the commander of friendly forces.

I protested, therefore, against such a proclamation--also threatening
an immediate rupture of friendly relations,--for the whole populace was
claiming that an act of treason had been committed, plausibly asserting
that the announcement of the Commission applied for by Admiral Dewey
was a ruse, and that what General Otis was scheming for was to keep
us quiet while he brought reinforcement after reinforcement from the
United States for the purpose of crashing our untrained and badly
equipped Army with one blow.

But now General Otis acted for the first time like a diplomatist,
and wrote me, through his Secretary, Mr. Carman, a letter inviting the
Filipino Government to send a Commission to meet an American Commission
for the purpose of arriving at an amicable arrangement between both
parties; and although I placed no trust in the professions of friendly
intentions of the said General--whose determination to prevent the
Commission arriving at a peaceful solution of the difficulties was
already evident--I acceded to the request, partly because I saw
the order, dated 9th January, given by the above mentioned General
confirmed, and on the other hand to show before the whole world my
manifest wishes for the conservation of peace and friendship with
the United States, solemnly compacted with Admiral Dewey.




CHAPTER XVIII

The Mixed Commission