He has
expressed to the Commission the opinion that you may be able, upon
their arrival at Iloilo, to submit a supplementary list of provinces
in which it would be advisable to establish at once these governments."
Meanwhile General MacArthur wrote on February 13, to Governor Taft:--
"In partial reply to your letter of the 5th instant I have the honor
to inform you that the Commanding General, Department of Southern
Luzon, reports but one province, Tayabas, as ready at the present
time for civil government. I add the provinces of Laguna, Batangas
and Cavite, believing that the institution of civil government in all
these provinces will be in assistance of the military authorities in
the work of pacification."
General MacArthur's communications seem to me to show something more
than "a mere soldierly acquiescence in the will of Mr. McKinley,"
especially as the President had no knowledge of these provinces, and
never made any recommendation whatsoever relative to the establishment
of civil government there.
Similarly, in establishing civil government in Cebu and Bohol, the
commission acted on the specific recommendation of the military, and
rather against its own judgment. There seemed no very good reason for
refusing to try civil government, if the commanding general wanted
it tried, and when it failed, as it promptly did, in Cebu, Bohol and
Batangas, these provinces were immediately returned to the full control
of the military, and left there until conditions became satisfactory.
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