Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-11-23
WORCESTER'S VIEWS.
Philippine Commissioner Defends
McKinley's Policy.
ANSWERS SOME ANTI CRITICISMS.
Two Regiments Would be Able to Kill
Or Insurgents, but a Large Army is
Necessary to Prevent Depreda-
lions OF the Lnwless-

Chicago, ILL.,, Nov. 22.-Prof. Dean G.
Worcester, of the Philippine commits
sion, spoke at Central Music hall on
the Philippine situation. The meeting
was held under the auspices of the.
Hamilton club. Prof. Worcester's adj
dress was the first public utterance by
any member of the Philippine commits
sion, and the only statement of any
kind made by that body apart from,
the formal report recently presented
TO the president. Invitations had been
sent to the faculties of the University
of Chicago and Northwestern Univer-
Ssity and the Illinois congressman, ma
my of whom We're present in the boxes
or on the stage. Preceding the address
IA reception was. given Prof. Worcester
Sat the Hamilton club.
Prof. Worcester said at the outset
that the issues raised by the Philippine
question, directly and indirectly, were
more important, more far-reacbing in
their consequences, than any our ma
tion has been called upon to meet since
its birth. He deprecated the idea of
those willing to make party politics of
questions which involve the well being
and the future destiny of millions of
, their fellow-citizenss. Proceeding, he
said:
IF all the accusations brought by
those who declaim against our social
ed crime in the Philippines are true,
we have indeed committed great
transgression against the people of
those islands. propose to take up
some of the alleged facts often quoted
in support of these serious charges and
scrutinize them somewhat closely. ~
shall try to make my examination
wholly dispassiohate."
Prof. Worcester then took up vari-
GUS arguments presented against the
American policy in the Philippines,and
quoting from senate documents from
the proclamation of Aguinaldo, and
from a mass of official evidence, most
of which has been made public hereto
fore, answered the several criticisms.
His answers We're directed specially to
I the arguments "of a gentleman who
recently addressed an audience from
the rostrum on which stand"
He also stated that members of
Aguinaldo's own cabinet testified be-
fore the commission to the fact that
even after his proclamation of June,
1898, he freely admitted that no Amer
lean had ever promised him independ-
ence for his people. The speaker add
ed:
ut has been often stated that our
consul at Singapore, Spencer Pratt, ex-
cseded his authority and made the
promise in question, if not directly, at
least indirectly. Lam indebted to Adj
miral Dewey for the statement that
Mr.. Pratt is ready to take oath to new
er having made such promise, and I
may add that legal proceedings
brought by Mr.. Pratt against pub
lisheN for this and other charges re-
suited successfully"
Aguinaldo's Help Not Needed.
Prof. Worcester said, after citing
much evidence:
Il believe / have shown that there
was no true cooperation between our
land forces and the Filipinos except in
the fact that we fought a common foe,
each in his own way. / may add that
we required no help in taking the city.
1t lay completely at the mercy of Dew
ey's guns, and soldiers were needed to
occupy it, not to take it. The fighting
of August ID was perfunctory, and de-
signed only to save the honor of the
Spanish, troops. After the fall of the
city Aguinaldo modestly demanded of
Gen. Merritt the royal palace for him
self, and in addition the principal
! churches, a share in the public funds
and, most important of all, the arms
and ammunition surrendered by the
Spanish troops, of which he had long
planned to possess himself. 1t is need
less to add that his requests were re-
fused
Speaking of the efforts to avoid a
conflict, Prof. Worcester said:
am often asked the question.
Might not all this have been avoided
If, even after the fall of Manila, at
tempts had been made to come to an
understanding with the insurgepts?'
I am glad to be able to say TO you
that such attempts were made. Gen.
Otis, who did not believe that the in
surgent leaders were plotting trouble,
had repeated interviews with one and
another of them"
After detailing the fruitless negotia-
tions and citing from Gen. Otis letters,
Prof. Worcester said:
The prime cause of The failure of
these final negotiations lay in the fact
that the Filipino commissioners were
unable to formulate any definite state
ment of their own desires. They did
say that they desired independence I'M
der United States protection but in dis
cussion made it evident, first, that they
did not themselves know what they
meant by these words, and, second
that they We're not agreed among
themselves even as to the general de-
mand."
Aguinaldo's shadowy Claims.
I At another point the speaker said:
81 have no hesitation in saying that
the United States did infinitely more
than Aguinaldo's army toward driv-.
ing out and destroying Spanish power
in the Philippine islands. If our claim
to sovereignty were shadowy, what
shall we say to the claim of tribe rep
resenting less than one-sixth of the
3,,Np,,lo+;on IF fha islands md o,,n,,.;-