Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1899-11-03
ILlPlNO:: A STUDY
Commissions Report on the
Islands and People.
1T INDICATES M'KINLEY (?)
If the Irlands Were Abandoned by the
United States, and No Other Nation
Intsrv. nod They Would Soon
Lapse into Anarchy.
lN Tnlrgrnph.l

Niy Telcgraph)
WASHINGTON, Nov. I'm accord
arce with the understanding reached
at the conference at the White House
yesterday the Philippine Commission
today submitted to the President the
preliminary report which it had prom
Used to prepare.
The report appears to be a compact
summary of conditions on the islands
as the commission left them; the his
torical events which preceded the Span
ish war and led to the original Filipino
instruction; of the exchanges between
Admiral Dewey and the other Amcri-
can commanders and the insurgents;
the breaking out and progress Of the
present inSurrectiOn and, finally, q
statement of the capacity of the Flll-
linos for self government. "A notable
feature Of the report is Il memorandum
by Admiral Dewey explanatory OF his
relations with Aguinaldo.
METHOD OF pROCEDUItE.
The commission tells briefly how it
conducted the task entrusted to 1t,
hearing statements from all classes oil
people in Manila as to the capabilities
of the Filipnos for self governments the
habits and customs Of the people and
governments in many towns. All this
matter is to be included In the final re-
port
Turning to the history Of the islands
the commission attaches little import
ance to the divers rebcliOns which had
preceded that of 1896 AS to the move
ment, they declare that 1t was in no
sense an attempt to win independence
but solely to obtain relief from intol>-
cradle abuses. 70 sustain this state
mcnt they quote from an lnsulgtll
proclamation issued at the time. The
report then tells Of the instruction
which ended by Span buying off Ag-
uinaldo and his followers.
The war began in 1886 was terminat-
cd by the treaty of Biac-Na-Rate The
provisions Of the treaty We're never
carried out, Spanish abuses began
afrcsh, in Manila alone more than NV -
men being executed. Hence sporadic
risings occurred, though they posses
sed nothing like the strength Of the ORR
srinal movement.
ADVENT OF GEN. AUGUSTlN.
The report then tells how General
Ausustin came to Manila as governor
general at this juncturc and war broke
out between Spain and the United
States Augustin sought to secure the
support of the E'ilipinos to defend SPAN
AGAINST America, promising them au-
tnnomy, but the F'ilipinos did not trust
nm. Thcn came the first of May and
the destruction Of the Spanish fleet by
Dewey with the resulting loss OF pres
tige to Spain. Then in June Agulnaldo
came. On this point the commission
says:
DEALINGS WITH AGUVNALDo:
HThc following memorandum on the
subject has been furnished The commls-
sion by Admiral Dewey:
MEMORIIlM OF RELATIONS III
AGUINALI1O.
con April d. 1898. the following CT
phcr despatch was received at iohS
Kong from f.. Spencer Pratt, United
states consul general at Singapore:
.Ar,linaldo, nsurgcnt leader, mere.
Will come Hong Kong. arrange WIN
Commodore for general co-opefati oh
insurgents Manila if desired. Ielc-
graph. Pratt"
con the same day Commodore Dew
cy autographed Mir. Pratt:
""rcll Aguinaldo come soon as pos
sibe,' the necessity for haste BENG u'le
10 The fact that squadron had been no.
tifcd by the Hong Kong government
TO 1cavc those waters by the following
dav.. The squadron left Hong Kong on
The morning. of the 25th and Mrs l'ay
on the 9th. Aguinuldo did not leave
Singapore until the 2Gth, and 50 ala not
arrive in Hong Kong in time to nave il
conference with the Admiral.
"lt had been reported to the Com
modore as early as March l, by the
limited States consul at Manila and 9TH
crs that the 17ilipinos had broken out
| into sul!en insurrection against span
| sh authority in the vicinity or Mania
and on March 80, Mn, Williams had tel,
ccruphed: Five thousand rebels armed
in camp near city. Loyal to us in case
| of war. -.5=-..---=..
NO INSURRECTTON.
"I'pon the arrival of the squadron q:
Manila it was found that there was nc
insurrection to speak of. and it was ac-
cording!y decided to allow Agulnaldo
| 10 come to Cavitc on board the lMcCul-
loch. He arrived with - OF his Staif
on May 10, and Immediately came on
board the Olympia to call on the COM
manaer-in- chief, after which he was
allowed to land at Cavite and organize
an army This was done for the pur-
pose of strengthening the United
| states forces and Weakening those or
the enemy. mo alliance OF any klho
WAS entered into with Aguinnldo. non
was amy promise of independence n:aoe
| TO him. then or at any other time.
The commissions repor. then rapidly
sketches the events now historical. 1t
| tells in substance how the Filipnos at
tackled the Spanish and how Genera
Anderson arrived and Aguinaldo at his
REQUEST moved from Cavite to Cacoor
Saws the commissions
Nov for the first time rose the IDEA
| of national independence. Agulnaldo
issued a proclamation in which lie took
the responsibility Of promising 1t to MS
people on behalf Of the American gov
eminent although he admitted freely
IN private conversation with members
of his cabinet that neither AdmilTt
Dewey nor any other American had
made any such promise
AGuIINALDOS PURPOSE.
The report then states that Agulr-
aldo wished to attack the Americans
whon they landed at Paranqne but was
.letcrred by lack of arms ana ammuhl.
ton. From that point on there was
growing friction between the tlllpinoS
| and the American troops. Ihert
were no conIerence,', says the REPORT
"between the officers of the FillpinoS
and our officers with view to operat'
ing against the spaniards, nor was
there cooperation of any kind.
sThere was never any preconcertec
operations or any combined movement
by the United States and Filiplnos
against the SDaniards.
Reference is made to Aguinaldo's de
n,and that he be allowed to loot Ma
nila and take the arms of the Span
iards. The latter demand is said t.
confirm the statement that ta-intendet
to get possession Of the arms TO attacf
! the Americans
"Nurthcr evidence of the hostile III.
tcntions of the Filjnin0s was follnl
| in tie organization of popular clubs.
which later on furnished II local mill
tia to attack the Americans. Along
this line the dccrecs of the Filipino
congress are also cited as well as thu
making of 2olos Uinivcs) in every shoi
in Manila. 1t is shown that a consid
cradle element in the Filipino congress:
wished to address to President Mcltin
! ley Il request not 10 abandon the Fill