The record-union., 1899-12-20

latter town a body of 100 native po-
licemen who were friendly to the Amer
leans were mustered into the service by
their Captain, Senior Malta These ma
tives were armed with spears and boz
los, and had but a few guns among
them.
On the evening of the 10th the Pow
erful reached Maulbaul, and her pas
sengers were landed with difficulty
through a rough sea. The insurgents
had retreated to the hills, so the force
camped for the night. Early in the
morning they were on the march. Com
pany detachment acted as advance
guard, and the natives brought up the
rear. For three miles they advanced
along a narrow road, with the sea on
one side and high cliffs on the other.
Finally they were compelled to enter
rocky pass, approaching it across &
bridge so narrow that they were COM
PEELED to march two abreast. Just as
they entered the pass there was great
explosion almost in their faces, and
they were covered by shower of soft
earth. The insurgents had prepared
gunpowder mine to annihilate the party.
but the soil and the rocks were SO
powdery that the Americans suffered
no injuries beyond bruises.
The explosion was followed by
brief but exciting experience. Imme-
diately after the report Filipinos hid
den in the cliffs opened fire. Two Ameri-
cans and five natives fell at the first
volley, which came from very short
range The commander of the police
was hit in the hand, and a pair of field
glasses which he carried We're shattered
The police were thrown into confusion.
and after a moments hesitation they
fell back and began to run, leaving the
few Americans to bear the attack. This
the men of the Sixth did bravely. They
retired in good order carrying their
dead and wounded, and returning the
insurgent fire with such effect that
eighteen of the enemy were killed. The
party returned to Maulbaul and re-em-
barked for Cebu, where they arrived
the following day with their dead and
wounded The conduct of the native
police found some excuse in their very
poor equipment
AN ORDER WHICH THREATENS
COMMERCE.
ILOILO Qsland of Panay, P. u,
Nov. 10.-Via San Francisco, Dec. H.
An order from Washington concerning
the ownership of vessels which has
recently been made public here threat
ems to seriously interfere with the COM
merce of Panay and the Negroes Islands.
The order reads in part as follows:
"Under instructions from the Presi-
dent of the United States, certificates
of inspection and right to fly the flag
of the United States on the high seas
of these islands can only be issued to
vessels owned by (a) a citizen of the
United States residing in the islands,
CD native inhabitant of these islands
upon taking the oath of allegiance to
the United States; Co resident of
these islands prior to April IL, 1899,
hitherto a subject of Spain and native
of the peninsula, upon abjuring his al
legiance to Spain and taking the oath
of allegiance to the United States.
Masters and watch officers of YES
sells are required to take the oath of
allegiance to the United States (this
may be waived by the GOVERNOR"
The hardship of the order from the
merchants standpoint lies in the fact
that there are no American citizens
4
times Negros and Panay produce to-
gether 12500O tons of sugar each sea-
son. This year it is expected the ex-
port will be about 10000 tons. Fifteen
sixteenths of the sugar handled in and
out of Iloila is brought here by lighters
and coasting craft To handle this
sugar from Negros to Iloilo and to load
it on vessels in Iloilo Harbor there are
~ ls~rI,+ 1xv,n 10
cally as lorchas, 200 out of the 25O lor-
chas are owned by glish-
men and Cinnamon principally
Spain during her regime promulgated
similar order, but solved the difficulty
by permitting straw ownership of the
coasting vessels. The vessels were
registered in the name of a subject of
Spain, but remained the property of
their British or Chinese owners. The
United States officials prior to this or
der followed SPANS example. There
were three American citizens available
at Iloilo for this deception
An easy solution of the trouble could
be found if the Filipinos would take
the oath of allegiance to the United
States, but they decline. They say
they are ignorant of the future; that
they do not know which of the contest
ing parties will eventually win; they
do not know when the United States
may withdraw from these islands, and
if they swore allegiance to-day, to-
morrow they might be an easy prey to
the CHASTITY vengeance of their coun-
trymen.
Some few natives have been bold
enough to swear allegiance to the
United States. Several of these were
out and out rebels, who only did so for
the privilege of owning a schooner,
which they loaded with contraband OF
war and attempted to smuggle into the
insurgent lines, but were captured by
the navy, while the others who have
done so dare not stir out of Iloilo, and
are in daily dread of assassination by
their own countrymen.
This latter possibility was very forci-
bly brought to the native mind by the
Negros. Caballo was good friend to
the Americans, and on the point of
swearing allegiance. He was murdered
by a countryman while at breakfast
with his family. His head was stuck
on a pole just outside the village of
SHAY, where there is an American ga.
rison, and the CHASTITY trophy was
ticketed: 80 die those who are too
friendly to our enemies"
Under conditions existing in Iloilo to-
day the enforcing of this order bids
fair to kill the business of the coming
season. Negros is entering upon an
~,.o Of naapa and civil administration |