The National tribune., 1899-06-15
NEWS OF THE WEEK.
lNsURREcTIoN IN THE PHILIPPINES.

ment being an advance by 4 ,500men, under
Gems. Lawton, Wheaton and OYenShine,
from San Pedro Macati. sweeping the coun-
try south@of Manila. The start was made
about daybreak June 8, and by noon there
were no rebels nearer in front than Para-
naque. The Americans lost two officers
killed and 21 enlisted men wounded. There
was desperate resistance at certain OF the
strongest points held by the insurgents,
and fifty of their dead were counted in the
trenches.
Gen. Lawton's forces consisted of two
battalions each of the 21st and 9th U. s.,
six companies of Colorado men, and a de-
tachment of artillery. The Nevada caval-
ry was there, under Gen. Wheaton, and the
18th and 14th U. s., the 4th q. S. Cav, and
a detachment Of light artillery were under
Ovenshine.-
The opposing forces occupied two ranges
of hills, crescent shaped. The artillery, Ne
/ vada cavalry, and the Colorado infantry
attacked on the rebels right. A sharp but
| brief resistance was met, and charge by
the Colorado boys found the trenches in
their front deserted. Meantime part OF the
18th and 18th U. S. formed a skirmish line,
and, well supported, swept down the valley
and up the hillside towards another line OF
trenches, and the 14th men, encountered IN
a morasS, were subjected TO heavy fire ior
half an hour. Finally the trench was en-
fila1ed on both sides, a crossing was made
and the rebels fled The entire command
| Oh lreIl. lgdWIDIl ti1til s'ouul
the center of the isthmus, untl a few miles
south of Paranaque, when a halt was made
| and rest taken. There We're many proStra-
tons on account of the heat. The Amerl-
can gunboatS Shelled Paranaque during
the morning, and the place was soon eyac-
| uated.
On June 10, the advance was resumed.
| The insurgents proved good dodgers, be
| tween 1900 and 1000, who seemed almost
within grasp, managing to disappear frsm
the front with astonishing facility, A
| hard days work was that OF Saturday last,
the battlefield stretching across the entire
lsthmus from Laguna de Bay to tho har-
| bor. The gunboatS Shelled the enemy
while our army advanced.
The country was succession of small
hills, with boggy- ground in the ngh,
| thick grass, and bushes in the hoHows.
| The Colorado troops, sth Inf. and 21st Inf.
wheeled TO the left and drove the enemy out
OF various trenches, causing the rebels con-
siderable loss.
Meanwhile, near Paranaque, Gen. Whea-
toms column drove the enemy out OF their
! trenches.
| Gen. Wheaton's brigade, headed by Gen.
Lawton circ!ed to the south of Las Pinas, and
put tofiight a large force of Filipinos. Next
morning Wheaton advanced on Las Plnas
and Paranaql and took both, which he
| found full of white flags, and few of the enc
my, which had gone scurrying away in
scattered organizations in the night. About
so killed and $50 wounded was the enc
my's loss. Otis reports the movement as
very successful.
Earlier in the week the Americans press
ed eastward from Manila and successfully
attacked a force of insurgents on the shores
of Laguna de Bay. The insurgents were
| driven into the mountains. MorOng, Anti
polo and other towns Of that section, with
point of land projecting into the bay, being
captured This was with a loss of four
| Eilial anI nnlHy fayr yvn1ndpt
| but the rebels left % dead on the field.
A well-authenticatedr report was publish
ed to the effect that Aguifiaido had dissolved
the Filipino Congress and proclaimed him
self dictator. Several thousand volunteers
are expected to start for home in a few days.
THE SITUATION IN SAMOA.
| The most important news that came from
Samoa within the past ten days was by dis
patches dated May 81, by way OF Auck-
| land, June 6. This was that Malietoa and
Tamasese had visited the members of the
| Samoan Commission on board the Badger,
and that Mataafa had visited them the fol-
| lowing day No one was recognized as
King. Mataafa expressed a willingness to
abide by the decision OF the Commissioners,
and blamed the Europeans for the trouble.
Mataafa thought the Samoans should
| have a King, but was willing, he said, to
disarm his followers and leave the matter 10
the Commission. On May 81 Mataafa sur
rendered 500 guns On board the Badger.
| The MalietoanS were also disarmed. The
Philadelphia sailed May 21, and the British
and German Consuls will leave June II.
| 1t is stated that the natives are gaining
confidence and are submitting their griey-
ances freely to the Commission.
! NOTES.
| The French Government has taken stems
to actively renew negotiations for reci-
procity treaty with the United States and
has appointed NJ. Carpenter as special
delegate to assist Ambassador Camhon in
conducting the negotiations. The negotia-
tions with France were begun some time
ago, and then came 10 complete halt. The
disposition of the French authorities is very
favorable 10 a treaty, and as a basis for this
they are ready TO concede the minimum tar
iff list, which is about 20 Fer cent below the
maximum list, now levied on American
goods The concessions desired from the
United States are those under section OF
the Dingley tariff law. A partial reciprocity
, arrangement was made with France some
months ago, but the present active move
ment is 10 secure an extensive treaty.
The President on June 8 appointed the
following as a Commission to determine
the most feasible and practicable route for a
canal across the Isthmus of Panama: Rear
Admiral John c. Walker, u. s. N: Samuel
5 Illinois: George S. Morrison, c. E., of New
3 York; Col. Peter c. Hams, U. S. A.; Prof
William H. Burr, of Connecticut; Lieut.
! Col. Oswald II. Ernst, u. S. A; Lewis NJ
t Haupt, C. F., of Pennsylvania, and Prof
r Emory r. Johnson, of Pennsylvania This
, is in accordance with afBact OF Congress en-,
. towering the President TO make a full in
/ yestigation as TO the feasibility of such ar
/ enterprise; 81 ,00O, 600 was appropriated fol
= the expenses of the Commission.
The French Minister of War, NJ. Krantz
D has ordered proceedings 10 lie taken agans
Count EStPrbaZNr the writer a the IorJar
, eau, for using and obtaining documents con
nected with the so-called secret dosier
e Lieut-Col. Picquart, who is supposed Il
= have discovered that EsierhaZy was tn,
/ author of the bordereau, and was imprisoned
e for fayoring the innocence Of Dreyfus ha,
: been released. Dreyfus will soon be on the
5 way home, and will he given a new trial.
4 The payment of the Cuban soldiers goe!
S on comparatively slowly. There seems I,
/ be numerous attempts TO dcfraud the United
States Government on the part of Cubans
e in some instances ii having been found tha
$ bogus certificates of service were being solt
] and the perpetrators Of the fraud swere ar
e rested.
e Owing to the fact that in the recen
l amendments to the civil service rules ther,
i was overlooked the exception of an Assist
It ant Postmaster or Chief Assistant Postmas
!. ter at each poStoffice, the President has ap
!. proved an amendment making these ex
: ceptionS. This clause was in the draft o
e amendments to the civil service rules o
o May %, 1899, but was inadvertently omit
= ted in the copy sent the printer.
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