Omaha daily bee., 1899-09-02
ECHOES OF THE WAR.

Most Of the advocates OF permanent con-
troll Of the Philippines by the United states
insist that only a small faction OF the ma
tives oppose American rule. They insist
that Aguinaldo's following is Insignificant
and that the bulk Of the population is en-
Enthusiastically for Uncle Sam. Senator
Lindsay Of Kentucky reiterated that asser-
ton In his address at the Bar association
convention at Buffalo last Tuesday. He
said: The revolutionary government rep
resents at the utmost less than one-tourth
OF the inhabitants Of the island OLuzonl.
and as to them 1t is a government of force
rather than consent" Prof. Schurman ex-
pressed a similar opinion on his return TO
this country q few weeks ago. Doubtless
there was some basis for that belief during
the first months of the insurrectlon, when
the amigos" overwhelmed Americans With
professions of friendship. AT the present
time the proof OF universal native antag-
onism is so abundant as to be a matter OF
official record. The arrest Of native mayors
charged with being spies of the enemy Is
an official admission of conditions reported
by correspondents, soldiers and civilians In
the Philippines.
John F. Bass. correspondent Of the New
York Herald, in a dispatch sent via Hong
Kong last Monday, sayu Of the feeling Of the
natives! The only friendly natives l
found on my southern tour we're those at
Moroe, who go far are unwilling that we
should hold any territory except the single
walled town of Jolo. Even the non-com-
batante hate us. In Manila the native feel
ing against us is growing stronger every
day. Taxes are higher in Manila than under
Spanish rule, and the inhabitants bitterly
cOm plain LIVING Nnapaaa haya douh1ai
The native police have been discharged and
Americans appointed, whose administrator
Is tyrannical and inefficient because they
are ignorant OF the language and not famil-
lar with the perpetrators Of crime. Murders
and robberies, old Inhabitants cay, are more
numerous than ever before. Taxes and
customs duties are being used to support
the army Instead OF being applied to munich
pal necessities. This really prolongs the
war by keeping the natives irritated, after
high-sounding promises Of good government.
concerning recent losses OF the
enemy is purely hearsay, obtained from
frightened natives. The desire OF the ma
tiyes for American rule officially reported
is not borne out by the facts. The mayor
Of Balinag, who Is imposed to be a great
friend Of the Americans, is now in prison
for deliberately leading an insurgent attack
on Balinag. The mayor of San Pedro Macate
is also in prison for raising money and SOL
diers for insurgents.
Rev. Peter MacQueen, pastor OF the Day
Street Congregational church OF Boston, who
was chaplain in the army at Santiago, has
just landed at San Francisco from Manila,
where he went to collect material for a
book on the war. While with the army in
Luzon he enjoyed exceptional facilities for
observation, having had letters OF introduce
ton to military and naval commanders from
President Mckinley, the War department
and Colonel Roosevelt. Regarding the feel
ings OF the natives toward Americans Mr..
MacQueen expressed himself to a San Fran
cisco reporter as follows:
There IS not a Filipino in the islands
that wants the American form OF govern
ment. There was a time when the conquest
Of the Islands might have been completed
with comparatively little bloodshed and that
was Immediately after Dewey's victory.
Since that time the policy has been such as
to encourage their resistance. You are told
that the only plan Is to exterminate the
Tagals. You must take into consideration
hat the Tagals number 1000, 900 people and
that the island of Luzon alone is an i'm
mense territory"
Equally emphatic respecting native senti-
ment is the opinion of an army oficer sta
toned at Iloilo, whose letter, dated June 2s,
was published in the Army and Navy Jour
nal. He says:
II see no sign Of weakening and unless
internal troubles come with them there is no
end in the near future. All the fighting has
been in Luzon, not because the other islands
are ~pacihed, but simply because we have no
men to undertake the su~bjugation Of the
others. Here at Iloilo We hold a radius OF
three and a half miles from the town. We
cannot walk or drive, because We are sur
rounded. This is the only hold We have
upon this island; indeed right across the
bay cur enemy holds possession, SO that we
have only a half-circle. On Negros we hold
only two points; on Cebu. only one; on
many others not a foot. 1t is hoped here
that the fall OF Aguinaldo's party on Luzon
will mean tho giving up Of all the other
Islands, but We do not think so. The in
surgents here will simply turn TO bandttti
md muat he hunted down.