Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1901-04-03
ADMIRAL DtwfY NItRWtwID.
Believes the Capture Of Aguinaldo Will
Bring hostilities TO Speedy
Close.

New York, March ~. - Admiral
Dewey was n tthe Albemarle hotel to-.
day and was interviewed as to the
probable effect Of the capture of Ag-
uinaldo. Hesaid:
81 am delighted to hear this news.
OF course we had the warning n few
days ago that It might occur, but il
looked like very risky undertaking,
and II Funston had lost his life every
one wotld have said: IL told you so. I"
1t appears TO be very creditable
piece of work on the part OF Funston
and in keeping with previouscxploits.
1t was, In fact, case Of fighting the
devil with fire. II Il large force had
gone against Aguinaldo hc would not
have been found. but this was kind
Of strategy Of thcir own though, and
appears to have succeeded perfectly.
"Aguinaldo Is most amiable little
fellow. He does nat have the educa-
tion with which he has been credited,
and he was not really the brains OF
the insurrection. Mabini was really
the brains OF the Filipino rebellion
and Aguinaldo was the actlvcleader.
l admit | did not give him credit for
the abilities that he has shown, but
he Is certainly not man OF very
great ability. One thing | wonder
about Is that the dispatches today
from Manila describe him as talking
freely When | first saw him he was
notably rcticent, and n good deal of
his strength came from tie fact that
he did not talk much. The people be.
lieved he was invulnerable, however,
aud that no harm could be done to
him. There was Il story current, In
fact, that n dozen Uf men had stood
up and fired at him rs n test. sup.
pose there were no bulletsin in thcgu
That story went everywhere. The
ptoIit uit ih'NaoNis HhpNi anu
believed that no harm could befall
him. 1t will take some time now for
the news of his capture To become
circulated and the first report will be
doubted, but when they are con-
vinced OF 1t believe that organized
resistance will collapse"
"What do you think ought to be
done with Aguinaldo?"
Well, 1t seems 10 me as good n
thing as could be done for the pres
ent would be to send him to Guam.
1t Is the same climate as the Philip
pines and there will be NO hardship
in the chans., uId there wOuiu be nu
chance to pose.
Admiral Dewey continued: Look
ing over the events Of the past two
years, | am sometimes impressed
with the idea that IL is possible the
trouble with the FillpinOsmight have
been avoided, but when say that |
say 1t because hindsight Is II great
deal better than foresight. / have M
criticism for any one, but IL can be
seen now how the Americans who
first went there hurt the pride of the
Filipinos. II we had nude greater
effort to flatter them IL ispossible the
thing would have gone nioresmooth.
ly, but l wish to say that at the be.
ginning don't believe Aguinaldo had
any idea of independence at all. They
simply hated the Spaniards. They
hated them, say, and they wanted
to get rid OF them In any way pos
sible. They looked upon US as theiT
deliverers and they did anything W,
told them to. Afterward, think, II
was simply u case Of success turning
a mans head in the case OF Aguinaldo
don't believe that ut first he had
any idea Of attempting to set up al
Independent republic. As tn the mat
ter Of our relations with the Philipi
nos, the history has never yet beer
written. | have all the letters ant
documents pertaining to ii and | cx
pect some day to write the history %
the affair. When all Of the documents
are published it will be pericc ly elem
that no obligations rested upon th'
American forces to treat the Flllpl
nos as allies.
"Agulnaldo was always, as | said
a most amiable man, and personally
would not wish him the slightest
harm, but believe, ias | said, thut
his capture means the end Of organ
lied resistance"