The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-06-08

The story that the Filipino government
ordered a massacre Of foreigners in Ma
Mia is disbelieved by SO high an acthori-
ty as Gen. G. Moe. Reeve, who went to
Luzon as colonel of the Minnesota regi-
ment, and was promoted to a brigadier.
generalship before his recent return, as
reward for his faithful service. To the
Minnesota regiment was assigned the DO
lice duty at Manila and Gen. Reeve was
therefore military chief of police at Ma.
mia at the time when hostilities broke
out, and when it has been charged that
the Philippine government issued a proc
iamation ordering the indiscrlminate
massacre of all foreigners on the island,
men, women and children. No other man
now in America probably has SO exact
\ personal knowl edge Of the situation at
Manila on the LIST of February. In let
Ter to MIR. Edwin D. Mead, of Boston,
Gen. Reeve says:
can only express my opinion regard
ing the statement that Aguinaldo ordered
the indiscriminate massacre of all for
eigners in Manila on certain date.
am frank to say / do not believe 1t. Why
should the massacre of people not in his
power be ordered, when he already had in
his possession the persons of upward of
b,o0u foreigners, Spaniards, English and
Americans. whom he could put to death
With impunity had he been SO disposed.
There are undoubtedly well authenti-
Gated instances of the mutilation of our
soldiers by the Insurgents. whether be-
fore or after death 1t Is impossible to
know, but these should no more be taken
as o measure of the treatment usually
accorded to foreigners in the hands OF the
Filipinos than the recent occurrences
In Georgia are fair samples of the way
bhe whites treat the blacks In the South.
From an intimate acquaintance with
the Ftliptnos during the six months
was chief OF police OF the city of Manila,
| did not consider them bloodthirsty or
barbarous race. They were neither in
temperate nor quarrelsone, although ad-
ntcted to petty thieving, which seemed
% be their most glaring Vice. They did
lot seem to be mindful of kindnesses
lhown them oftentines. and while true
Q each other, they were not always faith
ul TO their employers, frequently alb
lconding with yaluables from masters
Who had uniformly treated them with
Kindness. The horrible barbarities to
which they were frequently subjected by
heir Spanish taskmasters were sufficient
20 incdte them to almost any acts of re-
Aliation aud yet, among the many Span
iifferent places, did not find any who
complained OF personal abuse. They did
lay that their food was insufficient, but
admitted that they had the same rations
Ind In equal quantities issued to the ma
i've soldiers.
But, whether cruel or not, there is, In
my opinion, but one course for our gov
srnment to pursue, and that is to sub
ugate them. | am one of those who be-
ueve this trouble might have been avoid
sd but we cannot in Justice to ourselves,
give up the struggle now. Whether or
not 1t Is wise to demand absolute and nm
conditional surrender, as a condition pre-
sedent to the bestowal of the very LIBERAL
serms offered by the peace commission.
lime alone can demonstrate. i have re-
raired from expressing any opinion
while in the service of the government
and l request now that If you see fit to
make use OF this letter, you win publish
Ii entire.