnoS At the siege of Manila, he says
the natives drove the Spaniards from these
two positions and took possession of them
| but finally gave them up at the request of
| Gen. Otis, falling back about a mile where
they established new defenses. Some of
/ these were captured by the Americans
| yesterday.
Work for the Diplomats.
Diplomats took a lively interest in the
news, realizing that the government of the
| United States will call upon them very
| 70 m 1oat no oil Of ie
rendered to the Filipinos, and that no fill
| clustering expeditions shall leave their soil
| with munitions of war or supplies for the
| Insurgents.
Special precautions viii be asked to be
| taken at Singapore and Hong Kong prin-
cpal points of the eastern trade, to pre-
vent the dispatch of vessels carrying Sc
cret cargoes in aid of the insurgents
1t is believed that the interests of other
nations in peaceful state of things in the
east will cause them to exercise special
vigilance i'm this respect, matter of much
| importance, in view of the great number
and extent OF the Philippine Islands
Without the receipt of arms or ammuni-
ton from the outside the Insurgents win
he badly handicapped
Our strong Position.
The United States by refusing TO recog-
nige Agoncillo in any way is in a strong
| ppaAtloli hibioiitt0iNdlAS' dtlu no uOuDl Is
expressed as to all European nations main
tanning a most correct attitude and refus-
ing in any manner to acknowledge that
Agunaldo and his followers have any
status warranting their recognition in any
manner
All the Troops Engaged.
Adjt Gen. Corbin, after reading the As
ISOLATED Press dispatches from Manila.
expressed the opinion that practically all
of the troops now there were engaged in
| Saturdays conflict
From general knowledge of the loca-
ton of the American troops and with the
aid of a military map, he believed that
the men were stretched out i'm a line that
extended probably fourteen miles to the
north east and south of the city Con-
fronting them were the insurgent outposts
and strongholds.