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believed to be of paramount importance to the Philippine Government, in that it is an announcement of principles by the revolutionary Junta in Hongkong and a statement in unmistakable terms of the work in which they are engaged, namely, the abolishment of the Government of the United States in the Philippine Islands and the establishment here of a Filipino republic. It is the belief of this Office that this statement, signed by Prin. Ricarte, and other members of the Junta, is sufficient evidence upon which to base a claim by this Government for the expulsion of the entire revolutionary Junta from the Port of Hongkong; which is the nearest and most available base from which to direct operations against the established Government in these Islands. The fact that a recognized war is not being carried on in these Islands may possibly constitute sufficient grounds for the refusal of a request by this Government to that of Hongkong that the members of the Junta be expelled from neutral territory. In connection with this phase of the matter, this Office respectfully refers to a precedent which was established during the war between the United States and Spain:
It will be remembered that Messrs. Dubosc and Carranza, respectively Secretary and Military Attaché of the Spanish Embassy at Washington, went to Canada from that city at the very beginning of hostilities and established in Montreal a bureau of espionage, from which their spies operated in United States territory. Members of the United States Secret Service were sent to Canada and were enabled to secure from the house in which Carranza and Dubosc resided a letter written by the former and directed to his uncle, Don Jose Imay, Admiral in the Spanish Navy. In this letter the following expression was used: "Estamos planteando un sistema de espías en Canada," which, translated, means "We are planting a system of spies in Canada". Upon the proper presentation of this letter to the Canadian Government, Messrs.