OCR Text |
Show LIGHT UPON A BATTLE Gen. lYIacArthur Gives Facts About Attack on Manila. NO FILIPINO CO-OPERATION Gen. Merrltt Issued tho Order for Battle and Directed Gen Andornsn to Inform Agutnnldo That It Was to Be light Between Americans and Spaniiido and That Filipinos Mus Not Participate Under Any Circumstances Question Asked b) Culberson Causes Long Dlscusicu Wishlngtnn April 12 The Senate Committee on tho Philippines begin Us I roceedlngs todn) b) adopting a Uso-luttnii Uso-luttnii offered b) Senator Carnuiek, railing upon the Soeretar) of War for ill the nideis, ehculars nnd ollklal re-porl1 re-porl1 rcclvcd from commanders and theli suboidlnales In the pi ov luces of Tn)Hbas, IJataugas, Samtn and La-gum! La-gum! Gen MiiiAithur was ngiln todi) the only witness befote tho lommlttee and his examination was begun b) Seuutoi I ulbeisnu His questions lelated to the iilitlnnshlp between tho native forces mid of the Anieilcaii Hunps when the latter Hist lauded nt Manila Cl'LHI'.ltbO.S ASKS QUEmiON. Senator Culbeisott called attention to the, fact that theie Is testimony on flic to the effect tint Gen Aiideison had w illicit to Akulnaldo Inviting bis co-opeiatlou co-opeiatlou at Mnnll i, mid that the little, litt-le, hud ui i opted, and that It also Is stated that (leu Merrltt had himself stqit nil aide to Gen Giceno suggesting that ariungemeiits bo initio with the Plllplnos foi u common understanding In the oieupitlnu ot the trenclus Hi, then linked If, ln view of these facts, the lttfircnce was not nutbnilzod that friendly co-operation was desired b) tho Amerluin olllelals with the Plllplnos Plll-plnos In tho nttaik upon the Spanlatds OTIIEIl PACTS IN CASE. "Assuming the facts to he ns stated." the witness replied, 'It that weie nil there li In tlm priinlses, it might bo admitted tint lufeiciico was to bo diawn ns Indicated Hut thero uro other facts which form n part of tho ease und which show the co operation In tho attack at-tack on Manila was not n voluntary one on our part " LIGHT ON TEE BATTLE. Gen MacArthur then lelated Ihut on the evening previous to tho attack on Manila, after Gen. Merrltt had Issued his order of battle, ho (MacArthur) was In consultation with Gen Andeison when the latter received ft communication communica-tion from Gou Menltt directing tho lattoi to Infoim gulnaldo that tho battle which was to take place the next da wan lo be between the Americans and the Spanlmds, and tint ho must not participate under any circumstances circum-stances Agulnildo was at that time, Gen MacArthur said, llvo miles atvit), mid tho messugo wus sent to blm by AGUINALUO RECEIVED MESSAGE. He knew, however, that the Plllplno leader bud tccelied It, bei nusc ho hnd declined to uieept tho suggestion, mid ho u-id his nallvn foiees had participated partici-pated In the engagement next da), AMi it hid beeomo ot that coiumunlc a-tlon, a-tlon, Gen MaeArthur said he did not know. Ho also said If there had been co-operation between Agulnaldn nnd Gen Andeison while tho latter wus In command ot the American foiccs, ho did not know It. PAlTEItSON ASKS QUESTIONS. Senator Patterson then nsaed n serious se-rious of que'tlons Intended to bring nut the fact that there hud been an understanding under-standing between the American commanders com-manders Gen Menltt and Admiral Dewey and tho Spnnlsh comninnderu that the attack upon Manila should bo a mere feint with the view of securing a surrender with un nppcarnnce of u battlo but without any real lighting WAS NO AOHLEMENT. Gen MacAithur said that It thero had been such an unlerstmidlng, ho knew nothing nt It. 'If thero was such an agreement, the fact never reached me as a llrlfadler,M said Gen MncArthur, 'and I havo never ct honid It ofllclully. All my orders wero for battle" 'Have you any question, now, ns a soldier nud an olllccr ot the army, that theie vvaa mi understanding tbnt tho eslstance of tho Spnnlnrds was to bo purely nominal (' asked Senator Put-terson Put-terson OBDER WAS POR TIGHT. "Yes, I have a good deal of question on that point," replied tho witness '1 huvo i.evei seen nn) thing to Justify such un otlnlon outside of what I hnvn seen In pi Int I can only suy that I undeistood the order to be for ft fight, and all that bus como to me to tin, con-liar) con-liar) has been ox parte In chnractcr" ' Do )nu In our testimony distinguish between nfllclal Information and Infor. matlnn that may havo como to )ou tluough other souices?' SPEAKS llli; TRUTH. "My dcilro Is to speak heio tho truth, the wholo truth und nothing but the truth. Mr. Patterson Insisted upon nn explicit ex-plicit nply to his question, but Gen MacArthur declmed that ho could not answer more dliectl). lie added that ho had spoken without leseivutlon. QUESTION CAUSES DISCUSSION. Semtor Culberson lelteruted the statements concerning Gen Merrltt s llrst dealing with the Plllplnos us to tho u. . of the tienches and also tho order or-der nt Gen Anderson cited b) Gen Mac-Aithur Mac-Aithur rcgaidlng thn notification to Agulnaldo and asked If that weiu not a chaiihci of olle on Merrltt s pint aft-oi aft-oi ho had icpeulnl the bonellt of co-opiritlnn co-opiritlnn with tho nntlvo troops." This question piactlinlly biought to u close Gen. Mie Arthur's statement for th J ill), tho remainder nf thu tlmo being given up to u discussion among the membeis of thu commlttto aa to Its pro-pilet). pro-pilet). TACTS ABE OT RECORD. Before this controversy arose, however, how-ever, the wlineis ludlcutid that he pie-fened pie-fened not to mako direct tcpl) ' Tho facts are of neord" suld hi "What Gen Menltt'H policy wns I du not know. It did not occui to mo at the tlmo that there was uny tnconslsteno ln his conduct con-duct nnd It theie should appear to tho loinmltt e tu have been Inconsistency I hivo no doubt that the icncr.il will bo f mi nil willing to explain It I picfer that ho should speak for himself" EXTENDED DEBATE FOLLOWS. Senator McComns Insisted thut tho question wus lint legitimate that it called foi un Infeictiie, unci that tho witness should not bo lcqulred to hush hu-sh er. Tha discussion was extended, tho Republican ineuibeis centrally contending contend-ing that tho question called for u lucre opinion and was not In order, and the Democrats holding that It nsked for u statement of fact und was legitimate, HENAIOR LODGES RULING. Senator Lodge as cbaliiuiii of tho committee, held that It wns competent to ask tho witness his opinion on u given subject, but when the question In. volvrd it ciltlelsin upon ft superior otll-rer, otll-rer, which wus In Its If a In curb, of mil llar discipline, hu did not he mlil bo Hove tha committee had u ill.tu lo usk It or thai the witn s could bo com pilled to iinswir It 1 AN APPEAL TV.KI.N Tho ruling was fro l commented upon bj the Democratic iuem!eis as calculated to iob the Inqulrv of much of Its usefulness and ths appealed from n. ruling of the chnlr A vote wns about to be tuken when the hour foi adjournment ntrlved nnd no vote was lecorded PATTERSONS LAST IS'tJTlRY Befoie the committee adjourned Mr Patterson was peimllted to ptoiHHind an lnqulr) which he snl I he did at the Instance of a, representative or the Boer cause, as to whether Gen MncArthur had an) knowledge of tho enlistment of Americans In the Phltlpi lues for sen -Itc In the British nn In South Africa Oen MacArthur leplled Hint he had not |