u
know.'" [22]

Now, it happens that Dr. Santos himself forwarded his speech, and
his version of Pratt's reply thereto, in a letter to Aguinaldo, dated
Singapore, June 9, 1898. As he served as interpreter, he, if any one,
should know what Pratt said. After describing the change in tone of
the Singapore _Free Press_, with which strained relations had formerly
existed, and the subsequent friendliness of the editor of this paper
and that of the _Straits Times_, he says that on the previous afternoon
he went with the other Filipinos to greet Pratt. He continues:--

"This occasion was unusually opportune by reason of ours having
been victorious and immediately after the cry of our worthy chief
which found an echo in this colony. For this purpose 30 or more
Filipinos--9 of the higher class, 15 musicians and the remainder of the
middle class--went to greet Consul A., here, and on the invitation of
Mr. Bray we ascended. He received us in his private office, and it was
imposing to see that the only decoration was the American flag which
covered the desk, and in its centre, a carved wooden frame holding
the portrait of our worthy chief. He shook hands with all of us,
and I introduced them all. We found there also, and were introduced
to, the Editor of the _Straits Times_ and the _Free Press_ of here,
and after being thus assembled, after a musical selection, I read
the following speech in French:--

"'_His Excellency, The Consul General of the United States of America
in Singapore_:

"'_Your Excellency_: The Filipinos of all social classes residing
in this port, have come to greet Your Excellency as the genuine
representative of the great and powerful American Republic in
order to express to you our eternal gratitude for the moral and
material support given by Admiral Dewey to our General Aguinaldo
in his campaign for the liberty of eight million Filipinos. The
latter and we ourselves hope that the United States, your nation,
persevering in its humanitarian policy, will without cessation and
(with) decided energy continue to support the programme agreed upon
in Singapore between Your Excellency and General Aguinaldo, that is
to say, the Independence of the Philippine Islands, under an American
protectorate. Accept our cordial acknowledgments and congratulations
on being the first one in accepting and supporting this idea which
time and events have well developed to the great satisfaction of our
nation. Finally, we request y