The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-06-09
Says He Never Met AguinaIdo, and Ii
Skeptical Regarding Reports as
to His Whereabouts.
GEN. FUNST0N'S DISCOVERY
ARCHIVES OF THE REBEL GOVERN.
MENT ALL CAPTURED.
Found Cached I'm Mountain Fast
ness, where Signal Bells Had
Been Carefully Arranged.

CHICAGO. June s-Major General E. s.
100 this morning from San Francisco and
Manila and left at 1890 for Washington.
Mrs. Otis and her daughter arrived in
Chicago last night from New York and the
General and his wife and daughter spent
the hours between trains together-the
ending of separation of two years.
General Otis declined to enter into de-
tailed interview, saying it would be incon-
sistent with his position an. officer TO
enter into any extended discourse regard
ing the situation in the Philippines before
reaching Washington. He said he was per-
fectly willing to talk in a general way,
however. The General was apparently in
the best of health and confirmed his APP
pearance by saying he had not been i'll
day since he left for the Philippines and
at the present was enjoying the best of
health.
81 left the Philippine situation in the
best of hands," he said. 1.-The officers are
all able men and well qualified to cope with
the difficult questions and situations that
may arise. The war is over. This guer-
rilla warfare cannot last long. To be sure
We will have to respress those people for a
number of years, but there is no organized
force of Filipinos. The depredations that
are now going on are conducted by robbers
The United States troops are now engaged
in defending the inhabitants of the Philip
pines against the robberies and murders.
committed by their own people. But the
conditions are generally improving and in
some parts are better than they have ever
been.
1--WE have 5000 effective troops under
arms in the Philippines Estimates regard
ing the number of inhabitants on the is
lands are all wild. but the number is con-
sidered TO be between six and seven mill
lion. The great majority of the people
desire peace and wish to again take up
their business pursuits. Business in Manila
has again resumed activity and the inhabit-
ants are peacefully pursuing their voca-
tons.
"I don't know where Aguinaldo is. L
never saw him personally. 1t is possible.
but not probable, that Aguinaldo is in the
Cagayan section of northern Luzon.
1t is a rough, mountainous country and
very sparsely settled. At first he was re-
garded by his people leader. but of late
he is losing prestige and is not held in such
high regard. Funston Is now In the Bulu-
can section. / will say / am not going into
any personalities whatever The officers In
charge are all capable men.
Stories have been circulated about depre-
dations committed by men of our army,
but they have been false. Our men have
been held under close restraint and have
conducted themselves like soldiers.
IT cannot say that the administration OF
our distinguished Secretary of War has
made any mistakes in this campaign. We
may have made mistakes over there, but
If so, they have been the result OF human
liability to commit error.
"Official reports of the warfare have not
been exaggerated, especially of late. / am
not conversant with the newspaper reports.
1 had not the time to peruse them. The CEN
sorship has not been rigid, and we assisted
the newspaper correspondents all we could.
Of course some sensational kilograms were
sent as IT was very difficult for newspaper
correspondents to secure correct versions
regarding our operations, as they were so
extended, but we helped them wherever
we could.
ct have no idea as to my course after /
reach Washington. / have received no
orders and / simply await the commands
of my superiors. My wife and daughter
They will return to New York to-day and
I will join them later. / was certainly
overjoyed to see them as this is the first
time 1 have seen them in two years
Regarding the situation IN China General
Otis said: 81 know very little about the
Chinese question. I left Manila early in
May, before the recent complications in
that country had reached the present crtti-
cal state, and L know very little aboutNft-
The situation seems to be developing very
generally and all the European nations are
interested in it,