New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-02-14
LITERARY CRITICISM
AND BOOK NEWS
America in the Philippines: Professor Worces
ters Statement OF Our Achievements
and Duties-Other Reviews.
FACTS AND SANE JUDGMENTS

, AZ y AMI OfNiNe
THE PHILIPPINES. PAST AND PRS
TNT. BY Dean &. Worcester Nty 80
81 The Interior of the Philippine lSlahuS
raoi-telg. Member Of the Philippine C0il
mission 1900 1918. Author Of The fhlnp
,,ine Tslands and Their People. IN I've
Volumes. with 1cS plates. \oi. J. oNV
ID viii 800. The Macmillan 'o'np""'
We can now almost forgive Judge
Blount for that egregious book OF DIS
which Mr.. Bryan praised SO highly ana
which we had the pleasure OF putting
INTO the pillory. II was a scanualous
,hirg for him to write IL. But then IL
Inspired. or provoked. so much Of TINS
present volume which might not nave
been written without II, and or when
ia voi,ld not miss one word. Proies-
sor Worcester would probably nave
written = comprehensive work on the
philippines in any case, had the Blount
gcreed never appeared. But II Wouid
not have been quite this kind Of book
and this is really just the kind OF book
that is needed. II is far cry back 10
Riacnabato and Aguinaldo's rebellion.
Rut since there are those who VIII keep
harping upon dlscredited fctions and
libels Of the past, with purpose OF pres
rnt mischief. q is we'll to have them
once for al time put TO confusion WIN
The convincing authority Of one VINO
knows and who cites the full text
chapter and verse. Of every essential
record.
First. then. as 10 the story, whlch
Judge Rlount revamped. about Agui-
naldo being in p,lissant rebellion when
Dewey went 10 Manila, and about
Dewey and Pratt making Official
promises TO him Of Filipino IN
dependence. The facts are that Agul-
raldo and his comrades ended their
rebellion I'm the treaty OF Blac-
nahato in December. 1897, for the sum
OF $500. 900 in Spanish gold, on which
,hev we're 20 live somewhere outside OF
the islands. At Hong Kong they
formed another iunta, intended TO 10
ment another rebellion as soon as they
had got ell their pay for abandoning
the first one. But Aguinaldo held the
pursestrings. and was so chary about
letting the other exiles have a share
that the latter appealed TO the courts
for a square deal" Thereupon Aguin-
aldo. reluctant 20 let the secrets or the
junta be revealed put himself beyond
the Jurisdiction Of the Hons kons
court by fitting 10 Singapore. There
he met Pratt. our consul general, but
as the one could speak no English and
the other no Spanish, intercourse be-
tween them was conducted by one
Bray. an English journalist Of ambi-
tious imagination. more picturesque
than veracious; from whose mediate
rial ministrations presently proceeded
tho germ OF the legend about the
promises" aforesaid. In fact, there
were no such promises" explicit or
implied. Dewey long ago gave them
for his account. tho most direct ano
plenary denial, and we assume that his
word stands, even against Blount Gun
Ag1inaldo. AS for the somewhat i'm
pressible end convivial Pratt, our au-
thor produces document after document
70 make infallibly clear that he not
only did not make such promises, but
also repeatedly declared 20 Aguinaldo
his lack of authority 10 make them OF
even 10 discuss the question OF Amer
lean policy in tho islands; this as early
e. April. before Dewey went to Manila
A little later Aguinaldo, with char
acteristic deceit, strove to suppress the
utterances OF representative Fflipinos
I'm favor Of loyal acquiescence III
American sovereignty. But Professor