CAMP SAN MIGUEL TO BALDOMERO AGUINALDO, MARCH 14, 1899

Exhibit 1235.

[Original in Spanish. Incomplete letter . P. I. R., 52 . 1. ]

CAMP SAN MIGUEL, (ILOILO), March 14, 1899.

Seņor BALDOMERO AGUINALDO.

DEAR SIR AND RESPECTED GENERAL:

Now that operations in the field permit me to dispose of a moment, I take the liberty of addressing you these lines to greet you affectionately from here and give you the following information.

As you may have understood from my communications to the Honorable President, at the present time the Americans are in possession of the towns of Iloilo, Molo and Jaro, notwithstanding the strenuous resistance of the forces under my command. I said in that communication and I repeat it here, for it is the truth, that the enemy would not have been able to land if the forces of General Fullon had not abandoned the district which they were to defend; this abandonment was due to the fact that his soldiers as well as my own have been very displeased at the bad treatment received from the Federal Government, which belittled them stating that they were not necessary and denying them sometimes even the most necessary means of subsistence. As you will understand, no army in the world can be led to victory through bad treatment.

The federals, deceived by the enemy, were certain that the latter would not land, especially after the councillors had walked in a friendly manner with some officers of the enemy army, without considering that in acting thus, they compromised the success of our operations, to such an extent that the enemy were enabled to take photographs of our positions. I protested as I will prove I did in due time, against such action, but I was not heeded.

What is more remarkable, is the fact that two days before the President of the Federal Government, through Sr. Pablo Araneta, was informing me of the advisability of withdrawing the forces of my command, as they were considered unnecessary, because, according to him, the negotiations instituted with General Miller, were proceeding in a satisfactory manner.

The enemy does not advance, because he is prevented from so doing by our forces, the only ones operating in Iloilo, because those of Fullon withdrew to Antique and the regional ones are garrisoning the district of Concepcion.

The inhabitants of Iloilo apparently sympathize with Americans, for the latter, as they have always done when it suited them, are at present developing a policy of attraction by appointing Visayans who place themselves at their service to good positions with good salaries; a good evidence of this is the fact that Sr. Vicente Franco, the ex-Vice President of the Federal Council according to information of a trustworthy character brought by escaped prisoners, is acting as Secretary to Cornelio Melliza and the latter holds an important office under the Americans, that of Governor I believe and both are engaged in an active propaganda to secure adherents among their countrymen to * * * (unfinished).