The Hawaiian gazette., 1901-05-03
VIEWS Of
AGUINALDO

who was lu excellent aHIIIIta AFulu-lN D.
is atI non-uommit ui. airing that "
ha TALKS on the situ1 % be- VIII De-
mauproscutod ana his position thus
jeiYardizpd lie said. VIII max"
mo- definite statements - public or pri.
waite questions until hti familiar with
the situation l am learning English
and studying American government"
when asked II he desired to- visit the
United States. Agunaldo replied! Yes,
greatly, but | am at tllo disposition Of
the authorities"
The correspondent then asked him
for his opinion OF the scheme looking
the purchase OF the church estates by
the Government and their sale 10 the
natives. Aguinaldo said he thought
such a scheme would be satisfactory,
but he added that he was not familiar
with the proposal He said he general
~ lndorsed the acts of the Philippine
commission, which he had followed in
terruptedly in the newspapers for the
last half year. He has been secluded
in the mountains, however, and there
fore was not very we!l informed on
current events.
The correspondent presented to him
photograph of his son Miguel which
captured near San FABIAN. Aguinaldo
thanked the correspondent warmly and
said 1t had been reported the boy was
dead. He added, jokingly: Whatever
else am accused of. ] am not respon-
sibe for rumors tina. were circulated
while | was in the field"
At this point Colonel Mallory and
Lieutenant Colonel Fieberger, professor
at West Point, entered and took part
In the conversation. Aguinaldo drop
ned his reserve and became reminis-
cent He said: II was often very close
to the Americans. / expected to make
my greatest stand at Calumpit. When
| abandoned Tarlac I commanded 1,50O
riflemen. ! anticipated General Wheat
on's landing at San FABIAN. | planned
to retreat to Nueva ViZcaya, but was
frustrated by brave General Lawton.
I slipped through the Gordon with $50
men only four hours before the landing
party came ashore"
In response to a question concerning
his opinion of the American troops, he
said: How terrible are the Americans.
They are splendid and ferocious fight
ers. I no sooner built arsenals and
barracks than they destroyed them.
Colonel March chased me in a most
lively fashion for two months in the
western mountains until | worked east
ward with thirty horses and eighty
men. l crossed to Cagayan, and lived
on the east coast for eight months My
outposts often saw the Americans, but
I did not participate in n single engage
ment though I once commanded 10000
rihemen. The watchfulness of the
army and navy practically destroyed
ilibustering in Luzon."
II do not desire to discuss insular
politics. | am undecided as 10 my flu
ture plans. l believe that the Federals
will be strong agents in the pacification
of the archipelago"
Aguinaldo still remains the leader.
He dominates the peaceful Filipinos as
he did the warlike ones. He argued
seriously for several days with Judge
Arellano and General TrIas as to
whether he would take the oath Of al
legiance or be deported to Guam, but
since he has taken the oatn he accepts
American rule Internationally and
asks guidance with seeming childlike
faith. 1t is possible, however, that he
is indulging in deeper thoughts than
those to which he gives expression. but
those who have been his constant COM
panions since his capture say that he
| is sincere.
MANILA, April ga reporter visit
1
| So Solano street. where he was removed
from the Malacanan Palace. and found
him in large room upstairs, furnished
with table, typewriting machine. four
settees and twenty chairs. His wife,
who was entertaining a number of Fill
Pine women friends, sat at one end OF
the room, while Aguinaldo, smoking a
cigar and chatting with Benito Legar-
do, occupied the opposite corner.
Others present We're Lieutenant Colo
I -, Af,ll. = Al
Volunteer Infantry, who has charge of
Asuinaldo; Lieutenant Gilbert A.
Youngberg of the Third Artillery, and
Mr. Fisher, General MacArthur's pri-
vate secretary.
Aguinaldo, whose bearing was cour-
teous and dignitied, was dressed in
white, looked well and, altogether,
made an excellent impression. Legardo,
who but recently returned from the
United States, talked Of the trip, and
Aguinaldo, who seemed greatly inter-
ested. smiled and asked numerous
questions. He inquired particularly as
to what President Mckinley said, and
seemed anxious to know what was
thought of him in the United States.
He was rather reluctant to talk for
publication and considered every ques-
tion carefully before answering He
said he was doing all he could to as
sist in the pacitication of the Filipinos,
and expressed himself as surprised at
what the Americans had accomplished.
When he was first captured, he went
on to say, he was greatly astonished
TO find that a majority of the Filipinos
entertained the opinion that American
sovereignty was preferable to indie
pendence, but now he was inclined to
accept that view.
He explained that in the dissolution
OF the insurgent forces and the decla-
ration of guerilla warfare the chiefs
had operated TO all iptents and pur-
poses independently. They recognized
him as commander In chief, sending
him reports occasionally. and he issued
some orders, but for the last seven
months communication had been din
cult, and he had had little connection !
v"h the operations,
am now urging in the strongest
= 'ihle manner" said Aguinaldo |
that all insurgents should surrender
and swear allegiance to the United
States
He rsprRases the opInion that Tinio !