The Bemidji pioneer., 1900-08-16

subject has been furnished the commits
sion by Admiral Dewey:
: ON April %, 1898, the following CT
pher dispatch was received at Hong
Kong from L. Spencer Pratt, United
States consul general at Singapore:
Aguinaldo, insurgent leader, here.
VIII come Hong Kong, arrange with
commodore for general cooperation in
surgents Manila If desired. Telegraph.
s'On the same day Commodore Dewey
telegraphed Mr.. Pratt, Tell Aguinaldo
come soon as possible. the necessity for
haste being due to 1.-THE fact that the
squadron had been notified by the Hong
Keng Government TO leave those waters
by the following day. The squadron left
Heng Kong on the morning of the 10Th,
and Mrs Bay on the 18th. Aguinaldo
did not leave Singapore until the 18th,
and SO did not arrive in Hong Kong
IN time to have conference with the
admiral
1T had been reported to the commo-
dore as early as March i, by the United
States CONSUL at Manila and others that
the Filipinos had broken out into insur-
rection against the Spanish authority in
the vicinity .of Manila and on March 30
MI Williams had telegraphed: Five
thousand rebels armed in camp near city.
Loyal ito us in casetof var.
No Alliance Made.
ssUpan the arrival of the squadron at
Manila it was found that there was no
ne N
cordingly decided to allow Aguinaldo to
tycome to Cavite on board the McCullach.
He arrived with thirteen of his staff on
| May 10, and Immediately came on board
the Olympia ito calls on the commanders
iI-chief, after which bic. was allowed to
land .Gt Cavite and organize ian 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 either 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 Agninaldo, at hisrequest, re-
moved from tCayite to Bacoor. Says the
commission:
| Now for the first time rose. the idea of
national independence. Aguinaldo issued
, a proclamation in which he took the re-
sp0nsibility of promising it to his people
or 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 amy such
premise"
Growth of friction.
THE repaEt states That Aguinaldo
wished to attack the Americans when
they landed at Paranaqnc, 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" says the
report, Abetween the officers Of .the Fill
pinos ard onr officers with view to
operating aEainst the Spaniards, lnor " as
there cooperation Gf any kind. - . =
There never wsGs amy pEeeoneeFtad opera
ton or any combined movement by the
United States aa,d Tilipinos against the
Spaniards."
Reference lis made ITO 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 sstate-
ment that he intended to get possession
Of the arms to attack the Americans.
Waiting for Prctcxt.
Further evidence of the hostile inten-
tions OF the Filipinos was found i'm the
organization OF -popnlar clubs which
later on furnished local militia to at
tack the Americans. The DEGREES of the
Filipino congress are also cited, as well
as the making Of bolos tkniyes) Ina every
shop in Manila.
1t is shown that considerab BILE element
in the Filipino congress wished to address
to President Mckinley request not to
abandon the Filipinos. CAT this stage the
Paris conference was discussing the fu-
tune of the Philippines.) The President
was also to be asked his desire as TO the
fora of government he wished to estab-
fish. But all this time Aguinaldo was
preparing for war and delaying these
messenger and it was understood that the
attack would come upon the first act by
the American forces, which would afford
a pretext
Fffipinos 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 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 Nebyaskan sentinel Tue commits
sion, in concluding this chapter, says:
AFTER the, landing Of our troops Agui-