The American casualties were 245 killed, 490 wounded, 118 captured, and 20 missing; while the insurgent casualties, as far as ascertained, were 3854 killed, 1193 wounded, 6572 captured, and 23,095 surrendered. The disparity in the numbers killed cannot be attributed to the superior marksmanship of the American soldiers; it was due rather to the fact that the Filipinos were in many cases not armed with rifles, and in some cases, perhaps, to the ruthless slaughter of the wounded. In February, 1901, it was discovered through despatches that had fallen into the hands of Lieutenant J. D. Taylor that Aguinaldo was at Palanan, in the province of Isabela. General Funston, with a party of eighty-one Macabebe scouts disguised as insurgents, four American officers, and five exinsurgent officers, started out about the middle of March to capture him. After landing at Casiguran Bay and marching for six days through a very difficult mountainous country, they approached Palanan in the guise of insurgents on their way to join Aguinaldo, the American officers being closely guarded as prisoners. Leaving the Americans in the rear, the Macabebes advanced to Aguinaldo's headquarters and halted in a line opposite a guard of fifty men which had been drawn up to receive them, while the former insurgent officers entered the room where Aguinaldo and his attendants were assembled. Suddenly signalling to the Macabebes 1 Sec. of War, Annual Reports, 1901, I., pt. iv., p. 98. VOL. XXV.-7 to open fire on the guard, the ex-insurgent officers discharged their pistols at the attendants and seized Aguinaldo. One of his companions was killed, another wounded, and the rest dispersed, as was also the guard.1 Contrary to General MacArthur's expectations, Aguinaldo's capture had very little effect of any kind on the insurrection. Open resistance in Luzon was confined mainly to the provinces of Batangas, Tayabas, and Laguna, but outside of Luzon insurgent forces were still operating in the islands of Mindoro, Samar, Cebu, and Bohol. On September 28, 1901, occurred the massacre of Balangiga, on the south coast of Samar: while the members of Company C, Ninth Infantry, were at breakfast, they were surprised by a party of natives, with the result that three officers and about fifty men were cut to pieces with bolos.2 In November various campaigns were conducted by General Bell in the Luzon provinces and in Mindoro; by General Smith, popularly known on account of his mode of warfare as "Hell Roaring Jake Smith," in Samar, and by General Hughes in Cebu and Bohol. In the Luzon provinces under his command General Bell adopted a rigid concentration policy. His orders of December 8 and 9 directed all the commanders to establish plainly marked limits around the towns in which they 1 Sec. of War, Annual Reports, 1901, I., pt. v., p. 122. were stationed, and to order all the inhabitants outside of such towns to move, with their property and belongings, within the prescribed limits by December 25. In December peace was restored in Cebu and Bohol. In February, 1902, General Lukban, the insurgent leader in Samar, was captured, and in April his forces all surrendered. General Mulvar, the last insurgent leader to occupy the field in Luzon, also surrendered in April. Thus ended the guerilla warfare which had begun with the dispersion of Aguinaldo's army more than two years before. 1 Senate Docs., 57 Cong., 1 Sess., No. 331, p. 1606. CHAPTER VI AMERICAN DIPLOMACY IN THE ORIENT THE (1897-1905) HE rivalry of the European powers in the commercial exploitation of China in 1897-1898 served to emphasize more than ever before the fact that commerce has become the greatest of all political interests, and that the prime object of diplomacy is now the extension of trade relations and the maintenance of foreign markets. To the attainment of these ends armies and navies are mere accessories. The downfall of China had been freely predicted after the revelation of her inherent weakness in the war with Japan in 1895; but the suddenness with which she fell a prey to the greed of the western nations was the sensation of the closing years of the nineteenth century. In November, 1897, following the murder of two German missionaries in the province of Shantung, German war - ships appeared at Kiao-chau, demanded the surrender of the city, which was promptly evacuated by the Chinese commander, and landed a body of troops. The next demand was for an indemnity, for the lease of Kiao-chau for ninety-nine years, and for the recognition of a German interest throughout the greater part of the Shantung peninsula. These demands were promptly complied with, and embodied in a treaty signed March 8, 1898.1 In the mean time Russia, who already enjoyed extensive railroad franchises in northern Manchuria, despatched five war-ships to Port Arthur, and announced that they would winter there. This occupation was followed by an agreement, signed March 27, 1898, by which China leased to Russia for a period of twenty-five years Port Arthur, Talienwan, and the adjacent waters as a naval base; and also a rather indefinite extent of territory to the north. This territory was handed over to Russia : absolutely for the term of the lease; no Chinese troops were to be allowed within its bounds. The Manchurian Railway Company was furthermore given the right to construct a branch line to Port Arthur.2 After protesting in vain against certain features of this agreement, England forced China to sign a lease of Wei-hai-wei, in the province of Shantung, together with the adjacent waters, "for so long a period as Port Arthur shall remain in the occupation of Russia." Prior to this lease, which was signed July 1, 1898, Great Britain had secured an 1 Foreign Relations, 1898, p. 187; 1900, p. 383; Parl. Papers, 1898, China, No. 1, p. 69. 'Ibid., pp. 1-9; 1899, pp. 128, 131; Foreign Relations, 1900, P. 383. |