6 MARCH

Imperialist Taft Commission

1901 - Apolinario M. Mabini, Prime Minister of the fledgling Philippine Republic under siege by imperialist American forces, informs President Emilio F. Aguinaldo of William H. Taft's reply that the United States could not recognize Philippine independence, two years and one month into the bloody and protracted Filipino-American War (1899-1914); in reaction, Aguinaldo declares his continued pursuit of independence and urges peace within that context; the reply of Taft, head of the Philippine Commission [translation: imperialist commission] has revealed to the Filipinos that the Taft Commission is aimed at consolidating American sovereignty and not honoring the independence of Filipinos in any way; earlier, in November 1900 following his August conference with Taft, Mabini communicated to Aguinaldo his thoughts about the enemy Americans' adamant refusal to recognize Philippine independence; Bald Eagle President William Mckinley's policy to forcibly annex the Southeast Asian archipelago and instigate the Fil-Am War has been criticized by the more honorable Americans, including the members of the Anti-Imperialist League; less than two years earlier, the Filipino leader agreed to cooperate with Admiral George Dewey in fighting Spain based on the verbal promises of the latter and other American officials in the Manila/Southeast Asia that the U.S. will honor Philippine Independence, with Aguinaldo later stupidly allowing the free entry of G.I.s into the archipelago.


Raw Photo Credit:
 http://philippineamericanwar.webs.com/collapse1901.htm