January 7 1899.]
-AMERICAN EXPEDITION AT
ILOILO.
2,400 TROOPS TO BE LANDED.
QUIET AND ORDERLY FILIPINOS.
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.]
Iloilo, 28th December. At daylight of 27th December the ships were abreast of Batangas Bay, the place where the well known steamer Abbey was seized by the U.S. revenue cutter McCulloch. A close watch was kept for any steamer coming from the south, and the Baltimore, following no direct course, looked into bays and around the island points. At noon smoke was discovered away down on the horizon toward the south-east and by one o'clock the new comer was alongside and turned out to be the Butuan, used as a dispatch boat to carry Colonel Potter to Iloilo. The expedition was stopped, the Colonel came aboard the Newport to confer with General Miller and was joined by Capt. Dyer of the Baltimore. Colonel Potter reported the Insurgents in posses- sion and the Spanish gone to Mindanao Island. The Insurgents had a city government in full swing and everything quiet. This was the first news of a reliable character and it was a relief to know - the situation. After a consultation Colonel Potter proceeded to Manila and the expedition continued on to Iloilo.
As morning bruke on the 28th inst. we were skirting along the east shore of Panay and by eleven o'clock had passed the bend and dropped anchor, a few hundred yards from the oruiser Irene, just off the city of Iloilo. By nine o'olock the Newport was in a position to de- fend herself if necessary, under instructions from Captain Bridgman, of the 6th artillery. Gattl. ing guns were mounted at both side hatches and two Hotchkiss guns 1.65 calibre were put in position forward.
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Shortly after we had come to anchor, a steam launch put off from shore bringing the mayor of Iloilo and two aids, to visit General Miller and enquire the intentions of the Americans in coming into the harbour. The General told them that everything would be explained in a letter which he would send to Martin Delgado, their General. After a short delay the three native officials, accompanied by three Filipinos, who were brought down on the Newport, returned to the city and with them went Lieut. Barrall, who carried General Mil. ler's letter.
On landing, the party proceeded to the Go- vernment building, over which a Filipino flag was flying, and there met three members of an executive committee, the Provost Marshall, and General Delgado. This committee was the executive body of the revolution in Panay until 12th December, at which time it was reformed and became the committee of the Federated State of Bisayas.
Ramon Avanceña acted as chairman and opened the meeting by asking if the Americans had held consultation with or bore instructions from Aguinaldo and was surprised to learn that we did not. General Miller's letter was translated. Briefly it states that the Americans had come to take possession of Iloilo according to treaty and agreement with Spain, that they believed that Spain was still in possession, but found that the Filipinos occupied the place.
The committee asked until to-morrow afternoon to consider the question, which was granted to them, and BO the matter rested. They assured the Ameri- cans of their great friendship and hoped that nothing would destroy it. When the chairman of the committee was questioned upon the attitude of the southern states and islands toward Luzon he said, "This state is one of a federation of states; we are waiting to learn the situation in the archipelago; the com- mittee constitutes the will of the people and what it says is final, that is in so far as it affects questions left to the discretion of a federated state; but we depend absolutely upon Luzon and can not decide important questions without con'muni- cating with the seat of government in Luzon. We can decide anything that does not affect the unity and integrity of the republic. Thus in a single sentence are refuted all the stories of separate republics and petty leaders indepen- dent of Aguinaldo, existing among the Iloilo or Panay Filipinos.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
General Delgado was informed that the Arizona and Pennsylvania would be brought up in the morning from a position they had taken up some fifteen miles on the lee of a smali island. He was also told that the Americans might find it expedient to land some or all of the troops until such time as they would be distributed to other Spanish towns. No objec tion was made, but he asked that his answer to be delivered to-morrow afternoon should be considered first.
The Americans have come just a few hours too late to carry the expedition to its best conclu. sion. On Saturday last both sides would have welcomed them. To-day the Spaniards are gone and the Insurgents having once tasted power are loth to give it up. Yet they are sincere in their protestations of friendship. It is a more difficult question to-day than four days ago; from all indications the policy of the expedition is to use no force at all unless ab- solutely necessary and it is not likely that it will be necessary. It is hardly possible that the Filipinos will have an answer by the appointed time to-morrow; in fact in the face of their statement of dependency upon Luzon it would be possible for them to put matters off in- definitely if they wish.
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Iloilo is as clean, well kept, and orderly a town as can well be pictured; it is a thousand times cleaner than Manila and some attempt seems to be made at drainage. There was ab- solutely no looting or conduct of any kind un- worthy of a civilized people. When the Spanish left on Saturday last for Zamboanga on Min- danao, it is stated that an agreement existed between them and the natives that the latter should not come into town until Monday noon. They kept the compact and marched into the Plaza in an orderly manner and went through the ceremony of flag hoisting. A very good local government is running to-day and the foreign residents report favourably of them; the post office, custom house, and government offices are entirely in their hands. It remains to be seen how all this will be changed by the ships now in the harbour.
FILIPINO PROTEST TO THE UNITED STATES,
We are informed that the following has been telegraphed to the Associated Press for publica- tion immediately in at least 3,000 newspapers in the States and Europe:-"The present serious crisis in the Philippines is entirely das to overt acts and unfair treatment of the Fili. pinos by the United States. Information obtained in Manila shows that General Otis has received orders to take the whole of the Philippines and that troops despatched to Visayas, in south, are under orders to take Iloilo notwithstanding that it is known the whole of the Viscayas, including Iloilo, are in full posses- sion of Filipino national forces. The Filipinos are determined to prevent landing of American forces at Iloilo and may, as last resort and for strategic purposes, destroy the city of Iloilo. A rupture of friendly relations between national Filipino Government and the United States Executive in Manila is imminent and hostilities in the Viscayas are probable unless unreasonable, unfair and overbearing policy of the Americans is not modified. Filipinos would deeply regret rupture but will, although through no fault of their own, accept the inevitable Filipinos ap- peal to the American people to uphold the rights of mankind and avoid unnecessary blood- shed; also assure Americans of their earnest desire for complete friendly settlement of all questions and impartial investigation by special Commissioners. Filipinos have loyally supported and cooperated with Americans against a com- mon enemy and look to the American nation to fafil promises made to Aguinaldo in Singapore by United States officials before Aguinaldo pro- ceeded to assist and cooperate with Admiral Dewey. All the Filipinos ask is that they be allowed to enjoy the truest and best rights of mankind. This
This is all they ever asked for."
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HONGKONG SANITARY BOARD,
The fortnightly meeting of the Hongkong Sanitary Board was held on the 5th January. The chair was occupied by the President (Dr. Atkinson, Principal Civil Medical Offer), and were also present the Vice-President (the Hon. F. H. May, Captain Superin- tendent of Police), the Hon. R. D. Orms- by (Director of Public Works), Mr.J. Dyer Bäll (Acting Registrar-General), Mr. E. Osborne, and Dr. Clark (Medical Officer of Health and Acting Secretary).
At the Magistracy on Saturday two China men who described themselves as officials from the Honam district were charged with attempt ing to steal jewellery to the value of $560 from the shop of Messrs. Ullmann and Company, Queen's Road Central, and were sentenced to six months' hard labour,
THE RUMOURED OUTBREAK OF PLAGUE AT CANTON,
Mr. Mansfield, Acting Consul at Canton, having been requested by the Auting Colonial Secretary to make enquiries as to the existence of plague in Canton and neighoburhood, wrote:-
have the honour to state as the result of my enquiries that plague is not known to exist either in Canton or its neighbourhood. The Catholic Bishop, who has excellent means of obtaining information, says he has not heard of the existence of plague except in the Hongkong paper a week ago, and in that a village in men- tioned which he has never heard of: Dr. Kerr has also made enquiries and can hear of no cases. Of course it is possible that there may have been sporadic cases, but I cannot even hear of such. Dr. Chung is making searching enquiry in native hospitals and such like establishments, and will communicate the result. His Excel- lenoy the Governor may rest assured that he will receive early notice from me of any disease which may assume an epidemic form in this port or its vicinity."
hear from a private source that there have been The Aoting Registrar General minuted—“ I
cases of plague in Canton and neighbourhood. Within the last few weeks a native doctor is said to have attended several cases, some of which had come into Canton from the Namhoi district, and some were on the island of Honam, opposite Cantón.”
The following report of Dr. Chung, of the Tung Wah Hospital, of his investigation into the prevalence of plague in Canton and its neighbourhood was submitted:— ̈!
"I have the honour to report that I went to Canton on the 26th ult. by the night-boat Tai-on to investigate into the presence of plague stated to be prevalent there.
"Shortly after my arrival on the 27th I visited the Canton Hospital and interviewed Dr. Kerr, who informed me that there is no plague in Canton at present. On leaving his home I met (Miss) Dr. Wiles, who has a very large practice among Chinese families in various parts of the city, and she too is of opinion that plague does not exist in the city or its suburbs at present.
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Ou the morning of the 28th ult. I went to the native Kwong Chai Hospital, where I found about 100 out-patients waiting to be seen. stood by and presonally examined the patients while the consultation was going on. I found that most of them were suffering from chest complaints and some from intermittent fever and bowel complaints, but there was no case of plague. I walked round the hospital and found- that there were only 20 patients in the wards, though the hospital has accommodation for 100 patients. The director and doctors of that hospital informed me that there have been a good many cases of fever and influenza, and they attributed them to the long absence of
rain.
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From enquiries made, at the druggist and coffin shops in various parts of the city and suburbs I learned that business in both
business in bot was unusually dull,
"I am glad to bring to your notice that a Sanitary Bureau has been formed in Canton by a number of progressive Chinese literati with the sanction of the authorities. It has branch offices in different parts of the city. Its objects are to remove accumulations of refuse, to sweep the streets, and to clean away filth from drains,
"On the 29th I visited Fatahso, a large com- mercial town about ten miles 8.W. of Canton, and interviewed Dr. Anderson of the Wesleyan Mission Hospital. He informed me that be bad seen three cases (two men and a woman) of plague in villages near Fatshan within the last ten days, and they were all in the last stage the disease. He was of opinion that occasional cases had been occurring ever since the last epidemio which broke out in the Spring of 1893.
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