Fair play., 1900-09-01
ATTACK ON MANILA PLANNED.
rsll.Tais tettSf fSuhd Among The Papers
Of Captured fMitibo
General.

Washington, Aug. 27.-The war de-
f1iftfnsnt has made public letters
fsund AMONG Tie papers of Gen. Ri
cart; recently arrested by the police
leat Manila: Among them is an n'.'
signed letter III regard to an attack
on Manila in January, 1900: II states
that the reason for not carrying nv.
the proposed attack was because OK
the small number of resOlutc persons
stationed at the gates. and because
Gen. Otis had gone aboard ship in
Manila bay.
Another attack was planned, Dut
not carried out because the enemy
made d careful search of the city. m
a result of disturbances the previous
day. The letter advises anThet ht=
tack and outlines the following plans
ITO recruit in your command OF
south Luzon 5000 men of sure daring
and steadiness. These will enter the
walled city, armed with knives. The
entrance of this number of ifts" "i'l
be effected during period of about
three weeks; it will be very easy TO
do It. and shall undertake to place
them in safs places while the rest
are arriving, and as soon as they all
get in l shall give the necessary '"'
structions to direct and arrang. for
cooperation in the blow on the said
point, the walled city"
After making suggestions as to the
raising of funds the letter continues:
AT the same time, with all ine
honor and respect, ! inform you,
general, that it is my strong belief
that to receive a favorable termina-
ton of this present campaign in
which we suffer defeats continually,
not that any one is of great import.
ance, but they diminish the desire OF
we FilipinOs to pursue with the neces-
sary ardor the longcd-for liberty and
independence of our dear country,
there is no other way of attaining
this than by carrying out the blow
in the city of Manila. since that piece
of land, surrounded with its high and
able to dominate its suburbs. and as
the foreigners live in them. we shall
be forced to have direct relations
with them.
Eyes, general. agree, with persons
of greater ability, that the burning
of a few foreign commercial estab-
lishments will be sufficient to give a
new color to the present critical con-
ditions in the Philippines; but permit
me. general. to state my case briefly.
How would the foreigners and the
Americans come to an agreement in
regard to the damages and prejudice
such "A cOnfiagration would cause the
first? How would we find out their
agreement. If property of the for
eigners is burnt and nothing more is
done we shall not obtain their valu-
able aid: we shall never get it; but if
in addition we succeed in obtaining
possession of the said walled city,
then with our heads nobly erect. we
can demand what we want of them
and of the enemy. because the first
will have to submit to our authority
as soon as we can dominate the place
where they are.
IL state all this. general. for your
opinion. so that if you approve it. l
can proceed to make the necessary
preparations and arrange fully and
definitely the movements to take
place in the various places and for the
proper signals.
81 hope, general. that you will ap-
prove this plan, which is one of the
proofs of ardent patriotism of this,
YOUR humble subordinate"