Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1899-11-08
DEWEY SUS>
TAINS M'KINLEY
Says the Filipinos Are Unfit
Now for SelECovernment
The Philippine Commission Submits
Partial Report -Aguinaldo
Never Promised Inde>
pendence.

Washington, November I'm nc
csrdance with an understanding
reached at a conference at tlf
white house yesterday, the PhiliI-
pine commission submitted To tie
president prel minary report with |
it had promised to prepare. The e-
port appears to be a compact sun
mary OF conditions on the islands az
the commission left them; of his
torical events which preceded the
Spanish war and internal Filipino
insurrectiOn; uf exchange of views
between Admiral Dewey and bther
American commanders and nsur-
gents: breaking out of the pesent
insurrection, and finally statement
OF the capability of the Filippos for
self government. The feature of the
report is the following memorandum
by Admiral Dewey, explaining his
relations with Aguinaldo:
Memorandum of relations with
Agunaldo-On April Is following
cipher dispatch was received at Hong
kong from Il. Spencer Pratt, United
States consul general at Singapore:
Aguinaldo, insurgent leader, here.
VIII come To Hongkong tu arrange
with commodore for general CO.
operation of insurgents at Manila il
desired. Telegraph. (Signed) Pratt"
On the same day Commodore Dewey
telegraphcd Pratt: "Tell Aguinaldo
to come as soon as possible" Ne
cessity for haste was due to the fact
that the squadron had been notified
10y Hongkong government to leave
those waters by the following day.
The squadron left Hongkong on the
morning of the 18th and Mrs bay on
the 9th. Aguinaldo did not leave
Singapore until the 26th and did not
arrive in Hongkong in time to have
conference With Admiral Dewey.
1t had been rerDrted to the conmo
dore as early as March ! by the
United States consul at Manila and
Others that the Filipinos had broken
out into instruction against the
Manila, and on March 20, the consul
had telegraphed: Five thousand
rebels in canD near the city. Use
them in case Of war" Upon arrival
of the squadron at Manila 1t was
found that there was no insurrection
to speak of. and it was therefore de-
cided to allow Aguinaldo to come to
Cavite on board the Mccullough.
He arrived with thirteen of his staff
on May 8 and Immediately came on
board the Olympia "tO call on the
commander i'm chief" after which he
was allowed To land in the vicinity
This was done on the understanding
that it was To strengthen the United
States force aud harrass the enemy
No arrangements Of any kind were
entered into with Aguinaldo and no
promise OF Independence was made
to him then or later.
The commissions report then of
subsequent events are historical. Ii
recites various moves and declares
that Independence was an after
thought on the part of Aguinaldo.
The report then says: Deplorable as
the war is, the one in which we are
now engaged was unavoidable by us.
We were attacked by bold, adven-
turous and enthusiastic army. No
alternative was left to MS except ig-
nominous retreat. 1t IL not to he
conceived Of that any American
would have sanctioned the surrender
of Manila to the insurgents. Our
obligations to Europeans. tofriendly
FilipinOs, and to ourselves. and tn
our flag demanded that force should
be met by force. Whatever the fu-
ture Of the Philippines may be, there
IL no course open to us now except
prosecution OF the war until the in
surgents are reduced to submission.
The commission il Of the opinion
that there has been no time since the
destruction of the Spanish squadron
by Admiral Dewey when il was
possible to withdraw our forces
from the islands, either with honor
to- ourselves or with safety to the
inhabitants.
The commission then takes mp the
condition OF the country at the time
OF their arrival, comparing it with
conditions existing at the time they
left short time ago. The reign oi
terror was now over. Under the
head, "Rchellion not "A national
movement. the report treats of the
rebellion outside OF the province Oi
Luzon, where it il stated the up.
rising was viewed at first with in
difference and later with fear.
Throughout the archipelago at
large there was trouble onlyat those
points to which armed TagalOgs
had been sent in considerable mum
bers. The machinery Of the insur.
gents government" served only
for plundering the people under the
pretext Of "levying war cOntribu.
tions while many Of the insUrgent
officials were rapidly accumulating
wealth" IL II stated that the in
surgent administration roughout
! the interior was worse than in days