The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1902-08-21

Washington most erroneous ideas OBJ
tanned, not only then but later, and still
| obtain, if actions can be considered cX-
pressive of them. Therefore Gen. An
derson was ignored and Otis soon sent
him back to Cavite to command that de-
| ity and Objectionable views might not EN-
| barrass the Commanding General in the
pursuance of the policy of doing nothing
that had been entered upon.
INTERVIEW WITH AN OFFICER OF AGUI-
NALDo's STAFF.
One day, about the time of the fiesta /
attended at San Fernando, I visited Capt.
ArevalO at his house in the San Sebas
tien district upon his invitation. AS l
drove up in my victoria no less than three
/ muchachos came ont to open the carriage
door. Others, stood: holding the large
street door open, and still others pointed
the way up the stairs. j knew at once
that the elder ArevalO, whose house it
was, must be both a wealthy and a kind
hearted man to maintain all these useless
servants, most of them doubtless family
retainers that had grown up in the house
hold.
Capt Arevalo met me in the main room
upstairs and l again became acquainted
for few minutes with his mother, the
hospitality Of whose house had enjoyed
| in Pasig before the capture Of Manila,
but she soon retired and left us alone.
A bottle of hot beer with q chunk of
ice, some sweet cakes and q package of
| cigarets constituted the visible employ
ment that engaged our attention, but in
fact he was endeavOring to learn from
me something of the American plans and
ideas with regard to the Philippines. He
wanted to know why it was the Ameri-
cans did not give the Filipinos their in
dependence, and in response to a question
from me he said that he meant an indie
pendent Government on the basis of the
one then being formed at Malolos, the
United States to act as a protector from
all other nations.
l asked him If he expected the United
States to protect such a Government from
the consequences Of its misdeeds or to as
sumo responsibility for them without any
power to direct or avert them. l also
asked him if he thought the United States
would stand sponsor for a Government
of the Tagals over the remainder of the
Philippine tribes, or If he expected the
army of the United States to help the
Tagals keep the remaining tribes in sub
lection to their Government.
/ told him l was in no position to speak
for the Government being but soldier
under orders. which 1 should obey, what
ever they were, and / knew nothing of
the policy of the Administration at Wash
ington nor Of the status Of public senti-
ment in the United States; but said
there was one thing of which l felt GER
tain as a citizen of the great republic.
and that was that the United States would
never occupy a position of responsibility
for the deeds Of Government. in the Phil
ippines without retaining the power to
direct them, and that / was sure, as soon
as the people of the United States I'M
derstood the great diversity of tribes and
customs Of the inhabitants of the archi-
pelago they would never indOrse the prop
ostiOn that one of those tribes should be
aided by the United States in imposing
by military force an arbitrary Govern
ment over all the others, as the Tagals
were preparing to do, and as he seemed
to think was right.
/ told him he was viewing the matter
simply as a Tagal and not as an inhab-
liant of the Philippine Islands in broad
sense, and that Aguinaldo and those who
were aiding him to set up military Gov
eminent in the name Of a republic all oc-
| cupied the same narrow and selfish posi-
ton, and that they could not hope for the
people Of the United States to view the
matter through their eyes, except as they
might be able to confuse the situation
and make the American people believe
that Aguinaldo and those with him ac-
tually represented the people of the Phil.
| ippine Islands, which they did not. Cant.
Arevalo referred to editorials in some Of
the American papers favoring independ-
ence for the Philippines and speeches in
Congress to the same effect. but I told
him those were based upon ignorance of
conditions or were the utterances of the
orists who neither understood nor cared
for practical difficulties in the way of the
application Of their theories. Mere theo.
rists, however beautiful the theory pro-
pounded or desirable the attainment of it,
never accomplished anything practical to
promote the ultimate triumph of their
theories. 1 said. but rather served as oh.
structionists to those practical measures
that were necessary to lead up to n final
realization of their theory, and that he
would discover that these alleged friends