The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1899-02-02
At MANILA.
Otis Can Control Situation Un-
til Reinforced.
EXPECTED TREATY RATIFICATION.
News Of the Prospect Reached Manila
aud Had y ssiutsry Eject Agoncilio
Under >urveiIauee, but No Heroic
Action Decided Upon.

WASHINGTON, Jan 2S.-The situation
at Manila is regarded as critical, but
the officials see no reason why they
cannot command it for a time at least.
General Otis reported IN connection |
with some matters connected with the |
sb pment home of some sick Spanish |
soldiers that he could hold out beyond |
q doubt until his reinforcements arrived |
and added that as the news had reached |
Manila that there was every prospect |
that the peace treaty will be soon rati |
fled by the United States senate the |
effect upon the native element had beon |
salutary.
General Otis was given permission to
load some of these sick Spanish soldiers
upon two Spanish steamers now at
Manila OF just due, leaving the terms
to be paid to be settled upon the basis
OF the contract price to be paid by tho
war department to the steamship line
that secures the contract next week for
the transportation home of ali the
Spanish soldiers IN the Philippines.
Tho officials at the state department
were mute regarding the treatment to
be accorded Agoncillo, the representa-
tive of AguinaldO, although it was
known no has been held under survell.
lance ever since his arrival i'll this city
| and that it was learned that he was IN
correspondence over the cables with his
| chief, generally through some one of
| the Philippine juntas in Hongkong.
| London or Paris, but whether any tee.
gram had been actually intercepted
| could not be learned. There was good
ground also for the belief that Agon.
| clio was receiving advice from certain
| persons inlmical to the policy the presi.
dent has adopted for the treatment OF
tho Philippine question at this stage.
! Ihis was tolerated reluctantly by the ad.
minlstratlon, rather than to make an
| open issue OF what is still case posi-.
! bic of adjustment.
The publication q few days ago Of
what proved to he very gOou aOsttact,
with exact quotations, of the letter lett
the day pr cedIng the publication by
| Agoncll!os secretary at the state de.
partment, likewise was resented as u
notable breach of official deCorum. The
first inclination Of the officials, after
this publication, was to get rid OF Agon
clllo, but officials were loath TO take any
action IN advance OF the senate passing
upon the pending peace treaty, es.
pecially as action might involve passing
upon certain legal and diplomatic points
involved as to which IL rs desired not to
establish precedent at this time. Ad.
mlniStration officials believed the gen.
eral tenor of the advices AgouCIllo had
sent his principals had been in line OF
admouitlon to hold oil from the accept.
ance of any terms from General Orls,
in view OF the prospect thaJ the peace
treaty might iail in the United States
senate.
Agoncillo authorized the following
statement concerning a published re
port that the government had inter.
ccpted dispatches from him to Agul
nuldo IN when he advised that the Hi.
plnos would nave To fight for their III.
dependence and that now was the time
to act:
Tho statement is absolutely false. aud Is cal
culated to cXCito feeling and uuimuSlt, an tui-
country and to prejudice the PhIppiu,
cause. No such telegram has ever been sent
by mo, and for that reason no such Telegram
could have been intercepted The falslty al
the statement Is shown by the fact that have
cablCd my government to continue tho same
friendship which was born on the battlrir
against spain. The Philippine people have n,
wish and no purpose to fight against thr
Americans unless they are driven to II. Thul
only desire Is to strengthen the bonds now ex
! istlng.