lows:--

"_General_: When I came here three weeks ago I requested Your
Excellency to give what assistance you could to procure means of
transportation for the American Army, as it was to fight the cause
of your people. So far we have received no response.

"As you represent your people, I now have the honor to make requisition
on you for five hundred horses and fifty oxen and ox carts. If you
cannot secure these I will have to pass you and make requisition
directly on the people.

"I beg leave to request an answer at your earliest convenience.

"I remain with great respect, etc." [113]

To this letter, Aguinaldo replied as follows:--

"Replying to your letter of yesterday, I have the honor to manifest to
Your Excellency that I am surprised beyond measure at that which you
say to me in it, lamenting the non-receipt of any response relative
to the assistance that you have asked of me in the way of horses,
carabaos, and carts, because I did reply through the bearer that I
was disposed to issue proper orders whenever you advised me of the
number of these, giving me notice in advance.

"I have sent orders to the nearest provinces in order that within the
shortest time possible horses be brought for sale, but I cannot assure
Your Excellency that we will have the number of 500 that you need,
because there are not many horses in this vicinity, owing to deaths
from epizooetic diseases in January, February, and March last.

"Whenever we have them collected, I shall have the pleasure to advise
Your Excellency.

"I have also ordered to be placed at my disposal 50 carts that I shall
place at your disposition when you need them, provided you give me
previous notice four days in advance." [114]

General Anderson replied:--

"Your favour of the 26th ultimo in relation to requisitions for cattle,
horses, etc., is satisfactory I regret that there should have been
any misunderstanding about it. The people to whom we applied even for
the hiring of carromatas, etc., told our people that they had orders
to supply nothing except by your orders. I am pleased to think that
this was a misapprehension on their part." [115]

From this series of communications it appears that it took three
weeks, and a very direct threat to seize transportation, to bring
about Aguinaldo's promise of assistance in securing it. What help
had he given, meanwhile, in other matters?

On July 14, 1899, General Anderson wrote asking him to assist American