The San Francisco call., 1899-06-18

PLY, / cannot deny that it will take long
Il thanked General Otis for his gracious
reception and fastened to ask President
Schurman of the American Philippines
Commission for more ample information.
Mr.. Schurman. | am happy to have the
man of high intelligence and of profound
erudition. Nobody could be more wOrtny
of the mission which has been entrusted
to him. Unhappily, ! believe he is power
less to obtain satisfactory results.
Why ! said to him. has not America
bIished in the Philippines the protfc-
installed in Funis and AMMAN? 1t IS IN
substance a disguised annexation and
would give you absolute satisfaction.
1t is impossible replied Mr. Schur-
At Tunis there Is Bey and at AMMAN an
Emperor, and your protectorate is eXer-
cised over stable government. Here
there is nothing of the kind: We are IN
the presence of anarchy. and you cannot
establish a protectorate over Govern
ment which does not exist
But ] asked. in default of a prOteC
torate, will You accord to the Filipinos the
same regime as exists between Canada
ana Great Britain-that is to say. a sort
Of autonomy with the recognition Of
Yes answered Mr.. Schurman, after
moments reflection. I do not see. so far
as | am concerned, any objection to the
establishment of such system. Besides,
il is outlined in the last proclamation
which we addressed to the Fflipinos In
the first place. we insist that the SOW
ereignty Of the United States be accepted
and recognized. On that point the Ameri-
can people will never give way. But after
that we are quite disposed toward any
understanding with the Inhabitants Of
those islands.
1T remained for me 10 see Admiral
Dewey. | had very great desire to see
and know the man who enjoys such popu-
larity in America and whose audacious
aH
mired in France. The admiral received
me on board the Olympia and | lost no
time in ,complimenting him on the victory
admiral replied that the greater part of
the credit was due to his sailors, who had
behaved very gallantly, and to his officers,
who had seconded hlm so well.
And now. admiral l said, what do
you think of the situation?
IN the first place, he answered, Ihsve
great hope in the conferences which Mr..
sehurman has nearly every day with the
Filpfnos' delegates, and in any case.
Aguinaldo will be obliged to submit soon
generals and too few soldiers to resist
But ! replied. should 1t not be rec
ogniZed that the insurgents fight admir-
ably"
Certainly yes answered the admiral.
and 1 render them full justice on that
point. They fight well, but are children
incapable OF military tactics"
AT the same time | suggested, L
think you ought 70 recognize that on iand
they conducted the campaign against the
Spaniards very we'll
- That is true said the admiral. but
since you have touched on the subject
snail be obliged TO you if you repeat the
following statement in France:
'Aguinaldo, during the war with
claimed. We never made a treaty of al
lance with him and we never promised
him anything. We had common enemy.
He acted on his side and we on ours.
There hpnn understand
ing
Having thus been enlightened upon the
sentiments of the high personages upon
the American side, II remained to me to
ascertain the views of the Filipino leaders
One evening ] visited Florintine Torres,
Philippine Commissioner, of Manila
Torres was a magistrate under Spanish
rule and is a very intelligent man. He
said:
The position of the Philippine Com
mission is a very difficult one We are
doing what we can to bring about paci-
tiCaton but when we shall have found a
solution of the question with Mr. Schur-
man it Will be necessary to cause Aguin-
aldC to accept ii. and there will be great
difficulty
Why do you fear the opposition Of
Aguinaldo? Is he an ambitious man.?
" No; but he has illusions. He hopes
for the Intervention of the great Euro
pean powers, as in Crete, and he even
courts on the cooperation of Japan
:. And you: sir, for what do you hope?'
will soon be finished. for it is running us
We landed proprietors would accept a
government similar TO that of Canada.
We in no way wish for the departure of
the Americans, for in that case our for
tunes would be swept away. 1t is not only
question Of Aguinaldo and his troops,
of nationalist movement, but above all,
of a socialist and revolutionary move
ment, created by the insurrection.'
The lower class of people and many Off
nv wi n a, iDna fra.
quented the Socialist clubs of Europe;
Sanlioko, who at one time had influence
Aneerica, and the poe,. Paterno, who is an
enthusiastic Socialist. Also, rest we'll as
sured, the movement is directed much
more against the capitalists, to whatever
nation they may belong, than against the
Americans.
Il afterward had interviews successive
ly with several influential Filipnos, no
tably with Gregorio Araneto, the first
Minister of Justice of the Government of
Aguinaldo. They all confirm the state
ments of Torres.
your soldiers. They are big men, strong,
supple and agile, who bear testimony 10
the beauty of the American race. But
unhappily l know that precisely or ac-
count of their physical strength they eX-
perienced great difficulty in enduring the
climate of the. Philippine Islands. This
seems paradoXiCal, and yet it is so. In
warm and damp countries it is indisput-
able that very vigorous men do not endure
the climate as well as smaller and more
degenerate individuals.
Your soldiers fight with great bravery
but 1t is impossible not to remark the la ok
of discipline among the volunteers. The
latter conduct themselves well under fire
but they pay little attention to obedience
to their chiefs
81 think it is absolutely necessary for
the success of your conquest to replace
the volunteers as quickly as possible by
regular troops.
"In any case it does not seem to me
possible 10 hope for a complete victory
during the rainy season. 1t seems to be
incontestable in this conquest that for
the interior 100000 men will not be too
many. We know in France what the sys-
tenn of little parcels has cost. 1t IS an
example which the United States would
do well not to follow
n=e4..a=.