The age-herald., 1900-08-16
FILIPINO PAPERS
 ARE MADE PUBLIC Letter from Dr.. Montague R.
 LeverSon, of New York, GIVING FILIPIN0S ADVICE
He Suggests to Them That They Seize Some American Official and Try Him on a Charge of
 Piracy

Washington, August 15.-The War De- partment has made public the Filipino cor respondence completed some months ago by General Funston's command in Luzon It was translated from Spanish under the direction of Captain J. M Taylor of the Fourteenth Infantry, who is in charge of insurgent records.
 There is letter from Dr. Montague R. l Leverson, dated at Fort Hamilton, N. Y , | July ', 1899, and addressed to Senor G. Apacible. It says: Dear Sir and Brother-Our friend, AL bert S. Parson of Lexington gave me your name one to whom 1 should write as a representative Filipino. 'l am member of the anti-Imperalist League of Boston, of which George S. Boutwell, is president and Erwin Wins low is secretary 1 have published many articles and letters denouncing the pirat- ical war carried on by President McKin- ley against your people. He and General Otis and all his troops pirates upon l the territory of the natives. Our Presl- dents are not in the position of Kings. Our Presidents are not in the least anx- | ious to make war without the consent of Congress as Mckinley is doing, and all persons compromised in this war are pi- rates. T should like to suggest a plan to you. | It is this: If you should seize some official | of rank in the service of the United States and then inform the foreign Consuls that he was to be brought before council of war for piracy and write to said Consuls to have representatives present at such of tN hot ;t s- Piracy Would be shown Piracy would be shown by conducting a war in violation of the usages of civilized war, and proof would consist in the fact of the consent to killing defenseless pris- | oners and non-combatants, men, women | and children in cold blood and in robbery by officers and soldiers from non-combat- ants. If were not an old man of more than | 69 years, I would willingly aid you in your just defense. 'I also suggest that the Filipino Con- gress address an appeal to the people of the United States. l shall not give you the heads of this appeal; merely point out something which will especially influence the people, For example, a reference to the Declaration of Independence must be inserted, but believe that it is also neces- safy for you to mention in your appeal the points have made above to show that this war Is piracy, using them to bring out the want of Christian feeling for the soldiers. You must also show that Mckinley keeps the people of the United States in ignorance of the true facts; that he and the members of the Cabinet have deliber- ately lied to secure the ratification of the treaty of peace with Spain without a clause which would have assured the Iib- erty of the Filipnos; that they deliber- ately lied when they said that Agoncilo advised Aguinaldo to fight and that a tele- gram stating the opposite was intercepted | The war advised from Washington to secure the passage of the treaty.
 Insist Upon 1t
 Do not fail to insist upon the atrocities before mentioned especially the assassin ation in cold blood of women and children and the sack of property of non-combatantS perpetrated by officers and soldiers es- pecially by captain named Otis, who is believed to be relative of the general, who not only took no steps for the punishment
 of the assAssins, but did not even repri- mand them.
 "1f you can prove that women have been assaulted put that also in your statement. You should offer to prove all these atro- cities before. a commission composed of three Americans named by the Congress of the United States and three Filipnos named by the Filipino Congress and presided over by person of some other nation, chosen by the United States-he must not be an
 
 the crime. If the publication of any portion of this letter will be of any service you
 can use 1t, but I think 1t would be more
 prudent to keep 1t secret.
 Do not forget to speak of the American |
 squadron which blockaded your coasts, |
 bombarding them without warning to the l
 non-combatants and peaceful towns, where |
 war would never have been thought of but |
 where now the greater part of the inhabi- |
 tants, who formerly were friends of the |
 United States, have taken arms to avenge |
 the deaths of their wives and sons.
 Also speak of the refusal of the United |
 States and Great Britain to renounce the |
 use of explosive bullets which was decided |
 upon in the conference of the commission l
 CTS at The Hague, and which the United |
 States are now using, although the use |
 was denounced as barbarous by the com
 missioners at The Hague. Ask the people |
 of the United States if they think they are |
 Christians, and ask them how they can re- |
 concile their pretended religion with their
 present conduct toward Mckinley and his |
 war.
 me. It may be folly for me to permit my
 self to be affected by it, but its horror, |
 the eternal infamy of 1t for my country, |
 whose people are preparing a state of |
 slavery for another, prevents me from | sleeping.
 q can say nothing more, but that it |
 would be well to let the people know what | steps are being taken to introduce mili- | taism into the United States, some ex- l amples of which can be shown from the | conduct of General Merriam in Idaho. | Very sincerely, MONTAGUE R. LEVERSON." LeversOn is a Crank Indianapolis, Ind, Aug. 15-The Leverson |
 letter caused considerable comment among |
 the eastern delegates to the Anti-Imper- | ialism Convention. q know Leyerson well," said Simon | Pierce of New York, a delegate to the con- | gress, "and he is kindly, cranky sort of | a gentleman, who Is cratic to a degree. He | is not a member of the Anti-Imperalist