OCR Text |
Show TROUBLE AT ILOILO. Feared'Thnt InsurgentB Will Massacre the Spanish Population. Washington, Nov. 17. Reports of a somewhatdisquieting nature have been received from General Otis, in command com-mand at Manila. He says that the province of Iloilo, in the island of Panay, which is technically occupied by the Spaniards, was surrounded by the insurgents, and that fears are entertained en-tertained that the Spanish population and garrison will be massacred. The capital of the proviuce is 335 miles from Manila, but this and the other islands, with the exception of Manila and its adjacent country, is not under control of the Americans. Heretofore the United States officers have tried to prevent disturbances between the insurgents in-surgents and the Spaniards, through good offices and council. The indica. tions are, however, that the present situation in Iloilo cannot be controlled by the United States army at Manila or the insurgent leaders there, and if serious consequences are averted, some other method will have to be adopted. The troops under General Otis are not available for any such duty, and, under the terms of the protocol, pending peace negotiations, it is not desirable to send a force from the army to the island of Panay. There is no intention at present of sending additional troops to General Otis, but the situation is such as to strengthen the determination of the administration not to reduce the available avail-able force under his command. |