The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-03-19


der of General Trias Untrue-Fiii- /
pines Deceived Tuto linking the |
Oath of Allegiance to America. |
Senior Rafael Del-Pan FonteIa, for (
rr.erfv President of the Bar Association at /
Manila. and who was one of the members /
q AzuinaIdo's Cabinet when the latter /
at MaIcIos proclaimed the Filipino Re
public in speaking of the reported sur
render of General Trias, and the taking
of the oath of allegiance by many Fill
pinos today said:
All this is untrue. There are no pros
poets Of peace in the Philippines Oaths !
of allegiance to America are insincere,
and the HongHOng Junta is not weaken
ing I 90 not believe that the reports
concerning the Federal party are true
Their success cannot be permanent. You
remember that Dewey made me Fill
pinos believe that they would receive in
dependence. Judge Taft and his Com
mission are intimating to the Federal
party that they Will be q part of the
United States some day. That is the plat
form of the Federal party, and because
they believe that the Administration VIII
make them part of the Union its follow
ers are taking the oath Of allegiance to
America and advocating the passage of
the Spooner bill But what viii be the
l consequence when, at an early date, they
find out that it is not the purpose Of the
Administration to carry out its promise,
but instead to make them subjects in a
colony like England has made OF the
many people she has subjugSted. None
| Of this party would desire TO see the Phil
/ ippine Islands q colony, or even terri
| tory Ike Arizona or New Mexico. The
whole Filipino people desire independ-
| euce: in fact they have given up many
/ thousands Of lives to secure II. bat what
/ is the next best thing2 To be States is
/ the American Union. The great MAORI
! ~ of the Federal party thinks that this
! will result since Taft and his Commission
have intimated so. When the day comes
! that America refuses TO carve th6 isllnlS +
! into American States, then the whole |
| people viii be as bitter against the |
! United States as are those VINO are fol-
! lowing AguinaIdo now Among them win /
/ be many members Of the Federal party
! who are now crying for admission ilt0I
! the Union ~-->
Regarding the reports of General Trias
| being even a greater man among my PEG
! pie than Aguinaldo himself, and whose
/ surrender, the Administration states, in
! dicates the collapse OF the var, 1 must tell
! you that although he formerly enjoyed
! g position Of great prominence in the Fill
| ipino army. il was because he was one Of
! the first revolutionists against Spain, not
| because Of any great ability The great
! est and best generals of the present war
! are Aguinaldo, Tinio, Aascardo- Malvar,
/ MaXilOn, and some others, about whom
/ you have never heard reports Of surreTl-
! der Why IS il that the powerful leaders
! of the Federal party do not try TO nego-
! IIate with those leaders whom 1 have
/ Eneutioned2 MaIyar, for instance, receiv-
Ia not D O
! asking for surrender, but General Malyar
! replied. Independence or Death.
Besides being deceived, the Filipinos
are compelled by force 10 take the oath of
allegiance. Terror row TeignS IN the
Philippines. Those who refuse 10 take
the oath are depOrted and the homes Of
those who are suspected TO be Sympa-
I thizers Of Aguinalo are burned to the
. grOund-sOmetines whole town or vii
Iage- ! can prove by documents which
/ have IN my possession. BESIDES thpSe
I which were read by Senators Teller.
! HOar and Pettigrew in the Senate on the
10th Of January and 9th Of February,
thar force is used to make the FilipinOs
/ take the oath of allegiance TO America.
Does anyone believe that the OathS taken
/ under duress-in many cases the persons
! Is made to swear 10 q document that ne
/ cannot read-are sIncere2 Does anyone
I think that the Fiiipinos will welcome
! with open arms a nation whose army
( forces them to take such oaths2
The ma Ority OF the reports which now
appear in the press ] have good reason 10
tttiCFf are untrue All the news may
be the same way Tor instance, last
January il was said that between Agon-
clio and Apacibie, prominent Filipino
! representatives there was friction caused
by disa greeneut about the rank Of their
respective positions in Paris. ! received
& letter afterwards which told me that
Dr. Apacible remained in Paris until the
last Of February in perfect harmony with
A%OnciliO. Yesterday a report was pub
lished that Dr. ApacibIe was going 10
take the oath of allegiance to America,
/ = =sf< m me nj her Hong
kong JUnta. / must tell YOU that the
HonGkong JUnta never had more than
! twelve members. and that Apacibie did
not arrive in Hongkong until a week ago,
ard 50 had no time to communicate with
| the authorities in Manila, from which
place the news published came So yus
can see how utterly absurd are the re-
ports received from Manila"
senior FOntela was asked what he
thought Of the religious situation in the
Philippine He said There IS no re
IiCious problem In the Philippines Three
! corporations OF friars are abhOrred by
/ the FilipinOs, not as friars. but as land
| lords. and as Instruments OF political
| tyranny under the Spanish control. The
! ministers Of God Will always be welcomed
among the Christian people OF the
/ islands II Archbishop ChapelIe allows
| the iInpcsitions Of the friars OF those or
! ders 70 take the places of the secular
priests or other orders Of friarS. who are
loved by their people, ne viii do Cathoi-
| iciSm a great deal or harm To the
work Of the Methodist and Baptist mis-
| Eionaries the Fi!iptnos do not object
| they are Christians. But il seems to me
| that missionary work IS more urgent
| among the MohammcdanS of Central Min
dauao and Sulu than among the Chris
| tians Of IUZon and Nisayas-
| The cause % civilization demands
the Outstanding Of the Mohamuedans.
! not only because they are MOhammedans,
! but because they hold slaves who are
/ Christians Mohau1medan masters and
| Christian slaves Christians taken by
| Mohammedans in their piratical expedi-
| tons II Is A shame for a civilized nation
! TO consent TO allow such slavery under
| its flag.
WANT TO rprCr T.pIEr