Proceedings of the first Independence congress : held in the city of Manila, Philippine islands, February 22-26, 1930 / Published under the direction of Dean maximo M. Kalaw, executive secretary, University of the Philippines.

232 INDEPENDENCE CONGRESS PROCEEDINGS
your attention to the fact that in the present strained position at
Manila, the impetuous action of a Filipino, or the over-zeal of an
American soldier might create a condition resulting in grievous loss
of life, and for this reason I particularly urged upon you the necessity
of early and frank communication between the representatives of
the two countries. Since the delivery of the letter referred to we
have been made aware through the newspapers of the fact that the
very circumstances adverted to as possible have nearly caused the
actual existence of a state of war between the two nations, and the
language used by me was so far prophetic that the subsequent facts
have amply justified its employment.
The conditions have not essentially changed since the writing of
my former letter except in certain respects affecting the matters to
be hereinafter more fully set forth and the urgency then pointed out,
I respectfully submit, still exists even in an accentuated degree.
As the Washington representative of the Philippine Republic,
permit me respectfully to call your attention to certain conditions
surrounding the relations of the two countries, which in my opinion
call for immediate alleviation.
There are at the present time, as we are informed, approximately
twenty thousand armed and disciplined American troops in the city
of Manila and vicinity, controlling a population of about three hundred
thousand. A number of war vessels are stationed in the harbor and
many other American men-of-war and transports are to be found
within the limits of the Philippine Archipelago, although the actual
possession of the American troops extends over, not to exceed one
hundred and forty-three out of more than two hundred thousand
square miles of territory. Despite the existence of these enormous
forces within an extremely circumscribed area, we are informed
through the public prints that other vessels of war have been ordered
from distant parts of the globe to reinforce those now among the
Islands in question; while but a few days ago a transport sailed from
New York City carrying about two thousand soldiers, and having
Manila as its destination, and as we are further informed, regiments
of troops are under orders to proceed by way of San Francisco to the
Philippines. The public prints inform us that an attack upon the
Philippine Islands is contemplated; the islands to be taken in detail,
the smaller ones first, the larger ones blockaded, so that they may
not assist those first attacked.
It is naturally the impression of my government and people that
these warlike preparations intimate existing or immediate military
operations in the Orient, and they readily conceive that it must be
contemplated that such operations are to be levied at the existing
government of the Philippine Islands.