From Four Nodes of History: The Human Rights Challenge in the Philippine Security Sector (c) Public domain Soldiers of the Philippine Republic, ca. 1899. Leaders of the newly-inaugurated state tried to show the organized and “civilized” character of the republic’s army. ships for lease that could bring Aguinaldo and whatever cargo he had to any part of Luzon. This capability worried Dewey and the Annexationists. were still training and organizing them as part of the machinations of annexationists in the US Congress to expand its army from 28,000 to 300,000 for the Spanish-American War. Dewey wanted to control Aguinaldo so he could monitor, and sabotage his efforts to achieve victory over Spain. At about this time the US still had no ground expeditionary force available and Negotiations were initiated by the US between March and April 1898 with Aguinaldo through the Commander of USS Petrel on behalf of Admiral Dewey. The Americans gave verbal 52