Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 152, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 June 1912 — FIGHTS FOR FREEDOM [ARTICLE]

FIGHTS FOR FREEDOM

Young Filipino Is Alleged Victim of Persecution. Botto, Convicted of Felony, .Long a Fugitive in the British Crown Colony of Hongkong—Extradition Is Bought After Four Years- .

Hongkong.—Alleging persecution of * Filipino patriot by the Philippine authorities is causing much denunciatory comment in the far east, especially in this British Crown colony, where a big part of the drama is being The victim is a young journalist, Vincente Sotto, a qualified attorney and brother of one of the most-prom-inent members of the Filipino assembly. Sotto, because of his ardent championing of the cause of his compatriots, has been tried twice for sedition, and twenty-four times for libel. In every instance save one, however, he was discharged. Failing to suppress him by these means, the authorities brought a charge of seduction of a native girl against him and he was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment and ordered to pay a large sum to the girl’s mother. On appeal the verdict was confirmed, but the sentences were substantially reduced Being on bail, Sotto fled from the Islands, and for the past four years has been residing in Hongkong and for the last six months has been editing a little bi-llngual called the Philippine Republic, devoted to immediate and complete independence for the Filipinos. Published and run In the British colony, it has warmly denounced the government of the Philippines. For a time the Manila authorities did nothing, but when the paper began to circulate ip the islands and to receive support and recognition from Boston they revived the seduction case and a few weeks ago sought his extradition.

In its issue a week before the application for extradition the little Journal published what it described as a verbatim account of a conversation

between a Mr. Artacho and General Ricarte, on the little island of Lama, Hongkong, wherein the former stated that he had been commissioned by Gen. Franklin Bell to urge the latter to take the oath of allegiance to the United States and return to the Philippines, promising him, on the assurance of General Bell, that if he did so he would get a fat position in the gov-

ernment service. Ricarte, however, turned the offer down. It is admitted that the interview took place, but it is now being urged that the former was in no way sent as an emissary from General Bell. Sotto is fighting extradition on the ground that the proceedings are being taken for the purpose of punishing him for a merely political offense.