Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1900-08-10

subject has been furnished the commits
sion by Admiral Dewey:
ION 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 II desired. Telegraph
ION 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 26th,
| and so did not arrive in Hong Kong
in time to have a conference with the
admiral.
1T had been reported to the commo-
dore as early as March /, by the United
| States consul at Manila and others that
the Fiipinos had broken out into insur-
| rection 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 ac-
| cordngly 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'xith the purpose Of
strengthening the United States forces
and weakening those Of lie enemy, # No
alliance OF any kind was e,st.ered 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
commission:
| "Now for the first time rose the idea of
national independence. Aguinaldo issued
, 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
| converse ton with members Of his cabinet
| that neither Admiral Dewey nor any 9TH
| err American had made him any such
| promise"
Growth OF Friction.
The report states that Aguinaldo
wished to attack the Americans when
they landed at Paranaque. but was de-
tered by lack Of arms and ammunition
| From that point on there was a growing
friction between the Filipnos and the
American troops.
There we're no conferences" says the
report, ''bctween the officers Of the Fill
pinos :nd our officers with view to
operating against the Spaniards, nor was
there cooperation OF any kind.
There never was any preconcerted opera
tion 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 at
tack the Americans. The DEGREES of the
Filipino congress are also cited, as we'll
as the making Of bolos (knives) 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 Filipinos. (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 by
the American forces, which would afford
| a pretext.
Fi1ipinos Begin War.
| A brief chapter then tells of the lack
of success attending the effort made at
this time by Gen. Merritt, through 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 18th 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 our troops Agui-