The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, February 6, 1899, Page 4

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1899. he na- above all. We abandoned everything save Cavite and Manila, allowing tflngers tive troops to hem In our own, and Aguinaldo slipped through our because the Washington Government and General Otls did not see fit to irritate the Filipinos. The Filipinos have now irritated us. The Amercian army is besieged in Manila, and the next dispatches will probably show that the aux- fliary force at Cavite is aléo besieged. 3 There need be no fear that the Americans will be beaten. ‘The natives can neve ake Manila or Cavite—and if they took either Dewey could make their position untenable. From Cavite to Malabon the whole sweep of shore line lies under the guns of the fleet, and there can be no concentration at Paco, Santa Ana and Santa Mesa, the points beyond the range of the guns on lheAshlps, in sufficlent force to drive back the Americans. That Aguinaldo has 30,000 men is probably true enough. He may have more. He can have as many as he likes, for every native over 15 years old is a soldier, and all hate the Americans. His men, no matter in what force, are badly armed, and the American position,despite the foolish abandonment of the old Spanish trenches everywhere excepting be- fore Malate to the insurrectors,, is a strong one. It will be a disastrous, not a declsive war. American prestige will suffer most through having permitted war to come about at all. There is small mea ns of telling, at this distance, where the California Regi- ment is stationed in the action. The boys were in barracks on the south side of the Pasig, about two miles by the shortest of roads from Paco, where the heaviest fighting will probably take place, for there is the headquarters of Gen- eral Pio del Pilar. In being thrown forward the line of least resistance would carry the California boys to Paco inevitably. Wherever they are, from what I know by associatibn of the temper of the men and the character of their officers, I know that the Californians are doing their duty gloflosbgll-ly. N. SHERIDAN. THE SITUATION AS SEEN BY F. A. HEALY. F the telegraphic reports are cor- rect twenty Americans have dled and over two hundred have re- celved wounds in teaching the Fili- pinos that when they battle with “Old Glory” they battle; and that when the men from the West turn loose there is something more than child's play to be expected. Of course T know nothing definite concerning the causes that led to the conflict—it being over seven weeks since I left Manila—but, judging from the situation as it appeared to me in December, I can only ascribe two rea- sons for the conflict—either hasty and {ll-advised action on the part of some subordinate officer, Filipino or Amer- ican, or a desire on the part of Aguin- aldo to annoy the Americans as much as possible, with the hope that addi- tio- al trouble might cause the Amer- feans to propose a settlement of the trouble on a monetary basis. The city of Manila, at present, is as safe from Filipino capture as the city of San Francisco. Two-thirds of its approaches are absolutely at the mercy of the guns of Dewey’s fleet, while three thousand men would be more than enough to protect the others and repulse any attack which the Filipinos could make. No one knows this any better than Aguinaldo himself, and no one more thoroughly realizes how hopeless it is for the natives to dream of sacking the place and putting to rout the twenty-five thousand American sol- diers that are now in garrison there. The only idea of war the Filipinos have is that which they have obtained from the Spanish. Their leaders probably thought they could carry on a cam- paign on the old lines, which meant to sit in the trenches and subject the city to a rifle hombardment every evenin The Spaniards always contented them- selves with keeping under cover and standing ready to repulse any actual as- sault. They never advanced out to the attack. The Filipinos probably thought the Americans would do the same thing and so started the ball rolling. I imag- ine they are more than surprised at the result. Our outposts and those of the insurgents were very near together. Possibly gome trouble occurred at one of them. Some one was shot, and the firing, run- ning along the entire line on both sides, brought on a general engagement. When'I left Manfla I knew the situation was strained, but I did not imagine the break would occur until our Congress had shown its hand, if at all. At no time has the tension been so great but a little judicious diplomacy would have caused it to relax. Now that the ball is opened the dance is very likely to con- tinue. It will be no general engagement, but bushwhacking, which may continue for years. Relatives at home here will worry, out I am confident that:when the actual losses are known they will be shown to be much smaller than those at first re- ported. Of course I know nothing of the disposition of the troops or of what part was played by the Californians. But this I do know, that their part, what- ever it was, was well played, for the old grizzly is as nasty an animal to tackle amid the morasses of Luzon as he has proved himself to be in the mountain fast- nesses of his native California. F. A. HEALY. “THEY LACK DISCIPLINE,” SAYS O'BRIEN. R. A. P. O'BRIEN, captain and assistant surgeon, First Cali- fornia United States Volunteers, In an interview yesterday said: “I am perfectly famillar with the ground the insurgents now occupy. They are still in the same position they occupied when I left Manila on De- cember 16. The position held by the American troops is impregnable, while the ground the insurgents hold, which is old Camp Dewey, can be swept from end to end by the American fleet. Be- fore the American soldiers captured Manila 1t was strongly fortified, and since then our men have been active in adding strength to the positions and placing batteries of artillery at every advantageous point. On the opposite side of Manlila Captain O'Hara is sta- tloned with the Third United States. Artillery, while the Utah Battery is at a place called Binondo, so it will be impossible for the enemy to reach Man!la from any other place than that from which they now attack us. We heard numerous reports about the insurgents be- \ng over 40,000 strong. If that is really their number they are practically useless, 15 they are badly armed and lack discipline, and can be compared only to an armed mob. The insurgents never had a good fight with the Spaniards, and only forced them back to Manila from the interior owing to the Spaniards hearing that America and Spain had just gone to war and the Spanish were simply acting on the defensive. Every time the insurgents drove them from their outposts it was owing to the Spaniards being outnumbered four to one. I do not consider this conflict at all serious, and I believe the Insurgents’ war tactics will all go up in smoke.” DR. RETHERS SAYS HE HAS NO FEAR. tain and assistant surgeon of the First California Regiment, U. 8. V., speaks regarding the situa- tion as follows: “I do not look upon this conflict with the insurgents at Manila with any fear riousne: My impressions of the insurgents when I was in Manila on duty were that they had no fight in them. But nevertheless they are under the impression that on account of the good-natured and kindly manner in which the Americans have treated them that we are afraid of them. A prominent insurgent just before I left Manila in a conversation with me re- marked that all we Were entitled to was Manila, and that they should have the rest of the islands. Their way of fighting is somewhat similar to that of ihe Spanish. They like to stay in trenches and behind cover and shoot away without direction. “In my opinion the insurgents can fight as long as they want to in thelr posi- tion and can do no damage, as they are directly in line with the American fleet, besides having to face our American soldiers on shore.” & DR. THEODORE RETHERS, cap- A FIXED BATTLE WILL DECIDE IT. with the United States army at Manila until the departure of General Merritt for Paris, was seen yesterday. “I have 'not least doubt DJUTANT GENERAL J. B. BABCOCK, now in this city, and who was as to the outcome of the insurgents’ attack upon the city of Manila. Since my departure from Manila our army has been strengthened by the addition of new regiments and the disposition of the troops has also undergone a change. The insurgents have a certain discipline, thought not equal to that of the Spanish. If they would fight a fixed battle our forces would scatter them forever and that would be the end of their attack- ing force. But if they take to the the mountains desultory fighting would be the order of warfare and the struggle would be protracted. “The men at Manila, regulars and volunteers, are well disciplined and good fighting soldiers. The volunteers will conduct themsely like soldiers, no matter what the contingency, and they have more or less experience gained in the battle of Manila. the insurgents.” I look to a speedy termination of the difficulties with HUMAN TORCHES RAN ABOUT THE STREETS Scenes Attend a Conflagra- tion in a Town in Hungary. LONDON, Feb. 6—The Daily, Tele- graph publishes the following dispateh Horrible from Vienna: Terrible scenes were wit- nesged in the conflagration last Tuesday night which destroyed the whole village of Nagyprobroez, in the Liptau district of Hungary. Twenty men, literally in flames, ran about the streets until they dropped insensible. Many were trodden by maddened animals. Others were frozen to death in the open fields. Twent; charred bodies have been recovered, ani ninety of the survivors are suffering from ul burns, several belng bl ing the NEW YORK, Feb. 5.—Agoncillo, the agent of Aguinaldo In Washington, with his friend and colleague, Marti, passed through New York to-day on his way to Montreal, Canada. They left Washington on midnight, Satur- day, and reached New York at 7 o’clock this morning. They went to the Hotel Manhattan and walted until nearly 6:30 o’clock in the evening before they could get a train for Montreal. If appearances mean anything, Agon- cillo, sitting in a Pullman sleeper as the Montreal train pulled out of the Grand Central Station to-night. was the most thoroughly frightened indi- vidual in the United States. Two detectives were walting in the Grand Central Station, near the door through which the Filipinos passed to the train. Both denied they were se- cret service men. They said they were employed by a private agency to watch for another man who was supposed to be on the way to Montreal. When the Filipinos passed the ticket examiners the detectives turned and left the. sta- tion. A reporter accompanied the Fili- pinos as far as Poughkeepste. “Yes,” said Marti, “Senor Agoncillo will talk gladly on any subject.” “Does he know,” asked the reporter, “there are detectives in the station?” companion and Agoncillo jumped. He looked at his watch. It was a minute or two after the time the train should have started. “Why do not we move?’ he asked anxiously. “Are you going to Montreal?” was asked. “Yes,” he said, “I am going on a personal errand—a business matter.” “Are you running away from Wash- ington?"” This question stirred Agoncillo to in- dignant speech. Sometimes he spoke two or three words in English, often a rapid succession of sentences in Span- ish, which Marti translated. “We go to-day,” he said, “but come back to-morrow. I go to get informa- tion. The authorities have stopped all my telegrams. 1 must go to Montreal to get them. If telegrams had been per- have given much advice to the Gov- politics and the vote on the The Amerfcan newspapers are most unscrupulous. There has been no fight. It is not reasonable. To-morrow the treaty will be voted. If after it had been voted there was a fight, it would not be so surprising, but the day be- fore—it is silly. It is not official.” He was told of the later dispatches describing the details. He could only repeat they could not be true, because not official. Admiral Dewey's dispatch to the Secretary of the Navy then was laid before him. He talked to Marti for a long time in Spanish about it. “When did it reach Washington?"” he asked? “To-day, in the forenoon.” Agoncillo and Marti looked at one an- other and giggled. The train was slow- ing up at Yonkers. Agoncillo wanted to know what place it was. “How far is it from New York?” he asked, and then: “How far from Wash- ington?” and then: “How far away is Montreal?” “This country is very big,” he said, reflectively, after he had pondered the replies for a while. After a pause he added: “Seventy-two million people. It is a big country.” “A very big country, you mean, to fight with,” suggested the reporter. Agoncillo straightened up, laughed uneasily and told Marti to tell the re- porter he had no thought of fighting, but only of love and friendship. “I am sure,” he said, “it has not been a battle. Nothing but an incident.” “Have you thought of your position in this country, now thdt your people have fought the American soldiers?” “Not pleasant,” he sald, “when I come to you to have you make friends and love, to have you say to me: ‘My brother and your brother have quar- reled over there. We don't want to make friends—go away, get out.’” “Did you not send dispatches to Ma- nila or Malolos advising the Filipinos to act before the treaty was voted upon?” : “No,” he sald, I did nothing like that. “The dispatch was made public by Washington authorities, wasn’t it?” “No; you are mistaken.” The train now at Tarrytown. “What place is this?” he asked. “How far ig it from Washington? How far away is Montreal” “If the United States determines upon annexation,” Agoncillo was ask- ed, “how long will the Filipinos fight before they give in?” uMutl undertook to answer this ques- on. “At least ten years,” he said, “if everything was favorable to the Americans.” “Will you stay ten years in Mon- treal?” Both Marti and Agoncillo laughed.. “We come back to-morrow to Wash- ington, direct to-morrow.” They denied vigorously they had as- affect treaty. t is not true. Marti translated the inquiry to his | mitted to me in Washington I might | ernment. I can learn nothing from Manila except at Montreal. It is too ba“d\’Vha: do you think about yesterday's battle?” “Jt is false,” he said. “It is what | you call here, I think, ‘fake’ It is to AGONCILLO TALKS OF THE FIGHT Interviewed While Fleeing to the Canadian Border. ' Giggles Knowingly When Told of Dewey’s Dispatch Report- Attack. serted on leaving Washington they | were going to Baltimore and exhibited | through tickets from Washington to Montreal as evidence. The tickets ’were stamped with the Washington City station of the Pennsylvania rail- road date mark. He sald they had registered at the hotel Manhattan under their own names and had no desire to conceal | their movements from anybody. They spent the day walking about New York and had been much impressed by the size of the city and the big buildings. Out of this talk Agoncillo branched ab- ruptly with the question: “Will the treaty pass to-morrow?” “Probably, because of the fizht—the incident,” he was told. “It will be good news for Spain,” he said. ‘““They will get $20,000,000. I must come back to-morrow as soon as is pos- sible.” ‘“What if the United States forbids you to come back?” “If T see it in the newspapers I will | put it in my pocket and bring it back with me with contempt. If it is offi- cial to me, Agoncillo, why th I will stay away. Yes, I will stay away. ' Tell everybody we have nothing to do with the fight—the incident. Advise friend- ship, good, kind words, be diplomats, get everything at Washington by kind- ness of good-hearted American peoble. No fight, no, no—an incident, altogether quite an incident. How' far 1s this place from Washington, and how far | away is Montreal? I thank you. Good- Back to-morrow:” | by. |OTIS AND DEWEY TOO MUCH FOR THE FILIPINOS WASHINGTON, Feb. 5—Admiral Dewey to-day cabled the Navy Depart- ment that hcstilities had begun be- tween the American army and navy | forces in and about Manila and the | Philippine insurgents. The insurgents, he said, had been the aggressors and had been repulsed. The following is the message ceived: | MANILA, Feb. 5.—To the Secre- tary of the Navy, Washington: In- surgents here inaugurated general engagement yesterday night, which has continued to-day. The American army and navy is generally success- ful. Insurgents havs been driven back and our line advanced. No cas- ualties to the navy. DEWEY. The news came like a shock, for the administration though apprised that an ugly situation prevailed in the Philip- pines, had clung steadily to a hope that by tact and patience actual fighting might be averted, and even those pub- lic men who felt that hostilities would follow should the treaty be ratified, and the United States attempt to occupy the islands, believed that Aguinaldo would not force the fighting when the treaty of peace was in its most critical stage. Some Senatorial opponents of ratification of the treaty -adhere to their position, but the general opinion in Washington to-night is that the news from Manila insures the ratifica- tion of the treaty to-morrow afternoon. The news of the beginning of another war came from Admiral Dewey. No word had been received from General Otis up to nightfall. It seems to be Dewey's fortune al- ways to be able to report favorable news, and like all of his messages that have gone before, this cablegram told of the success of the American forces |in the action. It was with great regret, however, that the administration learned that the insurgents had forced the issue. It had hoped all along that they could be brought to see the ad- vantages of placing their trust in the American people and relying upon the President to deal justly with them. The administration argued that with the Philippine Commission fairly on the sea en route for Manila, bringing with them messages from the President and with the peace treaty. still unacted on, it was not to be expected that they would refuse to wait to learn the purposes of the American Government and would precipitate - the long-impending con- flict. ‘While this was true, the officials here and the officers in Manila had not been blind to the treaty contained in the situation there, and every preparation has been made for just what occurred last night. It is now acknowledged that fear of an outbreak in Luzon was the explanation for the much-commented on failure of General Miller to force a landing at Iloilo, on the island of Panay; Otis felt that he wanted all of the troops at Manila, where was lo- cated the center of the danger. Part ‘of Miller's force, therefore, was re- turned to Manila and that General was re- a battalion of artillery, just sufficient to take advantage of any defection of Filipinos, but enough to force his way ashore and hold. Rather as a formal authorization—for he did not need the instruction—Dewey was told to co- operate fully with General Otis in any measures the latter might take. It is believed that it was unknown to the in- surgents, but some of the American warships were moved quietly into posi- d tions where they perfectly left with one regiment of regulars and | the insurgent trenches and defenses and could shell them with effect if an outbreak occurred. This movement was effected more than ten days ago, and the administration has not felt se- rious apprehension of General Otis’ ability to at least hold his own. g The American position might have been generally strengthened, it is said, by a judicious extension of the line in certain directions, and also by taking summary measures to prevent the operations of the insurgents in taking up positions and organizing forces. President McKinley took the view that, perhaps, under a strict construction of the terms of the protocol, which still holds good in the absence of the ratifi- cation of the treaty, he lacked author- ity ‘to extend the field of occupation of the Americans. The fact that the in- surgents themselves have been the first to break the truce, practically releases the United States from further obliga- tion in this respect, so that General Otis was unquestionably warranted, in the opinion. of the administration offi- cials, in extending his lines as Dewey reports he had done. The situation is regarded here as rather anomalous from a diplomatic standpoint. Legally, the Filipinos are still Spanish subjects. Therefore, if operations continue outside of the lim- its of Manila, as laid down in the proto- col, it will amount to a resumption of the war with Spain, at least techni- cally. Officials noted one little flaw in Dew- ey’s dispatch, in which he spoke of the American army and navy as ‘‘gener- ally successful,” conveying just the least intimation that at some points the results were not as satisfactory as at others. It is inferred here that this might mean the development of weak- ness at some of the more exposed points on the American lines, which might be easily explained by the fact that the attack was made at night, perhaps in places where the insurgents could creep closer up to the shelter of the tropical jungle that grows nearly up into the town of Manila. Every confi- dence, however, is felt that General Otis is master of the situation. This confidence is based not only on this morning’s cablegram, but from re- peated assurances to that effect con- veyed by General Otis to Washington from time to time during the past few months. The forces under his com- mand, as shown by the records of the Adujtant General's office, December 10, the ddte of the last report, were 21,649 troops, and of these there were present for duty 19,516 men. This command is composed of the following organiza- tions: Company A, United States Engineer Battalion; Companies C, E, G, T, K and L, Fourth United States Cavalry; troop of Nevada Cavalry; Companies G, H, K and L of the Third, and D and G of the Sixth United. States Artillery; Com- pantes A and B of the Utah Artil- lery and the First Wyoming Battery; the Third and Fourth United States Infantry; the Fourteenth and Com- panies B, D, F, H, I, M, L and N of the Seventeenth United States Infan- try; the Eighteenth, Twentieth and Twenty-third United States Infantry; - the First California, the First Colorado, the First Idaho, the Fifty-first Towa, the Twentieth Kansas, the Thirteenth Minnesota, the First Montana, the First Nebraska, the First North Dakota, the Second Oregon, the Tenth Pennsyl- vania, the First South Dakota, the First Tennessee, the First Washington and the First Wyoming Regiments of Volunteer Infantry. A portion of this force, the Eighteenth Infantry and a battery of artillery, are at Iloilo, where General Miller was sent a month or more ago. Approximately 6000 men are on their way to join Gen- eral Otis, in four separate expeditions, though none is expected to reach Ma- nila for three weeks or a month. These are the Fourth and four companies of the Seventeenth Infantry, 1728 men, under General Lawton, which sailed from Gibraltar last Friday; the Twen- tieth Infantry, comprising 37 officers and 1268 men, under General Wheaton, which left San Francisco January 27; the Twenty-second Infantry, in com- mand of Colonel Egbert, which left San Francisco early in the present month, and 2000 mén and officers of the Third and Seventeenth United States Regi- ments of Infantry, which left New York Friday on the Sherman. There is a big transport, the Sheri- dan, now making ready in New York to tarry the Twelfth Infantr and a bat- talion of the Seventeenth Infantry, 1820 men in all, and ‘she will start not later than the 14th inst. That is all that can be supplied to General Otis in the way of reinforcements, according to General Corbin, if the soldiers are to be of service in this campaign. More, of course, will follow as rapidly as they can be gotten ready if General Otis needs them in any future operations he may plan, but, as already stated, it is believed this particular crisis will have passed before they can be transported the great distance from the United States to Manila. These troops, with those now in Cuba, represent the cream of the American army, according to General Corbin. It is true that only about 3000 of General Otis soldiers are regulars, but his volunteer soldiers have been under thorough discipline and training for months, some as much as eight months, and many participated in the engagements attending the cap- ture of Manila, and are practically as good as regulars. No one here knows the real strength of the insurgents opposed to General Otis. . The accounts of their number are conflicting and none of them comes from reliable sources. Still, the best bellef of the authorities of the War Department is that they number about 30,000 men, but they are not compar- able to the American forces in person- nel, discipline or quality of arms. It is known that they have some Maus- ers, some Remingtons and a variety of other fire arms, and it is suspected they have been quite plentifully sup- plied with ammunition from outside sources. Taken as a whole, this arma- ment is decidedly inferior ‘to that of the American troops. Then, with in- experienced officers, in many cases even the colonels of regiments being not more than 21 years of age, and their lack of knowledge of tactics, they are at a great disadvantage. Their strong point is their knowledge of the country and a certain fanatical bravery in on- glaught that would be formidable to a volunteer force not well trained to stand fire. Like the Cubans, they rely too much on a sword-like weapon. cor- responding. to the machete, a weapon of little value against long-range rifies. “Altogether the War Department of- ficials have not the slightest doubt of " POWER WILL " BE CRUSHED Otis Will Be Follow Instructed to Up His Victory. Filipino Leader to Suffer the Pun- ishment That His Treach- ery Deserves. NEW YORK, Feb. 5.—A Washington special to the Herald says: Instruc- tions will be sent to Major General Otis to-morrow directing him to follow up his victory over the incurgents and crush the power of Aguinaldo in the Philippines. This was the decision | reached at an important Cahinet meet- ing held at the White House to-night, attended by the President, Secretary Hay, Secretary Alger, Attorney General Griggs and Adjutant General Corbin. It was further decided, now that Aguinaldo has thrown down the gaunt- let, that Iloilo shall be taken and the islands of the archipelago occupied as rapidly as possible and to the extent that General Otis’ forces will permit. It was pointed out to-night that Aguin- aldo and his followers have placed themselves within that provision of the President’s proclamation declaring it to be the purpose of our Government to hold to strict accountability those re- | sponsible for the disturbance of the peace and order .f the islands or who fail to recognize the supremacy of the United States. It was with full knowl- edge, therefore, of the action which this Government would take that Aguinaldo directed the. assault on the American lines, and the authorities say he will now suffer the punishment his treachery deserves. Beyond the adoption of a policy of prosecuting the campaign vigorously, in order to break tl- backbone of the insurrection as rapidly as possible, no action was taken to-night. General Otis already has instructions fully covering the emergency which faces him. He was directed some time ago not to attack the insurgents, but to resist attack and to follow up any advantage which he might —ain, and his instructions to-morrow will. there- fore, be only in the r-‘ure of an au- thorization to vigorously continue the campaign. It is the belief of the Presi- dent and members of his Cabinet that the defeat of Aguinaldo on the island of Luzon will impress the natives of the other islands with the strength of this Government and cause them to aban- don any ideas they may possess of joining Aguinaldo’s Insurrectionary movement. It developed during the discussion in the White *ouse - to-night that the President feels that consideration must soon be given to the character of gov- ernment to be provided for the archi- pelago. Confident of th> success of the American campai~n he believes it will be wise to display magnanimity in the treatment of the insurgents when they are finally defeated. Special satisfac- tion is felt in administration circles at General Otis’ extension of his lines. in view of the fact that he will now be able to afford ample protection to the works wefch supply the city with water. General Miles expressed to-day some fear that the insurgents might have attempted to destroy the works, but while General Otis has made no re- port with special refererc to them the authorities believe they have not been injured. General Otis’ ability to hold his posi- tion indefinitely.and the only cause for apprehension is the fear that by taking to the interior of the country practi- cally impassable for American troops in the approaching rainy season, a pro- longed Indian fighting style of cam- paign may follow. - \ Besides his soldiers, General Otis has at his back in Manila Bs— command- ing the city, a veritable Rock of Gib- raltar in Dewey's fleet. - With the ves- sels he now has and those about to join him, Dewey will have twenty-one ships of various types. warships »o has now nine, as follows: The flagship Oiympia, Boston, Balti- more, Charleston, Concord, Monad- nock, Monterey, Petrel and Buffalo. He also has three armed supply ships which are as effective as a war- ship almost in attacking troops outside of fortifications and in maintaining the blockade. They are the Culgoa, the Nanshan and the Zafiro. The ves- sels on the way to join Dewey are the gunboat Helena, now at Colomibo; the Castine, at Gibraltar; the Princeton, due at Port Said Tuesday; the Ben- nington, the Brutus and Yorktown, probably at Guam,.on their way to Manila; the battleship Oregon and the water-boat Iris at Honolulu. The So- lace is about to start any moment from Norfolk for Manila. This leaves out of account the army transports under Otis’ command, which could be made of great service. The fleet cannot opperate against | troops in the interior, but undoubtedly Dewey immediately will draw a tight cordon of blockading vessels around the Island of Luzon and make a’spe- cial effort absolutely to cut off the in- surgents from the supplies and ammu- nition which they must have to carry on the war. R DAVIS CONFIDENT Of full-fledged | | change my opinion and OF RATIFICATION NEW YORK, Feb. 5.—The Washing- | ton correspondent of the Herald sends the following: Senator Davis, chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations, feels confident that the peace treaty will be ratified. He sald to me to- night: “I cannot see how the result| can now be otherwise, It -has been| made perfectly apparent by the at- tack of Aguinaldo's forces upon the United States at Manila that what we have asserted from the beginning is true and that the Filipinos have been encouraged to . believe by what has taken place in the Senate that no treaty could or would be made which | would bind the insurgents. That has been the position of all the representa- tives of the Filipinos here from th= beginning. From the aspect of our re- lations to the Filipinos there shouid | not have been a moment's hesitation about the ratification of the treaty, and the events of yesterday prove it. By our protecol with Spain our freedom of action was restrained in every way as to territory and military operations. We should be released from that re- straint at the earliest possible mo- ment. It 18 very unfortunate that the opponents of the treaty could not see this until its demonstration by an ac- tual attack upon the United States forces.” Senator Aldrich, one of the leaders among the advocates of the ratification of ‘the treaty, when I saw him this evening would mot make a positive prediction that events in Manila would bring about the ratification of the| treaty. “It ought to have that result,” Sena- tor Aldrich said, “but it is impossible to say how it will affect the men who have been opposing us. There is no doubt that if the treaty had been promptly ratifled there would have been no such conflict at Manila. Aguinaldo seems to be a man of shal- low mind and of great vanity, and there is' no_doubt that he interpreted the delay of the United States dn tak- ing possession of the Philippines to bs due to the fears which he and his fol- lowers inspired in the minds of General Otis and Admiral Dewey.” Senator Bacon of Georgia, who fig- ures as one of the leaders of the oppo- sition to the treaty, says the outbreak at Manila might have been avoided had the Senate and administration seen the wisdom of accepting his joint resolu- tion, which has been pending in the Senate for several weeks. “I have expected from day to day,” said Senator Bacon, “just what has happened, hence I am not surprised, and I see no reason why I should vote for the ratification of the treaty. I will cheer- fully vote all the money that may be necessary to-carry on the war in the Philippines, but I still maintain that we could have avoided a conflict with those people had the Senate adopted my resolution or a similar measure an- nouncing our® honest intentions as re- gards the Philippines. Under the cir- cumstances I do not see why any of the Senators who were originally op- posed to the treaty should vote for it now. I am not influenced in this mat- ter by party consid ratior . but I pro- pose to vote my honest convictions, which I have repeatedly announced during the pending debate.” RIOTERS FIGHT ON MARSEILLES STREETS Anti-Dreyfus Demonstration Broken Up by Friends of the Exile. MARSEILLES, Feb. 5.—At a meeting here of the Anti-Dreyfus League of Patriotism in the Alhambra Hall, a hos- tile demonstration on the part of some Dreyfusites led to serious fighting in the streets, during which revolvers were fired. The police repressed the disturbances, but a number of people were injured. Many arrests were made. LAGIERS, Feb. 5.—The arrival here to- day of M. Henri Rochefort, editor of L’'Intransigeant, from Marseilles, caused great excitement. Mobs of Dreyfusites ind anti-Dreyfusites met him at the quay and cheered or cursed him, accord- ing to their sympathies. There were sev- eral collisions between rival factions, but they were eventually dispersed by gendarmes, who arrested several of the ringleaders. NANCY, France, Feb. 5.—A warrant has been issued for the arrest of a retired lieutenant of infantry on a charge of communicating military documents to a foreign power. HUNDREDS OF CASES OF SPOILED BEEF ‘While Alrer Is Fighting Miles the Havana Armj Gets Putrid Rations. HAVANA, Feb. 5.—Inspector General Breckinridge has discovered among the army rations issued to the destitute in Havana hundreds of cases of spoiled beef, and it is believed there are others, just how many only the inspection can determine. ‘The marks on the cases show “Chicago, July, 188." by Captiin Okkaloosa M. Smith of he subsistence department from Armour, Libby, McNeal & Libby, and were sent to Porto Rico. Yesterday some of the cans were given to the destitute, who re- fused to eat the contents. Sheehan to Coach at Stanford. PALO ALTO, Feb. 5.—John F. Sheehan *95, who coached the ’varsity last season, will instruct the Stanford nine this sea- son in the fine points of the game. Man- afier Lanagan received the acceptance this evening from Sacramento, where Sheehan is attending to university tax exemption matters. Coach Sheehan is expected at Stanford in about a month. Until he arrives the. team will be put through Jvrehmlnary practice by Captain Loughead. They were bought Strange, Too. Musical cranks generally protest strenu- ou:ldy nesalnut the class of music that is roduced by means of a crank.—Phila- elphia Regord. 3 AGUINALDO'S AGENT PREMATURELY GLEEFUL AGUINALDO'S S ——