junta, for although war between Spain and the United States was
imminent and a United States squadron was in Hongkong threatening
Manila, Aguinaldo was chiefly concerned in finding how to avoid
losing the money which had been received from the Spanish government
as the price of his surrender. The importance of his presence near the
Philippines in case of war did not occur to him, or if it did occur to
him anything which he could obtain there from the aid of the United
States probably seemed for the moment of little consequence compared
with escaping from his wrangling companions with enough money to live
on in Paris.

"Artacho, who had received 5000 pesos as his share of the second
payment, arrived in Hongkong and on April 5 demanded 200,000 pesos
of the insurgent funds, probably under the agreement that he should
establish a company in Hongkong for the benefit of the former leaders
and not merely of those who had accompanied Aguinaldo. But the leaders
in Hongkong had denounced that agreement, and refused to pay. He
then entered suit before the supreme court of Hongkong, calling upon
Aguinaldo for an accounting of the trust funds deposited in his hands
for the benefit of Artacho and others, and asked for an injunction
restraining Aguinaldo or any member of the junta from handling or
disposing of any part of said funds. He filed as evidence copies of
the Biacnabató agreement and of the agreement made by the leaders on
December 19. This suit was brought not merely in the name of Artacho,
but in that of all the exiles who were described as living in exile
in Hongkong in accordance with an agreement made with the Spanish
Government. Artacho probably had adherents among these men, some at
least of whom were utterly weary of waiting in Hongkong and of living
upon what was doled out to them. Some at least saw no chance of any
other fate than indefinite exile spent in dependence upon the inner