Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-08-27
70 CAPTURE MANILA
DETAILS OF ANOTHER PLOT MADE
PUBLIC.
Found Among the Papers of General
Ricartf, Recently Ar.
isPested.

The War Department has made public
letters found amang the papers of General
Ricarti. recently arrested by the police near
Manila. Among them Is an unsigned letter
In regard to an attack on Manila in Janu-
airy, 1900. 1t states that the reason for
not carrying out the, proposed attack was
because OF the small number of resolute
persons stationed at the gates. and because
General Otis had gone aboard ship IN
Manila Bay. Another attack was given up
because the enemy" made a careful search
of the city as result OF disturbances the
previous day. The letter advises another
attack and outlines the following plan:
ITO recruit In your command of south
Luzon 1850 men of sure daring and steadi-
ness. These will enter the walled city
armed with knives. The entrance of this
number of men will be Effected during q
period of about three weeks; it will be very
easy to do 1t, and shall undertake to place
them In safe places while the rest are ar
irving, and as soon they all get in
shall give the necessary instructions to d.
rect and arrange for cooperation In the
blow on the said point, the walled city"
After making suggestions to the raising
OF funds, the letter continues:
AT the same time, with all due honor
and respect, l inform you, general, that 1t
Is my strong belief that to receive a favor
able termination of this present campaign
in which we suffer defeats continually, not
that any one is of much importance, but
they diminish the desire of We Filipinos to
pursue with the necessary ardor the longed-
Tor 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 place of land, sur
rounded with it's high and massive wall
once taken, We shall be able to dominate
Its suburbs, and as the foreigners live in
them we shall be forced to have direct re-
H. how Vas oeyrca
with the persons of greater ability than
that the burning Of a few foreign CONNER
clal establishments will be sufficient to give
new color to the present critical conditions
In the Philippines, but permit me- general,
to state my case briefly. How would the
foreigners and Americans come to an ar
rangement In regard to the damage and
pre)ud1ce such a conf1agration would cause
the nrst? How would We find out their
agreement? II the property of the foreign
ers Is burned and nothing more Is DONE we
Shall not obtain their valuable aid, we shall
never get 1t, but II, 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.
L state ali this, general, for your opin-
ION, SO that If you approve 1t l can pro-
coed to make the necessary preparations
and arrange fairly definitely the move
W take place In the various places
and the proper signals. 1 hope, general,
that you Will approve this plan, which is
one of the proofs of the ardent patriotism
OF this, your humble subordinate"
The acknowledgement addressed to
Gen. Antonio Ricartif as chief of the oper-
atiOns about Manila. and signed by Ma
riano Trias, lieutenant general. follows the
I'm answer to- your communication. in
which you inform me of your desire to
place yourself at the head Gin command) Of
the forces that are to attack if we operate
against MANILA must make known to
you the great satisfaction that such de-
sire produces in me, for just that was the
only detail wanting to complete the work
of our revolution, and place in an awkward
position the so-much- boasted-of good poll
cy of the enemy, who. an ultimate re-
suit, will be the one ito pay the fiddler; If
your intention IS carried out in a satisfac-
tory manner apd then there would be no
appropriate words to extOl such determina-
ton, which. though 1T will not end the
war, nevertheless enough will have been
done for the triumph of our cause, and on
the part of this government you may be
assured that no means Will be begrudged
to give you as much help and support as
you may need to carry out to a happy ter
mination the enterprise"
Another letter dated June H. 1900 to
Ricaru. and signed Mariana Barroga fixes
the 18th of June as the date of the attack
Julian Montalan, on June 4. informs the
general of division that the several juntas
Will be ready when called out"
Another document, dated March 4 1900
directs a regiment to shed the last drop of
blood, If necessary. to carry out the pro-
gram, and threatens death, under the mill
tary code, to those who do not assemble
at the appointed places.