AMERICA AND THE PHILIPPINES.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXIX, Issue 3678, 2 March 1899, Page 3

AMERICA AND THE PHILIPPINES.

The long-expected has happened, and the Filipinos have declared war against their “ deliverers,” the Americans. They have adopted an independent constitu-, tion, with Aguinaldo at its head. This cables have informed us this week, but of the nature of the government' there is news by mail. •’ , -

The Central Government, denominated,. “ Gobierno de la Republic Fillipina,’,'. dates from September 29 last, and is composed of .the following .gentlemen’: . President, Mr Emilio 1 Aguinaldo, and of ■ Secretaries of War, Foreign and , Home i Affairs, General Revenue, Justice arid" | Education. That of War is occupied by i Mr Baldomero Aguinaldo, and has only !one department with five sub-heads;, its ! director is Mr Antonio Luna. The Sep‘retaryship of Foreign Affairs is under Mr Cayetano S. Arelano, and it is divided into ; three sub-departments—„aat of Diplo- |. macy in charge of , Dr , T. >H. v Pardo de liTavera, that of Marine or Nar- occupied iby Mr Pascual Ledesna, and that of Com- | merce by Mr Esteban de la'Rama. The

S ecretaryship of Home Affairs is occupie I oy Mr Leandro Ibarra, and has one deportment of Police and Secret Service under Air Sereriuo de las Alas, and the other of Hygiene or Sanitation under Dr J i se Albert . The Secretaryship of General Revenue is in' charge of Mr Mariano i‘> ias, and has only one department, with .car sub-heads, and is under Air Benito UK gar da. The portfolio, of Justice is occupied by Air Gregorio Aranota, and i:

;S divided into two sub-heads; one of Justice in charge of Air Jose Basa and the it.’.cr of Registry under Mr Juan Taugoo. I'Le portfolio of Education is in charge o; .vir Felipe Buencamino, and has three iepartments; one of Public Instruction U;sd by Air A. Cruz Herrera, the other of Agriculture and Fabnie Industry in .targe of Air Jose Alejandrino, and angrier of Public Works in charge of Ai. Fernando Canon. Air Pounce, in the course of an, interview at Shanghai, said; —“lam on cliplonatic duty on behalf of the Filipino Gov•niment, "and of the future welfare cf h - Filipinos and fheir relations with the .Americans, all I can say is that it is very iiificult to forecast the events. But by ,fia data that come to the surface 1 caii ic’vertheless affirm that our amicable regions with the Americans will never be

aterrupted. Even Air McKinley ahvay., epeats when occasion arises that America .iE*s waged war for humanity’s sake, with.wuj any ambitious view for extending its ;e:ritories. We only want the proper m- ; ei ha-1 prosperity and justice to the populace. All this allow us to hope tha .toerica will be our eternal friend, ane. . hut as her people have contributed very much for us to obtain.our-independence, rimy will also help us to preserve tne u;ae in defending us against foreigi. , ggression.” • At any event the example of Hawaii?” ‘ Oh! Hawai,” said Air Ponce, “has sheet its proper annexation through the lediation of its Government or Congress. “ According to the modern theory oi ights the population is the only ownei f itself, and its only will'is to decide its wn lot. If the population-of Hawaii j u, king use of the sovereignity, has askeci America its annexation, as is necessary n- its well-being, America has done right i accepting it. Filipinos expressed h; .lother way their will and .arough tin; tedium of its government, Congress, and ■. ross- said Jin all kinds of tones or ways • that it will defend at all cost the s i cred independence which has been got . c the cost of so much blood and sacrifice; ; nd America I am sure will respect this ..apreme desire of the population., “ The Government of the so-called rebel

arty is composed of persons tue greater amber of whom have been educated in ui-ope, and it certainly: constitutes the ,‘j itocracy in Filipino society. All loHane was Professor oi Rights in the Juiversity, Alanila, magistrate of the udiencia, and consulting lawyer ol irious banks and corporations,! also oi ic friars during the‘time of the Bpann Is; Dr Pardo de Tavera is a writer and ii,tor of the University of Paris, the

. T hor of various- works of history and i lidnce.- Mr A. Luna is a bacteriologist, bvt-i pupil of the Pasteur Institute ol . 'avis; at the same time author of various 1 n.-ks on literature and science: Mr Jose lejandrino is an engineer of the uniu sity of Ghent, .Belgium. ; Mr Canon is i i electrical engineer, educated since his i r- hood in Europe. Mr Legarda is one i --tho most accomplished men on the i;'Jr Bench, and has also made many v n ages to Europe. . Dr Jose Albert is a 'o‘ifcor of Medicine of the Universities; ol g drid and Berlin. x—essrs Ibarra, Basa.

raneta, Alas, and Tangoo are lawyers o> i me. Messrs Trias, Ledesma-and Rams o wealthy merchants (the last-named t il v recently arrived from Paris). Of the .Agiinaldos I say nothing, because -.they • v 'e well known,-and invite all that can be rdd of them.” ■ - ’