Manila, 2nd June.
People are fond of speculation: speculae tors and business men like to yanible on the future, and xs there is no place that admits of more diversities of opinion with very little balance of probability on any tone side more than on another, Munile is filled with every class of that" transient population which is ready to take advan raze of each change in the wind.
The great topic is the situation, the return of thy Volunteers, and the possible cessation of hostilities.
Opinions: change with the hour, the arrival and de-of transport, and with the its that occur almost daily about Manila, The frequent visits of the have led a large number of people to believe that peace is almost at, hand and that the long-looked-for surrender is a matter of a jays only. But the crafty Filipinos pow-wow with General Otis, spend a few hours with the McKinley Com: missioners, followed by one or tivo days of high living in Manila, where their appear. nee, resplendent in gay uniforms and swords, riding about the city behind well-groomed horses exerts a very strong influence mong the local Filipinos, and then they return to thole own lines to conferwwith alde." Each of their visits has been more extended than the previous ones different commissioners have alde and frow; Luna. Their stories are always the ne, and they always find objections to the scheme presented to them. Sr. Bar-otto, the Judge Advocate, told me, in an interview during his last visit, the Filipinos have stated since a year ago just what.they wanted, and that is independence pure and imple; they have never lost sight of this acd all negotiations hace been carried on with this as an ultimate end.
As a matter of fact most of the leading officers put very little faith in these numerous commissioners and believe that they are merely a series of cloverly worked dodges for gaining time. While the last Filipinos were in Manila thole comrades utilised the days of semioflicial truce to throw up a strong line of entrenchments in addition to. those already about San Fernando. General MeArthuris now within touch of from 4,000 to 3,000 insurgents at any point ina radius of three miles of the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.