The
commanding and other leading officers of the Valley, supporting the
orders of the government, circulated an order throughout the towns
which read as follows:--
"'_To All Local Officers_:
"'You will not permit any maps to be made or notes to be taken of
strategic points by Americans or foreigners; nor will you allow them
to become acquainted with the points of defence; you will endeavour
to report immediately to this Government any suspicious persons;
you will make your investigations secretly, accompanying suspected
persons and feigning that their investigations are approved, and
finally when it shall seem to you that such suspected persons have
finished their work, you will advise without loss of time, in order
that their notes may be seized.'
"Despite this order the Americans were able to inform themselves very
thoroughly of the forces in the Valley and its state of defence,
and Filipinos were not lacking who for a few pesos would put them
abreast of all information regarding the plans and projects of
Aguinaldo's government."
Relative to this Wilcox-Sargent trip Taylor says:--
"In October and November, 1898, Paymaster W. B. Wilcox, U.S.N.,
and Naval Cadet L. R. Sargent, U.S.N., travelled through Northern
Luzon from which they returned with a favourable impression of the
government which had been set up by Aguinaldo's agents.
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