Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1898-1906, 1900-08-22
The Fire the
Affairs the Islands-Lawtons Letter
Dewey's Denial.

subject has been furnished the commits
sion by Admiral Dewey:
On April "a, 1898, the following CT
pher dispatch was received at Hong
Kong from e. Spencer Pratt, United
States consul general at Singapore:
"Aguinaldo, insurgent leader, here.
Will come Hong Kong, arrange with
commodore for general cooperation in
surgents Manila If desired. Telegraph
"On the same day Commodore Dewey
telegraphed Mr.. Pratt, Tell Aguinaldo
come soon as possible the necessity for
haste being due to the fact that the
squadron had been notified by the Hong
Kong Government to leave those waters
by the following day. The squadron left
Hong Kong on the morning of the 25th,
and Mrs Bay on the 9th. Aguinaldo
did not leave Singapore until the Goth,
and so did not arrive in Hong Kong
in time to have a conference with the
admiral.
at had been reported to the commo-
dore as early as March /, by the United
States consul at Manila and others that
the Filipinos had broken out into insur-
rectiou against the Spanish authority in
the vicinity Of Manila, and on March 30
Mr.. Williams had telegraphed: Five
thousand rebels armed in camp near city.
Loyal to us in case of war;
No Alliance Made.
upon the arrival of the squadron at
Manila it was found that there was no
insurrection to speak of, and it was &C.
cordingly decided to allow Aguinaldo to
come to Cavite on board the McCulloch.
He arrived with thirteen of his staff on
May 10, and Immediately came on board
the Olympia to call on the commander
in-chief, after which he was allowed to
land at Cavite and organize an army.
"This was done with the purpose of
Strengthening the United States forces
and weakening those of the enemy. No
alliance of any kind was entered into
with Aguinaldo, nor was any promise of
independence made to him, then or at
any other time"
The commissions report then rapidly
sketches events now historical. 1t tells
in substance how the Filipinos attacked
the Spanish and how Gen. Anderson ar
rived, and Aguinaldo, at his request, re-
moved from Cavite to Bacoor. Says the
commissions:
Now for the first time rose the idea of
national independence. Aguinaldo issued
a proclamation in which he took the re-
sponsibility of promising it to his people
on behalf of the American Government,
although he ADMITTED freely in private
conversation With members of his cabinet
that neither Admiral Dewey nor any 9TH
er American had made him any such
promise.y
Growth of Friction.
p The report states that Aguinalde
wished to attack the Americans when
they landed at Paranaquc. but was de-
TERED by lack Of arms and ammunition.
From that point on there was a growing
friction between the Filipinos and the
American troops.
There were no conferences" saws the
report, between the officers of the Fill
pinos and our officers with a view to
operating against the Spaniards, nor was
there cooperation of any kind. >
There never was any preconcerted opera
ton or any combined movement by the
United states and Filipinos against the
Spaniards.
Reference Is made to Aguinaldo's de-
mand that he be allowed to loot Manila
and take the arms Of the Spaniards. The
latter demand is said to confirm the state
ment that he intended to get possession
Of the arms to attack the Americans,
Waiting for Pretext.
Further evidence of the hostile inten-
tons of the Filipinos was found in the
organization of popular clubs" which
later on furnished local militia to mt
tack the Americans. The DEGREES of the
Filipino congress are also cited, as well
as the making OF DoiJs lknives) in every
shop in Manila.
1t Is shown that a considerable element
In the Filipino congress wished to address
to President Mckinley request not to
abandon the Fiiipinos. (At this stage the
Paris conference was discussing the fu-
ture Of the Philippines.) The President
was also to he asked his desire as to the
form Of government he wished to estab-
fish. But all this time Aguinaldo was
preparing for war and delaying these
messages, and it was Understood that the
attack would come upon the first act nv
the American forces, which would afford
pretext.
Fiiipinos Begin War.
A brief chapter then tells Of the lack
Of success attending the effort made at
this time by Gen. Merritt, through a COM
mission, to arrive at a mutual under
standing with Aguinaldo as to the inten-
tons, purposes and desires Of the Filipino
people This brings the story up to the
outbreak on the evening OF the 4th of
February, with the attack upon the
American troops, following the action of
the Nebraskan sentinel. The commits
sion, In concluding this chapter says:
"After the landing of opr troops Agui-