The development of Philippine politics

100 TIHE D2;MLOMENT OF PHILIPPINE POLITICS

cise control or sovereignty over the Island except for the
purposes of pacification; and that once that was accomplished she would "leave the government and control of
the Island to its people."
Thus America entered the war with her lofty and
humane purpose announced to the world. It was to be a
war for a people's freedom. It was the result of righteous
indignation against shocking barbarities perpetrated at the
very door of America.
Aguinaldo (and Cornsul Pratt
By this time Aguinaldo and his companions had
reached Singapore. Although they landed under assumed
names, the American consul-general at Singapore, E. Spencer Pratt, heard of their arrival, and immediately saw the
advantage of enlisting their cooperation on the side of his
country. Through the mediation of an Englishman named
Bray, Consul Pratt secured several interviews with Aguinaldo. After the first interview the American consul cabled
Commodore Dewey, through Consul Williams at Hongkong,
as follows:
Aguinaldo insurgent leader here. Will come Hongkong
arrange with commodore for general cooperation insurgents
Manila if desired. Telegraph. Pratt.
The comn1dore's reply was, "Tell Aguinaldo come
soon as possible.-Dewey." (1)
Just exactly what transpired at the meeting between
Aguinaldo and Pratt has been a matter of debate. The
Englishman Bray acted as interpreter. A few of the principal facts, however, seem quite clear. Aguinaldo was not
made to understand that, in consideration of Filipino
cooperation, the United States would extend its sovereignty
over the Islands, and thus in place of the old Spanish
master a new one would step in. The truth was that nobody at the time ever thought that the end of the war
would result in the retention of the Philippines by the
United States. Was not the Spanish-American war a war
() S. Do.. 6t, Pt., 66th Cong., 8d &s. p. 842.