tunity to remind him of his ante-bellum promises. His letters are
childish, and he is far more interested in the kind of cane he will
carry or the breastplate he will wear than in the figure he will make
in history. The demands that he and his junta here have made upon my
time is excessive and most tiresome. He is a man of petty moods, and
I have repeatedly had letters from Consul Williams requesting me to
write to Aguinaldo a friendly letter congratulating him on his success,
and reminding him of his obligations. I do not care to quote Admiral
Dewey, as his letters are all of a strictly personal nature, but I
feel perfectly free to refer you to him as to my attitude and actions."

Mr. Pratt, the United States Consul General at Singapore, took in
hand Aguinaldo--this was April 28--and got him off to Hong Kong,
having had this correspondence by cable with Admiral Dewey:

Aguinaldo, insurgent leader, here. Will come Hongkong arrange
with Commodore for general co-operation insurgents Manila if
desired. Telegraph. _Pratt._

The Commodore's reply reading thus:

Tell Aguinaldo come soon as possible. _Dewey_.

Mr. Pratt says of this:

I received it late that night, and at once communicated to General
Aguinaldo, who, with his aid-de-camp and private secretary, all under
assumed names, I succeeded in getting off by the British steamer
Malacca, which left here on Tuesday, the 26th.

And Mr. Pratt made the following report to the Secretary of State of
the United States:

Consulate-General of the United States,
Singapore, April 30, 1898.

Sir: Referring to my dispatch No. 212, of the 28th instant, I have
the honor to report that in the second and last interview I had with
Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo on the eve of his departure for Hongkong, I
enjoined upon him the necessity, under Commodore Dewey's direction,
of exerting absolute control over his forces in the Philippines, as no
excesses on their part would be tolerated by the American Government,
the President having declared that the present hostilities with
Spain were to be carried on in strict accord with modern principles
of civilized warfare.

To this General Aguinaldo fully assented, assuring me that he intended
and was perfectly able, once on the field, to hold his followers,
the insurgents, in check and lead them as our commander should direct.

The general further stated that he hoped the United States would
assume protection of the Philippines for at least long