El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-07-10
Views Differ on Invasion
Filipino Revolt Not Suspected When
Dewey Permitted Organization
of AEuinuIdO's Army
L. L. h. L
By Frederic }. HnskiR-

II Dewey Permitted Organization
Of AEuinuIdO's Army
I ---- By Frederic J. HnsI<in--
W. ASHINGTON, D. c., July 10
! NJ The story Of how the Amer
leans entered the Philippines
/ is one that always viii be involved
I in controversy. and it is yet too soon
/ to attempt to sift out the opinion and
+ the bias from the tale as IL IS told
I The main facts Of course, are ap-
/ parent, but the Interpretation put on
[ them by Americans and FilipinOs dir
I fers materially and Americans are by
[ no means united in their opinions
Brit0ns Caused Haste.
A day or two after war was declared
between Spain and the United states
on April a, 1898, to be exact commO-
dOre Dewey in command OF the amer
lean squadron at HOngkOng received
q dispatch from F. Spencer Pratt,
I United States cOnsul-general at sing
apOre, as follows
I VIII come 10 HOngkOng, arrange with
commodore for general c9opera ton m
insurgents Manila If desired. Tele-
graph" On the same day commodore
Dewey telegraphed in reply: Tell
/ AguinaldO- come as soon as possible
| The necessity for haste was due TO the
fact that the squadron had been or
dered by the British authorities under
! the neutrality laws to leave Hong
| kong by the following day Agulnalqo
did not leave singapore until the z6th,
and consequently reached HOnSkOng
after Dewey had left.
No ORGANIZED Revolt.
As early as March !, two weeks after
the Maine was blown up, and nearly
two months before war was declared
consul general Williams at Manila
had teleEraphed to commodore Dewey
that there were 5000 Filipino rebels
camped near the city who would be
loyal 20 the Americans in case of war
with Spain
Commodore Dewey and his squad
ron sailed into Manila Bay on that
memorable day of May I and imme-
diately engaged the Spanish fleet The
battle Of few hours destroyed the
Spanish forces but not an American
was killed.
Commodore Dewey found that there
was no organized insUrrectOn of the
FilipinOs against Spain at that time
aldo over He sent dispatch boat to
HOngkOng TO get AguinaldO- He ar
rived with Is of his staff on May 19
and Immediately boarded the flag
ship Olympia to call on the commander
in chief after which he was allowed
to land at Cavite and organize an
army. This was done in order to
strengthen American interests ashore
and TO weaken the enemy
FIIIpInOs Not Suspected.
Admiral Dewey has been severely
censured by some persons for this act
and others who sought TO escape It's
consequences say that "he could not
have IOreseen the insurrecuiOn and
neither he nor any Of his officers.
having no knowledge Of the Malay
character, could be expected to see
the designs that lurked beneath their
hOueyed pOlteness and sycOphantic
manners In other words. they could
not suspect that the FilipinOs fight
ing against Spanish dominion would
do otherwise than submit TO American
claims
I'd 3
because the American people had gone
to war with Spain for the avOwed
purpose Of assisting the Cubans TO
their Independence and prOfessedly
without any desire for territorial ag-
grandizement or colonial expansion
They also deny that AguinaldO's as
pirations for Filipino independence
may be correctly described as evil de-
signs. any more than Dewey's designs
were evil
Attacks on spaniards.
Shortly after AguinaldO had been
turned loose the FtliplnOs began to
attack the Spaniards- 1t must be re-
membered that although the battle Of
Manila bay was fought on May I, the
actual occupation of Manila by Amer
lean soldiers did not take place until
August Is It was during this interval
and while American troops were com
ing over that the reprisals on the
tile forces Of the FilipinOs grew
daily and their number was greatly
augmented by the native militia who
had previously been given arms by
Americans Great Filipino successes /
followed many Spaniards were taken
prisoners, and. while the Spanish
troops remained quietly in Manila the
Filipino forces made themselves mas
tiers Of the entire island except Man
la About this time AguinaldO issued
a proclamation IN which he was bold
enough to promise the FlllpinOs na--
tiOnal independence, claiming to speak Z
In behalf Of the American govern Z
ment- He also declared himself die
-atOr and appointed a cabinet.
FiIiDinOs Hamper Troops
The landing of the American troops I
az Paranaque on July IS incenSed I
AguinaldO to such degree that he /
that time but for his lack of arms and I
ammunition According to the 4
report of 1900 he finally [
decided to await the fall Of Manila.
enter the CITY with the American
troops. secure the arms OF the Span
sh soldiers If possible, and then turn
1pOn the Americans. Meanwhile he
sent TO the nelghbOrlng towns orders
Tor a passive resistance and for the
placing of as many obstacles as pos
'ible in the way Of the American
rOOps-
FHIpinOs Not in Battle.
The American army officers asserted
hat the FlipinOs had nothing what !
,ver to do with the capture and Oc-
0
ng that Filipinos merely followed I
hem into the city "fOr the purpose Of
COting. a purpose in which they were Z
hWarted by the Americans The Fill Z
pinOs assert that they entered the city Z
IS allies. They have been known to l
harge lOOting against Americans also
At any rate AguinaldO demanded the
light to occupy the city and claimed /
ne governor generals palace, control
.ver certain sections of the city. q
art Of the money that had been taken
rom the Spaniards. and above all.
he arms of the Spanish prisoners. Al /
hese demands were refused by Gen
Ierritt-
Aguinaldo then went to Malolos. %
niles from Manila. and set up a gov
rnment of his own He had a cabi-
et and a congress. and for several
-eeks attempts were made to bring
bout a peaceful settlement The
americans have charged that AEuin-
lido promised to write to president I
lCkinley that he was willing for the
mericans to remain in Manila. but Z
he course of events proved that he |
-anted to establish an independent [
epublic.
From the beginning there was bad I
lOOd" between the American and Fill
0inO soldiers The American officers
-ere not supported by any definite l
olicy at Washington and, as things I
-ere permitted to drift. it was newt
BILE that they should have drifted to-