MEETING OF ARMY OFFICERS, OCTOBER 22, 1899

Exhibit 1275.

[Original in Spanish. D.S. P.I.R., 889.10.]

MINUTE.

OCT. 22, 1899.

In the Headquarters of Santa Barbara, the twenty second day of October, eighteen hundred and ninety-nine, the Generals, Line and Field officers of the army on duty in this Island of Panay having assembled by virtue of a call, resolved:

1. To create in this Island of Panay, a superior Council, which shall comprise the three Politico-military Governments established in the island.

2. This Superior Council shall be composed of a President and three councillors, who shall be the three representatives of these three provinces.

3. The President shall be elected by acclamation at this meeting. The councillors and representatives shall be appointed by the Politicomilitary Governor with the concurrence of his Provincial Council.

4. The army in the island shall be unified as follows: 1. Three battalipns of infantry shall be formed and a mixed one of engineers and artillery, in addition to the other assimilated corps, which shall also be organized upon the basis of the standing army. 2. The organized army shall be under the command of an immediate superior commander. 3. This immediate superior commander shall be elected by acclamation at this meeting. 4. In this organization and in filling the places, there shall be taken into consideration the grades shown by the commissions issued by the Central Government of Luzon and the grades conferred by the Governments formerly here constituted, it being understood that the first are to be given the preference.

5. The grades not established by commissions issued by the Central Government of Luzon, shall be investigated and arranged according to the merits of the parties, by a commission of investigation which shall be composed of a field officer of each corps, to be elected by the field and line officers of the respective corps.

6. A list shall be prepared of the Generals, Field and Line Officers under waiting orders (excedentes) and another of the reserve officers who may voluntarily apply for commissions, in accordance with the decree of the Central Government.

7. The President of the Superior Council is the General in Chief of the army organized in this Island of Panay. The immediate superior shall be in command of this organized army, and shall be subject to the orders of the general in chief.

8. All those present at this meeting elect by acclamation as President of the Superior Council of the Island of Panay and General in Chief of its army, General Martin F. Delgado, and as immediate superior commander, General Ananias Dlocno.

9. On the request of Colonel Quintin Salas, it is made a matter of record that he and all the forces under his command are disposed to cede their positions and to accept the grades conferred by the Central Government of Luzon, in order to remove any incompatibility arising in the organiza ti On.

10. and last. The Central Government of Luzon shall be informed of this resolution for its approval, and in the meantime all those signing this minute promise to observe this resolution in all its parts.

In testimony whereof we sign this minute. Date ut supra.

(Signed) MARTIN DELGADO,
(Signed) ROQUE LOPEZ.
(And 126 signatures.)