The National tribune., 1902-12-25
LAST SOCIAL FUNCTION BEFORE HOSTILE
TIES.

LAST SOCIAL FUNCTION BEFORE HOSTILE
The second ball, that on Christmas
night, was at the rooms of the Filipino
Club. This was an organization of Mes.
tizos, and only half dozen Americans
were present, being a few of US who had
made special friendships with a few Fill
pino families of influence, all of them in
the Aguinaldo coterie. In fact, this club
was composed exclusively Of the instiga-
tors and managers of the insurrection
which broke out a few weeks later. We
were treated with politeness, but cordiali-
ty was lacking. About the rooms strutted
Generals and Colonies and tenientes of
the Aguinaldo army, then quartered in
what were practically besieging positions
just beyond the city limits. They were
pompous little popinjays, some of them
in freshlymade and stiffly-starched khaki
uniforms, others in the blue-striped bed
tick uniform of the Spanish army, also
starched and ironed stiff, and others in
white, but all of them covered with braid
and gold cord, and wearing swords and
looking very brave and warlike, and no
doubt feeling still more so. They did
much boastihg of their fighting ability
They and their soldiers were 'snuy val
iente," and could whip anything that
walked the face Of the earth in uniform.
One SPECIAL organization wore red
trousers. These were "Aguinaldos
Tigers" or the red legs" as our men
called them. A few weeks later these
same red legs were occasionally seen fit
ting among the bamboo clumps while their
wearers were making haste to get out of
the way of the biue-fannel shirt and cam
paign hat of the despised American vol
unteer.
We did not feel entirely comfortable at
this Filipino Club bale, notwithstanding
the reassuring smiles of our special friends
who had invited us there, and we were
impressed with the fact that the Christ
mas season typical of peace OH earth was
in the Philippines at least. but the thresh-
hold of war. This was the last social func-
ton, think, at which Americans and Fill
pinOS met. Matters became suddenly criti-
cal few days later, and in February the
hostilities began. Bales there are again
in Manila where the Mestizos and the
Americanos meet on social equality and
in amity of spirit, but Aguinaldos red legs
are not there, or if they are present they
have changed the color of their trowsers
The Americans are wearing the same uni
form they did before.
1t was at the Christmas eve ball that
l was made to realize how expansion had
made many brothers and sisters for us
of whom we took little thought. One of
my Mestizo friends, who was somewhat
of joker, took me up to somewhat port
ly lady of a complexion several shades
darker than "kOfe con leche," and intro
duced me as being ia mismo sangre."
looked at the lady who was thus asserted
to be of the same blood as myself to see
if personal relationship was meant. Be
ing fairly well acquainted with my family
history, l came to thu conclusion that
had not suddenly found long lost cousin,
but that it was nationality that was
meant. The lady, l was informed, was
the wife of German merchant. Rather
dark for Teutonic blood, l thought, and
asked the nature of the blood kinship she
claimed with Americans. Why, she said,
for she could talk English little. 81 was
born in the Hawaiian Islands, and as they
are now part of the United States, we
are all of the same blood now" She was
a full blood Kanaka,