Evening star., 1900-09-21
From the New York Times.

FROM the New York Times.
Harry Allen Ely, until recently first lieu
tenant Of Company G of the 10th Regi-
ment United States Volunteers, who re-
turned on the transport Sherman several
weeks ago. gave it as his opinion in an
Interview yesterday that the continuance
OF the insurrection in the Philippines was
due almost wholly to the support that the
Fflipinos have been receiving from promi-
nent persons in the United States
Mr.. Ely was attacked with yellow fever
and smallpox while in Luzon, and was in
Valided home, later being discharged for
disability.
Not Filipino was captured, Mr. Ely
said, who had not upon him anti-imperial-
list literature, either in the form of circu-
lars or personal letters from sympa thizers
In this country. The same kind of litera-
ture, ne says, was found on nearly every
dead Filipino, and the captured "insur-
rectos, when questioned. invariably gave
1t as their opinion that American sym
pathy had strengthened them and their
leaders.
Il do not think that even as an ex-offi-
GER, Ger saio Mr. Ely, am at liberty to tell
you who the letters and circulars
from. They were written by several promi.
nent men in this city and Boston and Chi
cago All that 1 captured were forwarded
to the War Department, and / think that
1T should make the names OF the writers
public.
I'm a general way, however, 1 can say
that 1t was the most reasonable htera-
ture 1 have read. Many of these letters
were In the handwriting Of the senders and
signed by them They contained the state
ments that 1t was the opinion of the ma
jority of the citizens of the United states
that the government was wrong in its pol
icy Of holding the Philippines.
THE 'insurrectos were urged in very
strong language to continue their warfare
even under the most disadvantageous cir
crmstances until after the election in No
vember, when there surely would be q
change Of administration.
There Is not in Manila an English, Ger
man or French establishment. said Mr.
Ely, that is not selling arms. ammuni-
ton and supplies of all kinds to the in
surrectos.' / know Of one case in CANA
rines where a man keeps a large general
store, and he Is paying regularly every
month a large sum to the Filipino leaders
as the price of his personal safety and TO
enable him to keep up his trade with the
rebels. The best evidence OF the fact that
the rebels are being supported and aided
by foreign interests, especially German is
that we captured from rebels Mauser rifles
of the 1900 pattern, which came from Ger
man sources.
'"There is absolutely no reason for the
continuance Of the insurrection far
the interests of the best people are con-
cerned. In the 800 stations under American
control, where civil government has been
established. the people are prosperous and
happy under the government of their own
chosen leaders.
Il was personally sent to Amadeo and
the nine barrios contained in the district
to establish civil government there. The
citizens selected their ticket to be voted
for, and then the candidates came to me
and said that only on condition that We
would promise to give them the protection
Of our flag and our troops would they ac-
cept Office. Once let that protection be
withdrawn, they said, and their throats
would be cut within an hour by maraud-
ers AS soon as the benefits of the gov
int for aYn1aina6
to them and protection guaranteed they
were as happy they could be. and the
respectable element came out en- masse in
favor of it. The ticket was unanimously
elected"
Mr.. Ely was asked concerning the reports
that American soldiers had maltreated Fill
pino women and had committed other Of
fenses. He became very wroth when he de-
nounced these ISLANDERS against the soldiers.
eff there is anything" he said. that
makes the blood of an officer boil it Is
such reports as these. / don't believe that
an American soldier ever maltreated a wo-
man in the Philippines. On number of
OCCASIONS we have heard the cries Of wo-
men, and have ordered out a squad that had
to beat off the insurrectos and ladrones
who were insulting native women. Some
times we have had to beat these fellows
brains out, and every case Of alleged out
rage we investigated was traced to the
'insurrectos' themselves"
Mr.. Ely led q portion Of the command
against Geronimo and the force that killed
Gen. Lawton, and he gives a graphic de-
scription Of the battle near San Mateo.
After the force. which occupied seven lines
of trenches at Montalbon, known the
Valley Of Death" had been routed Ely's
company was selected to chase the retreat
ing rebels. He captured Geronimos camp
and got all his papers and supplies with
the exception OF one pack train. Geronimo
had left only a few minutes before. and
left on a table near his shack the remains
Of an unfinished meal. The captured pa
pers, Mr.. Ely said. were for the most part
letters and circulars from rebel sympa-
thiZers in the United States.
II firmly believe" said Mr.. Ely. that
the rebels are holding out in the hope that
the country will be turned over to them
with q change Of administration, and that
they are sustained in this idea by traitors
in the United States.''