nder the advisability
of stating in writing what would be agreed to by the United States,
and be replied that he would refer the matter to Admiral Dewey.

In the midst of my negotiations with the Commander of the _Petrel_ I
was interrupted by letters from Isabelo Artacho and his solicitors, on
the 5th April, claiming $200,000 of the money received from the Spanish
authorities, and asserting that he (Artacho) should receive this
sum as salary due to him while acting as Secretary of the Interior,
he having been, it was alleged, a member of the Filipino Government
established in Biak-na-bato. These letters contained the threat
that failure to comply with the demand of Artacho would result in
him bringing me before the Courts of Law in Hongkong. It may make the
matter clearer if I mention at this point that Isabelo Artacho arrived
at Biak-na-bato and made himself known to and mixed with the officers
in the revolutionary camp on the 21st day of September, 1897, and was
appointed Secretary of the Interior in the early part of November of
that year, when the Treaty of Peace proposed and negotiated by Don
Pedro Alejandro Paterno was almost concluded, as is proved by the
fact that the document was signed on the 14th of December of that year.

In the light of these facts the unjust and unreasonable nature of
the claim of Artacho is easily discernable, for it is monstrous to
claim $200,000 for services rendered to the Revolutionary Government
during such a brief period.

Moreover, it is a fact that it was agreed between ourselves (the
leaders of the Revolution assembled in Biak-na-bato) that in the
event of the Spaniards failing to comply with each and every one of
the terms and conditions of the Agreement the money obtained from
the Spanish Government should not be divided, but must be employed in
the purchase of arms and ammunition to renew the war of independence.

It is therefore evident that Artacho, in making this preposterous
demand, was acting as a spy for the enemy, as an agent of General Primo
de Rivera, for he wanted to extinguish the rebellion by depriving its
organizers and leaders of the most indispensable element, the "sinews
of war," which is money. This was the view, too, of the whole of my
colleagues, and it was resolved by us that I should leave Hongkong
immediately and thereby avoid the litigation which Artacho seemed
bent upon and thereby afford my companions time and opportunity to
remove this new and who