The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-08-23
PROGRESS OF PEACE EFFORTS.
HOW PATERNO QUEERED THE
GAME OF THE AMERICANS.

He Was an InsurEcnt Who Said He
Surrendered-Army Reports Say He
Was Captured-American Author
tiles Expected Him to Aid In Bring
ing About Peace and Released
Him-Be Was Placed Incommuni-
cado when He Had Published an
Impairment Plea for Independ-
ence.
Correspondence of the Associated Press.)
Manila, July 15.-The recent political va
carries in Manila of Don Pedro Palermo.
prominent insurgent. have received but lit-
tie comment in the local Spanish press, be-
cause the press censor prohibited the pub
LEGATION, both here and in the United
States, of this mans strange doings Pa
terno's liberation from Jail for the purpose
of working on the peace propositions be-
gun by Don Felipe Buencamino, his imme
date publication of a most remarkable
document in favor of Philippine indie
pendence. his subsequent re-incarceration.
and the fact that he then took the oath
of allegiance to the United States and was
freed, but declined TO accept his liberty.
electing TO remain in jail and pose as
martyr, read more like an act from a com
edy than the truthful records of a weeks
political happenings in Manila.
Palermo came to Manila about three
months ago from Vigan. He says he sur
rendered, but the army reports say he
was captured. In Manila he was placed
in the Anda street Jail, along with Buen-
canine and other political prisoners.
While there he meditated political coups.
studied English and was well-lodged and
fed government expense.
When Gen. Otis was leaving Manila he
liberated Buencamino with the under
S anding that he use his influence with
the Filipino people toward bringing
ABOUT peace Buencamino worked away
on these lines alone until about the mid
de of June, when he realized that Pa
terno il fluence would be a good thing
to have on his, Buencamino's, side of the
undertaking; so permission was obtained
from Cen. Macarthur for Palermo TO
leave the Jail every day in order to more
easily center and work with Buenca-
mino. Palermo returned to the Jail 10
sleep nightly. and 1t was understood be
tween Gen. Macarthur and hims If that
his efforts and attitude must primarily
embrace the recognition of the sovereign
ty of the United States in the Philip
pines.
With Gen. MacArthur's permission,
there occurred June 81 the locally-fa-
nous meeting in Paterno's house, where
about 200 well-known revclutionists met
TO discuss the terms of an honora BILE
and digniied peace with the American
army. Thirty of the 200 men present
were liberated from the Anda street Jail
purpcsely TO attend the meeting, and, af-
ter a stormy and spicy session, they re-
solved that peace could be obtained on
eight certain bases, which that same
evening. were HANDED to Gen. MacAr-
thur. The next morning the general was
stricken with a local fever which pre-
vented his attending to his official duties
for nearly a week. This dslay in the
proceedings were s ICED upon by the
Filipino enemies of Buencamino's plans
Chere were American enemies
to the peace scheme as well, but
these latter were passive). to start an
anti-peace campaign in the country with
the idea of forestalling the good that the
Manila group hoped to accomplish.
During the delay caused by the Ameri-
can Generals illness, Palermo sprang his
coup d'etat in the form of a most re-
markable and impairment document
without reason, without sequence, with
out head or tail, which began with quo
tation from a plan of Philippine govern
ment and ended with quotations from
European statesmen like Gladstone, Won
Moltke, etc. Paternos plan was nothing
less than a seditious plea for Philippine
independence. and it had dsquietlng eff
feet on the people. Tt was published
in al Of
ish papers, a method of publicity which
insured its spread throughout the entire
archipelago
In this document Palermo set forth
what he and his followers graciously
would deign to accept from the United
States in exchange for a cessation of
hostilities by the Filipinos. He conced-
ed the changing of the "Filipino Repub-
lie" to that of Free Philippine State"
as sop to the American national pride;
he demanded The admission, on a basis
of equality of Filipinos into the American
army, navy and consular corps; he de-
manded the recognition of the Filipino
flag. but saw no objection to the Stars
and Stripes flying by its side. After
many printed columns of rules for our
future restriction and guidance in Phil
ippine affairs, by which he practically
limited our power and control to the pro-
lection or the International relations of
the Free Philippine State,' Palermo re-
marked that when the United States had
conceded the foregoing he opined there
would be peace. He also announced
meeting in his home for the following
Sunday to discuss his new programme
AS soon as the real nature and signif-
canoe of Paterno's utterances were made
known to the military authorities, they
forbade the meeting in question, and Pa
terno was sent back to the Anda street jail
and kept incommunicado.
The Filipino people jump at conclusions.
They do not always read carefully and
reason clearly, and Palermo worded his
document in such a way that the com
mon people at once concluded that the
United States had conceded to the Filipino
people all that Palermo had asked for. and
Paternos stock. as the man who had OBJ
tanned the remarkably favorable conces-
sions from the common enemy. doomed ac-
cordingly. On the streets natives talked
voluoly of the new Concessions and said
they had always known they could bring
the Yankees to terms eventually.
During these days there was much taik
of uprisings in Manila. Explosive bombs
were found i'm the streets, houses were
fired Gen. Estrela and Gen. Ricare Were
captured in Manila, each boldly admitted
they were here TO take part in an upris-
ing, and Ricarte's followers passed pic