The Topeka state journal., 1901-02-11
THE FALL OFPANAY.
A Soldier Tells in a Letter How It
Came About

Came About.
New York, Feb. IA special to the
Tribune from Washington says:
The large island of Panay, of which
Iloilo is the chief port, has been one Of
the most vexatious hotbeds OF insurrec-
ton and resistance to the American
regime in the whole Philippine archi-
pelagos and the announcement that its
pacification has now been practically
accomplished was one of the most graft
flying messages received by the war de-
partment in the last week. The Tri-
bune has just received from an officer
on duty in Panay an interesting letter,
written Just before Christmas, giving
an account of the achievement, which is
one Of the absorbing topics throughout
the Philippines, especially as the lead
of Panay is apt to be promptly followed
in other islands. He says in part:
Most of the officers on duty through
out the Fourth district, department OF
the Visayas, have had little or no SYM
government. They believed the time
was not ripe for it, and that military
administration was all that the clrcum-
stances demanded or justified Although
this spirit was thoroughly understood at
district headquarters, and fully taken
account of, nevertheless the district
commander, Col. Edmund Rice, Twenty
sixth infantry. u. s v, insisted on his
policy being carried out of combining
as MICH as possible the civil and the
military. Month after month the work
went on, everything possible being done
to get the officers interested in the civil
work and to inform the natives of their
privileges and opportunities Time ana
time again elections were ordered to be
held in certain of the pueDlos, only to
get the report NO one here cares 70
take the necessary oath of allegiance 10
the United States But despite this,
many of the prominent men were being
talked to and argued with, We're peing
furnished with SeaSOnable and 1nSIruc-
tive literature and no opportunity was
allowed to pass for accomplishing the
desired object
"On October 30 1900, the commanding
officer of the circle of Jaro reported
that not even the three residents neceS-
sary to act as election judges We're oD-
tainabIe' On November 10 the district
request that authority be given to call
upOn the Inhabitants Of the towns oL
Jaro and Molo to take the oath of ale
glance to the United States, believing
that the time is now ripe for insisting
that they should come out openAS.
either for or against our government
ssIr is a matter of common knowledge
that these two pueblos exercise a large II
not paramount influence upon the others
Of this island, and If this is the case the
resulting effect Of this operation must be
far-reachine and beneficial to the carry
ing out of the general policy OF the ac-
ministratiOn.
ssAt last Col. Rice's aide Lieut. G. r.
D Macgregor, 26th infantry, whom the
district commander had put in charge OF
civil affairs last April, cut the Gordlan
knot Through acting as counsel before
a military commission In defence OF
some newspaper publishers who We're
charged with publishing seditious artic-
les. he won the friendship and esteem OF
the most clever and influential clique OF
the Island of Panay. These were men OF
wealth, education and travel and called
themselves 'neutrals' so far as the war
was concerned After the trial the Hett-
tenant had kept in touch with them, ar
had brought much influence ito bear o.
them to make them 'prO-American-' Vt
is well to make it plain what this 'neu-
trality' or apparent apathy meant.
Almost everywhere on the island Off
GERS and soldiers were met with smiling
faces, profound obeisances and the ut
most Difference. But when anything is
asked to be done in the nature of co-OD--
Grating with the Americans or that
might be regarded in the least cOnprOrn-
iSirg to their own absolute independ-
basllisIxs. Their heads had been turned
by -ulsome rhetoric, by ambitious pro-
jects for power and, moreover, they wete
in II Ortal fear of assassination by Quen-
tin Sails and his mini0ns if they recedCd
one step from the prescribed neutral
status. The officers of the Twenty-sixth
infa1try had toiled unremittingly 10
bring about peace and prosperity on the
island. They had Waged wars bravely
and well, but not relentleSSly and Tutli-
less.y. They had earnestly toiled to build
up rather than destroy, yet, despite the
improved conditions, the remarkable
lowering Of the death rate, the almost
total eradication Of smallpox and the in
creased cleanliness, beauty. prosperity
and peace Of the various towns, these
men had held aloof; and though appre-
ciative Of improved conditions and bet
ter methods had clung sullenly to their
prejudices and their cause. It was more
thar provoking and patience had almost
ceas ed to be a virtue
But on November p last ApOllonio LIE
Desma, one of the clique, decided to take
the OATH He said he had thoroughly
canVaSsed JarO and asked that all the
people Of that district might be given an
opportunity on the day following. lie
Desma and VillalobOs were then duly
sworn and on the following day hundreds
of Jaro citizens of all classes surged about
the post headquarters endeavoring to
swear allegiance. Two days later MOlo
followed suit and the oaths there quickly
ran into the thousands. Colonel Rice tel
egraphed all over the island announcing
that the ice had been broken and that
Jaro and MOlO had fallen into line. One
month later, on December p, the record
OF OathS taken in Panay was as follows:
Jaro 4.949; Molo $50; Potoam 2, ,429: Ca
batuan. 1852 Leon, ]. 739; Tfgbauan. 452;
Oton, 221; Cordovas, 277. San Miguel, l.
ia; Alimodial. 205; St. Barbara, 662; Io-
ilo. ?, 731; Barotace, 3170; Ma1durriaO. 500:
Miagao, 507; Guimbal, 112s Igbaras, 169;