The San Francisco call., 1899-05-01
Must Either Face Hostile
Tribes or Battle With
American Troops.
PEACESOONE EXPECTED
General Otis Denies Proposals Of
, AguinaldO8 Agents, and Proposes
to Proceed With the War.
Special Dispatch to The call.

NJ :s:: \ ": ": :: . g. :. :. s :: ): + IS
turn with revised proposals
from General Antonio Luna, Major
General otis is not Iettins this pros
pect interfere with his preparations for
pushing the war Yesterday he ordered
Major General LaWton 20 return 90
Angat, a few miles northwest of Nor
Zagarac and not to advance agEres-
sively while the negotiations are pend
ing. General Macarthur is apparently
acting on the same policy. bur he is re-
pairing bridges and strengthening the
4 lines of his force which is stretched
out with a four-mi,e front and within a
quarter of a mile of the enemy.
The possibilities of peace are graft
flying to great majority of the army,
who have regarded the war as an un-
pleasant duty that must be performed
according to American traditions.
Manila is cheerful over the pros
pect Of return 10 normal life though
there are skeptics who remark that a
truce would enable the insurgents 70
they have been depending as an i'm
portant aid
The prisoners report that there are
$1,000 refugees north of San Fernando
This is not impossible. considering the
thickly populated region which the
Americans have cleared. It seems also
that smallpox is spreading among
them.
The so-caIled Filipino Congress will
meeet at San Fernando tomorrow.
When Dean c. Worcester of the
United States Philippine Commission.
who accompanied the Filipino ennis
saries from Calumpit, said to Colonel
Manuel Arguelles that the Americans
We're under no obligations to refrain
from fighting. the Filipino officer said:
Would you fight while we are discuss
ing terms of peace2"
Mr.. Worcester responded with the
suggestion that an armistice would
give the Filipino leaders time to es-
cape.
My God, Where would we escape
to-" the Filipino exclaimed, referring
IN this to the menacing hostile tribes
behind the Filipino lines
ArguelIes told the correspondent Of
the Associated Press that he was much
\ disappointed in the results of his mis-
sion. He said also that Aguinaldo ex-
pected Calumpit to be the cemetery of
the American army.
Lieutenant Colonel Wallace of the
First Montana Regiment. Major Adams
and Major Shields. who slept on Fri
day night in General Luna's camp
where they went to inform the Fill
pinos that their ENJOYS would return
in safety, found the Filipino command
or cordial the Filipino troops remov-
ing their hats as the Americans passed.
The FilipinOs complained to them that
the Americans used explosive bullets.
which is not the fact The American
officer retOrted that the copper shells
used by the Fiipinos are worse than
explosive bullets General Luna said
he regretted being obliged to Kill
Americans. but that that was his bust
ness. General Wheaton entertained
Colonel Arguelles and Lieutenant jose
Bernal and provided them with horses
TO return to their camp.
In the course of the conference yes
terday Jacob II. Schurmann, president
of the American Philippine Commits
sion. told Colonel Arguelles that if the
insurgents would lay down their arms
he and his colleagues Of the COM
mission would consult them regarding
the plan of government to be sub
mitted to President Mckinley. He
said he could not promise that all their
suggestions would be adopted, but he
could assure them that there would be
s presumption in favor of their sug
a stions, adding that the Commission
ers would be especially desirous of sat
isfying the legitimate aspirations of
the Filipinos.
Arguelles begged that the indepen-
dence Of the Filipinos at once be
granted.
When Colonel Arguelles protested
that unconditional surrender would be
humiliating, Mr.. Schurmann replied:
There would be no humiliation in
General Otis treating our brother
Filipinos as General Grant treated our
brother Americans at Appomattox'
Mr.. Schurmann said to-day to the
correspondent of the Associated Press:
Il believe Colonel Arguelles is per
sonally sincere and honest, though I
have no means Of ascertaining the sen
timents and AIMS Of the authorities be-
hind him. The Filipino people. like
other Asiatic peoples, have no trust in
mere words without force behind them.
but with force consider a coneiliatory
spirit of the utmost Importance.
L believe, when peace has been es-
tablished, governing the Filipinos will
not be a difficult matter, provided we
show them firmness, justice and kind
liness. At the present time they dis
trust and dislike us, but these senti-
ments. which are, perhaps, not unnat-
uraI. will soon be dispelled by the eff
Eects of the good government we have
Aomised them TO establish here. It
will be the foremost duty of American