Semi=weekly graphic., 1899-11-04
AFRAID OF UNCLE SAM
ENGLAND ORDERED DOWN HER
 FLAG.
She Said the sulu Islands. Too. Were
 ours-Captain of British Merchant Steamer Gave the Flag to Natives to Raise for Protection. V


 On the departure of the Spaniards the inhabitants of some of the Sulu Islands, notably Palawan. Balbabac and Kulion, applied for British protec- tion, and Capt Pfort of the British steamer Labuan, visiting Palawan in response to the urgent request of the natives, handed to the latter a British flag, to be used in case of emergency
 On the matter being reported to Sir Charles Mitchell. governor of the Straits, and subsequently, to the for eign office, the latter telegraphed to Singapore orders that the British flag should at once be hauled down, and &C., eordlng to advices just received in Lon- don, H. M. s. Archer was dispatched to Port Royalist. Palawan, to haul down the flag From the report of Capt. Pfort it appears that it was only on seeing the really critical state Of affairs that he gave the flag to the na- tlVes The Labuan called at Port Roy alist, Palawan, on February 1. and found the people in great consterna- ton. The Spaniards had left three months previously, saying that the Americans would take over the gov ernment in three days On leaving, the Spaniards turned adrift, without food, clothes or money, all the native sol. dlers. The conyicts, too, were set at liberty, and all arms and ammunition having been removed the people were entirely at the mercy of the disbanded soldiers and freed eonvicts, who loot ed and pillaged the whole country. On his arrival Capt. Pfort was asked by the head man there if the governor of Sandakan would afford them protec- tion, and he, in reply, suggested that a letter in that sense should be dis patched to the governor of Sandakan. Capt. Pfert also handed to them a Brit ish merchant ensign with instructions to inform anyone seeking to molest them that the people were under Brit ish protection. He also gave to them this letter: Be it known unto all men that Captain Pfort, master of the Brit Sh steamer Labuan, having arrived at this port and found the people de- sircus of British protection, have this day given to the president of this port a British flag. which l have instructed him to use and call upon all men to re- spect the same until such time as Her Britannic Majest,, Queen Victoria, notifies her pleasure regarding the pro- lection of this port and the Island of Palawan in general" After leaving Port Royalist the Labuan called at Curaray and Jilandak ports, on the northwest coast of Palawan. and found B similar condition of things, the people being in terror in the mountains. Pro- ceeding to Kulion, an island seventy miles north of Palawan, Capt. Pfort found a local republic set up under Aguinaldo. From this place he took oD board his steamer a number of refu- gees. The dispatch from Lord Sails
 bury to Sir Charles Mitchell in refer ence to Capt. Pfort's action simply or dered the flag to be hauled down, and added that the British government dis approved of Capt. Pfort's action. HeI majesty government stated that Pala- wan and the adjacent islands, being portions of the Philippines, became by virtue of conquest, American territory.