Events of the Month · Improvement Era

EVENTS OF THE MONTR BY THOMAS HULL, SECRETARY OP THE GENERAL BOARD OP Y. M. M. L A.

March 20th: The Directors of the Deseret Agricultural and Manufacturing Society meet and organize. John R. Winder is elected President and S. W. Sears, Secretary. Steps were taken towards the holding of a State Fair this year and committees were appointed. 23rd: A race war is started in Arkansas. Seven negroes are found lynched, and armed mobs of whites are hunting negroes. * * *

Secretary Alger issues an order "That hereafter no Chief or acting €hief of staff corps shall be detailed or ordered to any duty by any authority without the approval of the Secretary of War." 24th: The New York World receives a dispatch from Manila stating that a sweeping victory has been won by the American forces over the Filipinos. The total American loss is estimated at about 100 including both killed and wounded, while the Filipino loss is between 300 and 400. The War department is without advices regarding the battle. 25th: The great battle commenced yesterday near Manila still rages. The reports received are meagre. The Utah batteries are in the fighting line. 26th: The great battle in the island of Luzon continues with heavy losses on both sides. Three Utahns are wounded: William Tufts of Salt Lake, Parker Hall of Ogden, and Henry Souther of Mercur. 27th: The battle with Aguinaldo's forces is still on and the Americans are crowding the insurgents into close quarters. Leroy Grundhand, of Salt Lake City, is wounded. 28th: The American forces in the Philippines are taking a much needed rest on the plains in front of Marilao after their three days' heavy fighting. They will advance at daylight and push on after the insurgents.

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29th: Despatches received today from Samoa state that on March 23rd trouble growing out of the election of a king of Samoa reached a serious aspect, and Mataafa had assembled his adherents in strong force and hemmed in the town of Mulinuu; and ignoring an ultimatum, sent by the American and British Admirals, ordering him to evacuate the town, commenced an attack in the direction of the United States and British consulates. The American and British warships then bombarded the villages. During the night the rebels made an attack on the town,, and three British sailors were killed, and an American sentry was killed at his post. The United States Cruiser Philadelphia and the British Cruisers Porpoise and Royalist, took part in the bombardment; the dispatches stating that the British and Americans are fighting splendidly together. The trouble is said to have arisen chiefly out of the action of the-

German Consul, Herr Rose, who issued a proclamation upholding the provisional government after the American Admiral had issued a proclamation ordering Mataafa and his chiefs to return to their homes. Serious trouble between Germany on the one side and the United States and Great Britain on the other may be brought on as a result of this condition. 31st: Malolos, the Filipino capital, is captured by Gen. McArthur. The insurgents fire the city and flee. The American flag was raised over the city at 10 a. m. The rebels flee towards the mountains in a state of terror. * * * The passenger steamer Stella strikes on .the rocks near the isle of Alderney, in the channel islands and founders. It

is estimated that one hundred lives are lost. * * * A joint high commission to settle the Samoan difficulty has been agreed upon between England, Germany and the United States. King Oscar of Sweden will act as umpire if necessary. Harrison re-elected Mayor of Chicago. * * * 4th: Carter is

The Filipinos are entrenching themselves near Calumpit, about five and a half miles north of Malolas. * * * The United States Philippine Commissioners issue a proclamation to the inhabitants of the islands of which the following is a synopsis: (1). The supremacy of the United States must and will be enforced throughout every part of the archipelago. (2). To the Philippine people will be granted the most ample liberty and self-government reconcilable with the maintenance of a wise, just, stable and effective and economical administration of public affairs and compatible with the sovereign and international rights and the obligations of the United States. (3). The civil rights of the Philippine people will be guaranteed

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and protected to the fullest extent; religious freedom will be assured and all persons shallbe equal in the eyes of the law. (4). Honor, justice and friendship forbid the use of the Philippine people or the islands they inhabit as an object or means of exploitation. The purpose of the American Government is the welfare and the advancement of the Philippine people. (5). There shall be guaranteed to the Philippine people an honest and effective civil service, and to the fullest extent to which it shall be practical, natives shall be employed. (6). The employment and collection of all taxes and other revenues will be placed upon a sound, economical basis; and the public funds raised justly and collected honestly, will be applied only to defray the regular and proper expenses incurred by and for the establishment and maintenance of the Philippine Government, and such general improvements as the public interests may demand. Local funds collected will be used for local purposes and not be devoted to other ends. (7). A pure, effective and speedy administration of justice will be established. (8). The construction of roads, railroads and similar means of communication and transportation and of other public works, manifestly to the advantage of the Philippine people will be promoted. (9). Domestic trade and commerce, agriculture and other industrial pursuits tending toward the general development of the country in the interests of the inhabitants, shall be objects of constant solicitude and fostering care. (10). Effective provision will be made for the establishment of elementary schools and appropriate facilities will be provided for a higher education. (11). Reforms in all departments of the government, all branches of the public service and all corporations closely touching the common life of the people, will be undertaken without delay and effected conformably with right and justice in a way to satisfy the well-founded demands and the highest sentiments and aspirations of the people. Such is the spirit in which the United States comes to the people of the Philippine Islands, and the President has instructed the commission to make this publicly known. In obeying his behest, the commissioners desire to join the President in expressing their good will toward the Philippine people and to extend to the leading representative men an invitation to meet them for the purpose of personal acquaintance and the exchange of views and opinions. Jacob Gould Schuman, United States Commissioner. George Dewey, United States Navy. Elwell S. Ottis, Major-General United States Army. Charles Denby, United States Commissioner. Dean C. Worcester, United States Commissioner.

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5th: An alarming condition of affairs is reported in Russia, arising from labor troubles. Rumors are in circulation in St. Petersburg of troops sent to suppress outbreaks, of the wholesale destruction of property, of many arrests and the gagging of the press. * * * There are persistent rumors in Manila that Aguinaldo has been supplanted in the control of Filipino affairs by the commander in chief of the Filipino forces, General Antonio Luna, who is said to be a typical belligerent.

      The proclamation of the United States Commissioners is posted

on the streets of Manila and in the outside towns as far as Malolas. It is printed in English, Spanish and Tagalog. 6th: The sixty-ninth annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints commences in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City.

 *     The following are announced by the Secretary of State as the

United States delegation to the Czar's disarmament convention which is to meet in the latter part of May at the Hague: Andrew D. White, United States Embassador at Berlin, Mr, Newell, United States minister to the Netherlands; President Seth Low of the Columbia University, New York; Captain Crozier, ordnance department U. S. A., and Captain A. T. Mahan retired, U. S. N. Mr. Frederick Hall of New York will be Secretary of the delegation. The sixty-ninth General Annual Conference of the Church 9th: adjourns. * * * William Tufts, of Battery A, Utah Artillery, dies in Manila from the effects of his wounds received in battle. * * * Justice Stephen J.- Field of the United States Supreme Court, retired, dies at his home in Washington, D. C. 10th: Ex-Senator Tabor of Colorado dies in Denver. * * *

Seven persons are killed and nine wounded in a riot at Pana, HI. * * *

Gen. Lawton captures the town of Santa Cruz, in the Philippines, the stronghold of the Filipinos. 11th: The ratifications of the treaty of peace between the United States and Spain are exchanged and Pres. McKinley issues the following proclamation: Whereas, A treaty of peace between the United States of America and her Majesty, the Queen Regent of Spain, in the name of her august son, Don Alfonso XHL, was concluded and signed by their respective plenipotentiaries at Paris, on the 10th day of December, 1898, the original of which is in the Spanish language, is word for word as follows (Here full text of treaty is included) and. ;

Whereas, The said convention has been duly ratified on both parts and the ratifications of the two governments were exchanged in the city of Washington on the 11th day of April, 1899, Now, therefore, be it known, that I, William McKinley, President of the United States of America, have caused the said convention to be

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made public to the end that the same and every article and clause thereof, may be observed and fulfilled with good faith by the United States and the citizens thereof. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be aflSixed. Done at the city of Washington, this 11th day of April, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and ninety-nine, and of the Independence of the United States the one hundred and twenty-third. WILLIAM McKINLEY. By the President, JOHN HAY, Secretary of State. The president appointed Bellamy Storer United States Minister to Spain. 18th: Lieut. Gilmore and a party of fourteen men from the Yorktown land at Balem, island of Luzon, for the purpose of rescuing the Spanish force there and are ambushed by the Filipinos and captured.