Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-01-25
WHAT DOES It MEAN2
Questions Asked by the Filipino
Envoy at Washington of
Secretary Hay.
y SUSPECTS OUR MILITARY MOVES

| Wants Information of the Meaning of the
| Dispatch of Troops and Warships and
Assurance That They Are Not Aimed Mt
Aguinaldo - What a Spanish Editor
Would Like to See Happen Over in the
hilippines-Maniia News.
Washington, Jan. 25.-Agoncillo, the
Filipino envoy, called at the state depart
ment yesterday and presented a paper
in which the Filipino claim for inde-
| pendence is put very vigorously. Agon-
clio calls Secretary Hays attention to
the fact that on Jan. II he addressed q
letter to him upon the question of rec
ognition, forwarding with it a memoir
andum demonstrating that according to
all American precedents the Philippine
republic was entitled to recognition.
and in the same letter invited the at
tention of the secretary to the present
strained conditions at Manila. where
over-Zeal on either side might create a
condition resulting in grevious loss of
life, and urging the necessity of an
early and frank communication between
the representatives of the two coun-
tries. He further calls attention to the
fact that since his letter was written
the very circumstances he feared have
brought the two countries to the edge
of war.
Disputes Our Claim of Conquest.
He now desires to call the attention
of the secretary to certain conditions
which. in his opinion. require immediate
alleviation. There are. he says. at the
present time 2O,oC0 American troops at
Manila controlling a population of
about 100000. "A number of war YES
sells are stationed in the harbor anG
many other American men-of-war and
transports are to be found within the
archipelago, although the actual posses
sion OF the American troops extends
over not to exceed 143 square miles out
of more than 200. .OOO." Despite the enor-
nous forces now in this extremely cir
cumscribed area we arc informed
through the pubic prints that other
warships are to be sent ard also more
troops. The public prints inform Us
also that an attack is contemplated up
on the Philippine islands
Can't Believe We Will Fight ASuinaIdo.
He says that it is naturally the i'm
preston OF his government and people
that these warlike preparations are
levelled at the existing government of
the Philippines AS the representation
of the Philippine government. he con-
tinues. Il hesitate to give q decision TO
this idea, for / cannot believe that there
is any present or future difficulty be-
tween the American and Philippine gov
ernment justifying warlike activities.
and as a believer in the humanity of
the American people refuse to acQuiesce
in the idea that American designs war
upon the Philippine islands" He is un-
able to conceive any reason why the
armies and navies of the United States
lately employed against a common enc
my should be turned against Americas
recent associate.
Asks n Very Leading Question.
The United States, he says. has no
active enemy in the Orient, having pro-
claimed an armistice with Spain 1t is
true. he continues. that Spain has un-
dertaken to convey to the United States
it's alleged claim: against the Philip
pines, q claim which Spain was not
capable OF enforcing and which found
its origin in the consent OF the people
of those islands He inquiries: Are my
suppose that it is because Of some de-
ernment to enforce against its late as
sociate this exploded claim that the
United States is massing its forces at
the late capital of the Philippine ISL
ands" He points out that the Philippine
islands are in a state of order, pos
sessing a government satisfactory to
their inhabitants and asks an immedi-
ate answer to the question as to why
the United States is sending large forces
to the Orient. hoping he may receive as
surances that they are not to make war
on his government.