Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-12
MANILA NE MORIES
Graphic Recital Of the Events That
Preceded the Insurrection.
ARBITRARY COURSE OF AGUlNALDO
Several Outbreaks Narrowly. Es-
capped.
NEW LIGHT ON SUBJECT

N EW LlNl1I YIN - 7 lb) Et
| Written for The Evening Star.
| 1t seems an age since our first expedition
landed Philippine soil. From our daily
| papers one would think it was but short
period ago. as fighting and bloodshed there
are daily recorded.
The first expedition landed at Cavite.
| P. l., July l. $685. two years and a half
ago. 1 was a member, and never shall L
| forget our arrival in Manila bay. We were
| the first Americans to arrive on the scene
| of Admiral Dewey's famous fight, and
spent several days visiting the wrecks.
| The first time 1 saw the admiral he was
| witnessing a ball game at Cavite, together
| with some army and navy officers. Aguin-
aldo spent a short time looking on. but not
understanding the game, did not take much
interest in it. His headquarters were only
a block away. This was the first game
played on the islands, and I venture to
say 1t had the oldest audience ever attract
| ed by our national game.
| The natives, in their bright colors, We're
| there by the hundreds, and, of course, all
the Americans who could make connections
We're there with roofing material How the
| natives did stare at the apparently crazy
| antics of the cranks! On one side of the
grounds were Spanish dungeons in which
were Aguinaldos prisoners several thou
sand in all. During the game these poor
devils filled the barred windows, and such a
pitiful sight they made!
! l often wonder what became of all those
prisoners. l do not believe that 10 per cent
reached their native land Aguinaldo fed
them little rice just enough to keep them
| alive for a while. Their bones nearly stuck
| out of their skins. Their hollow, pitiful
| eyes [ can see to this day.
| understand W
ment did not step in and take care of those
| prisoners, as we had plenty Of rations
| the ground but nothing was done, and We
| de- V watched them carry out the rough
! boxes containing the dead. A protest was
| made once to Aguinaldo TO his treat
ment of prisoners and an offer made to as
| sist him in rationing them. He declined
| the offer with a statement that he was able
| to care for them and that prisoners would
grumble. We had a few prisoners who
were captured at Guam and some that were
| taken by Admiral Dewey. These We're fed
the regular ration and soon got fat. There
was great contrast between our prisoners
| and AguinaldoS.
When l first beheld the Fiipinos they
| looked like Japanese and Cinnamon to
me. but 1 soon learned to distinguish the
difference. l at first thought them a very
worthy people, but was forced to change
my opinion after thorough study.
Racial Desire for Razors and Pistols
We were great friends at first and they
used to pat us affectionately upon the
| back; but they soon changed when they
saw our intentions We're to remain for a
while. They were very eager for pistols
and razors, and the boys got big prices for
| what articles they disposed Of These
weapons have no doubt caused some deaths
In our ranks. A Spanish officer is said to
have warned Admiral Dewey, when he was
turning over captured Mausers to the in
surgents that they will use them against
| you next
| l was with several hundred Americans at
Cavite. who witnessed the Inauguration Of
ASu1naldo as president of the Filipino re-
| public. If Uncle Sam had stepped in right
then and made a settlement, l believe that
many lives would have been saved, not to
say anything Of the expense. Every day
brought recruits to the Insurgents ranks
Aguinaldo was received with great pomps
and ceremony by the American officers He
paid an official visit to General Anderson
once In July. 1898, that gave me my first
glimpse of the little brown general. He was
accompanied by one of General Anderson's
aids. When he was about two hundred feet
from Headquarters, the 14th Infantry Band,
which was hidden among the trees, struck
up See the Conquering Hero Comes" He
acknowledged the compliment with a salute
and walked proudly up the steps,
1t seems that Aguinaldo was very hard
headed in these first interviews, and no un-
Outstanding could be had with him. 1t was
patience and If he had his way Aeuinaldo
would have been made prisoner and con-
fined on one Of the gunboats. If this had
that the Philippine question would have
been much simplified
I remember Of five occasions when our
relations with the insurgents were strained
almost to the breaking point, before the
Nebraska volunteer started the long bloody
battle.
AEuinaldO Becomes More Arbitrary.
The first of these occurred in JULY.
$685. when Aguinaldo notified his people
not to have any dealings with the Ameri-
cans except through him. He had all the
wheels taken off the carts and burned A
vigorous letter from General Anderson
brought him to terms.
Inc second severe rupture took place
upon our occupancy of Manila, August 13,
1898. The insurgents rushed into the town
with us and 1t was the hardest kind of
work keeping them in control. They had
no understanding as to their part in the
attack, as General Merritt completely ig-
| nored them, so when they saw an opening
they rushed In.
To General Anderson's lot fell the diff
cult task Of dealing with the insurgents,
fective manner. Aguinaldo, who remained
at Bacoor, eighteen miles from Manila,
kept the wires hot with demands for the
rights OF his people He demanded that
course. not considered. An agreement was
finally reached that a committee from
Aguinaldo meet the American authorities
| the following day and come to terms
The committee of the insurgents arrived
promptly at the appointed time. Their
| chairman was Don Felipe Buencamno who
is now actively working in Manila for
Americas cause. A great many conces-
sions were made to the insurgents, as the
armistice only allowed us to hold the city
1t was later discovered that the line agreed
upon by both sides allowed the insurgents
| to occupy part Of Manila.
The tenth demand made by the insur-
gents at this conference was as follows:
(Transation)-"We are pleased, lastly, to
be certain Ito affirm) that our own commits
| sions and petitions do not signify acknowl-
edgment on our part of North American
sovereignty in these islands any more Cor
longer) than the necessity of actual war
demands
After this conference was over Manila
was very quiet, with smoldering fire un-
derneath. 1t was common sight to see
soldiers of the three armies sitting In cafes
together.