Evening star., 1900-10-12
.FALSEHOOD EXPOSED
Admiral Dewey's Relations With the
Philippine Junta'
CONSEL GENERAL WILDMAN'S REPORT
No Promise Made To AIejandrino
in Mrs Bay Interview.
ALL THE FACTS IN THE CASE

In a recent dispatch to the Department
of State under date of August q, 1900.
Mr. Rounsevelle Wildman. consul general
of the United States at Hong Kong, COM
1nents upon the letter. as published in the
press O. this country of July % last, ad-
dressed to Messrs. George F. Hoar and r.
F. Pettigrew. by j. Alejandrino, under date of
April H. 1900. and purporting to have been
written from Sinukwan Encampment, Phil
Ippine Islands. In that letter Mr.. Alejan-
drino said: In April, 1898, in the absence
of my chief. General Aguinaldo. who was
then at Singapore, | solicited, through the
American consul general at Hong Kong,
Mr.. Wildman, to have some interviews
with Admiral Dewey. My petition was
favorably received and l went, with Mr..
Andres Garchitorena and another Filipino
(Sandico), on board the Olympia in the
Bay of Hong King" Then follows what
purports to have been an interview be-
tween the writer and Admiral Dewey, in
which Dewey promises the Filipinos inde-
pendence. places at their disposal his fleet
for the conveyance of both Filipino lead
ers and the armscr holds out the hope
that the United States would supply them
with further arms, and assures them that
the United States will not take one inch of
the Philippine Islands.
Mr.. Widman continues: LAS am per-
jandrino) and am familiar with all his
movements while he was In Hong Kong
and conducted whatever negotiations there
were between himself and Dewey. 1 think
II my duty to place record a true state
ment OF the affair
Dewey Never Saw AIejnpdrino.
I'm the first place, 1 beg to say that Ad-
miral Dewey never saw Aleiandrino or ever
had one word Of conversation with him.
Just before Admiral Dewey's squadron was
leaving for Mrs bay F. Agoncillo and T.
SAndico representing the Filipino junta in
Hong Kong, asked permission to have an
interview with Admiral Dewey before he
left for Manila. Their professed object of
this interview was to obtain his permission
to reopen the rebellion against Spain and to
Cooperate with our naval forces in case the
nied states determined to take the Is
4dhdS from Spain l saw the admiral per-
sOnaily regarding their request and he said
that might bring out to Mrs bay any
three OF the junta who cared to come. ON
April y | took to Mrs bay in the tugboat
Fame Sandico, GarchitUrena AM, aieian-
drino- On arrival at Mrs bay the three
insurgents were taken on board the OIym-
pa ana were assigned to Captain Gridley's
room for the time being.
The Celebrated Interview.
After a council Of officers in Admiral
Dewey's room, at which among other
things the feasibility of permitting the
Cussed, the admiral requested his chief of
stan. his flag lieutenant and myself to in
terview the Fflpinos and report to him
AS said before, Admiral Dewey did not
see any OF the three men. The conyersa-
ton was carried on IN English between
Sandico and ourselves, and very little Of n
was translated for the benefit OF the other
Two flnplnoS- When told them that
Admiral Dewey was inclined tn hermit tho
tLIee 70 go to Manila on the collier Nan
shan IL they could give any good reason
Tor so doing, they informed US they did NOT
wish to go to Manila until the American
squadron had first disposed Of the Spanish
SQUADRON To quote from my daily journal
conference: ~
Mr. "ildman's journal Entry.
Tho upshot of the talk was that they
did not expect to be taken off as they wers
and although they were dying to fight for
their downtrodden fatherand they had left
all thelr clean linen, tooth brushes &c N
Hong Kong, and could not take so long a
voyage without them. / told them thar
Hong Kong was the best place for them,
and Capt Coghlan, who came into The
room, made so much fun of them that at
last one of the bold warriors j. Alejan-
Grno, a young fellow who had never smell
cd powder, decided to accompany the
squadron, If on Coghlan's guarantee he
would be supplied with new suit Of un-
derclothes. L was thoroughly disguised
with the outfit Garchitorena declined 10
accompany his colleague on the excuse that
his wife was I'll. Sandico said he had no
idea of going. as he diplomat and not
soldier / brought them both back with
me in the Fame the same afternoon and
AieJandrino was Immediately taken to the
collier fSanshan.
AlejnndionO Discredfted.
After the battle of Manila bay Admiral
Dewey gave the Filipino permission to
land at Cavite and Join his friends. He,
however, declined to do unless the admiral
furnished him with a marine guard. He re-
malned on the Nanshan. until it was con-
ven!ent for the admiral to return him TO
Hong Kong. which occurred within a fort
night AiejandrinO returned discred!ted by
MS own associates, who openly charged
nm with cowardice. The letter under re-
we" proves him also to be liar.
''AlejandrinO's subsequent history is well
known TO the military government in the
fHIlpplneS; he bIOOmed out as an insurgent
general, peace commissioner and a let
ter writer.
Admiral Dewey's Comment.
This dispatch from Mr.. Wildman was re-
ferred 10 the Navy Department for the in
formation Of Admiral Dewey, who In his re-
ply comments thereon as follows:
Attention is invited TO the following ex-
tract from page 172, report of the Philippine
commission. Vol /.
NO alliance of any kind was entered into
with AguinaIdo, nor was any promise of in
dependence made TO him then or at any
other time.
The same is true Of AIetandr'no (wbop,
To the best OF my knowledge, L have never
E :.