Being
unacquainted with the situation, I must take time to inform myself
before answering, which I will do at the earliest opportunity.
"_Otis_."
On September 8 General Otis wrote Aguinaldo a long letter fully
discussing the whole situation in the light of the complete information
which he had meanwhile obtained. Since so much has been made of this
incident by Blount and others, I invite attention to the following
extracts from General Otis's letter, which embody a fair and judicial
statement of the conditions which existed:--
"You designate certain lines within the suburbs of the city of Manila,
to which you promise to retire your troops, and name as conditions
precedent: First, protection to your shipping by the United States
Navy, and the free navigation of your vessels within the waters in
United States occupation; second, restitution to your forces of all
positions which are now occupied by your troops, in the event that
treaty stipulations between the United States and Spain surrender
to the last-named government the territory occupied by the former;
and thirdly, that United States troops now occupying positions beyond
the lines you name shall retire within the same.
"A discussion of your proposition to hold, jointly, with the United
States Government, the city of Manila, involves consideration of some
of the other concessions you desire to be made, and to that I will
at once refer.
Pages:
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160