The Irish standard., 1900-10-13
BEFORE THE OUTBREAK OF The WAR
Enjoyed the Confidence Of the
Filipino Insurgents.
OPPOSED TO AMERICAN ANNEXATION
A Challenge to Gen. Wheeler to
Take a Plebiscite.

In his article in the National Watch
man, of Washington, D. O. George
Allen White exposes some administra.
tion falsehoods as follows:
Ex-Minister John Barrett says in his
article in the Review of Reviews for
July, 1898: 'The people of all the diff
ferent towns took great pride In the
army. Nearly every family had a
father, son, or cousin in it. Aguinaldo
and his principal lieutenants also made
frequent visits to the principal towns
and were received with the same ear
nestness that we show in greeting a
successful president"
Consul Oscar +. Williams dispatch
of March q, 1893, to the state depart
ment, shows that the insurgent sym.
pathizers were in heavy majority at
Manila. "Arms are being obtained
and organization slowly effected and
all classes fear the near future. 1t is
said that the only reason why Manila
has not been taken and burned is be-
cause a vast majority of its popula-
tion is in perfect accord with the in
surgents."
Consul General e. Spencer Pratt, in
his dispatch of June 2, 1898, says:
'No close observer Of what had trans
pired in the Philippines during the
past four years could have failed to
recognize that General Aguinaldo en-
joyed above all these the confidence
of the Filipino insurgents and the re-
spect alike Of Spaniards and foreign
ers in the islands, all of whom vouched
for his high sense of justice and hon
or"
In reply to an address by the Fill.
pino residents of Singapore, Consul
General Pratt says in speech of June,
8, 1898: "Now we have news of the
brilliant achievements of your own
distinguished leader, General Emilio
Aguinaldo, cooperating on land with
the Americans at sea. You have JUS:
reason to be proud of what mas been
and is being accomplished by General
Aguinaldo and your fellow-countrymen
under his command"
In a letter of information dated
Aug. 20, 1898, J. T. Bell, major Of engi-
neers in charge in the Philippines,
says, addressing, General Merritt:
"Aguinaldo, honest, sincere and poor,
not well educated, but natural lead
er of men, with considerable shrewd.
ness and ability, has the power OF Gre
ating among the people confidence in
himself, and is undoubtedly IL very
popular man, highly respected by ALL
General Anderson's letter to Aguin-
aldo of July 4, 1898, says: II nave the
honor to inform you that the United
States of America has entire sympathy
and most friendly sentiments for the
native people of the Philippine Is
lands. For these reasons, 1 desire to
have the most amicable relations with
you, and to have you and your people
cooperate with us in military opera
tions against the Spanish forces"
General Anderson's letter of July %,
1898, continues in the same tone:
"When I came here three, weeks ago
l requested your excellency to give
what assistance you could to procure
means of transportation for the Ameri-
can army, as it was to fight in the
cause Of your people. So far we have
received no response. AS you repre-
sent your people. now have the honor
to make rcquisition on you for 500
horses and SO oxen and OK CARTS
General Otiss letter to Aguinaldo,
dated Sept. 8, 1893, says: II do not
forget that the revolutionary forces
under your command have made many
sacrifices in the interests of civil liber-
ty and for the welfare of your people,
and to this I will be pleased to allude
hereafter
On page IA, of his report last year,
to the adjutant general, General Otis
says: "The insurrection against
SPAIN had spread to and was active
in all the islands with the exception
of the Sulu archipelago, and there the
hereditary antagonism Of the Moros
was only comparatively dormant"
On Jan. 4, 1899, General Otis wrote a
letter addressed "to the people of the
Philippine Islands" in which he says: